Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-13
AMNESTY PROCLAMATION
BY THE SIDENT
OF THE
UNITED STATES
WAsHINaToN, Sept. s.

The following proclamation was issued Satur-
day morning
By the President of the United States of america.
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, In the month of July, Ammo DomiDi
1861, the two Houses of Congress, with extrord
nary unanimity, solemnly declared that the war
then existing was not waged on the part of the
Government in any spirit of oppression, nor for
any purpose of conquest or subjugation. nor mr.
pose of overthrowing interfering with the riobts
| or established institutions of the States but 70
defend and maintain the supremacy of the Copsti-
| tuition, and to preserve the Union with all the
dignity, equality and rights of the several States
unimpaired, and that soon as these objects
should be accomplished the war ought to cease
| And whereas, The President OF the United
States, on the 9Th of December, A. D., 1863, and
ON the Goth day of March, A. D., 1864 did with
the objects Of suppressing the then existing re-
bellion of inducing all persons to return to their
loyalty, and of restoring the authority of the Uni
ted States, issue Proclamatons offering amnesty
and pardon to all persons who had, directly in
directly, participated in the then existing rebel
lion, except as in those proclamations was !speci-
fed and reserved.
And whereas, The President OF the United
States did, on the 29th day of May A. D.. 1865, is
sue further proclamation with the same objects
before mentioned, and to the end that the author
ity of the Government of the United States might
be restored, and that peace, order and freedom
might be established and the President did, by
the said last mentioned proclamation, proclaim
and declare that he thereby granted to all per-
sons who had directly or indirectly participated
in the then existing rebellion, except as therein
excepted amnesty and pardon, with restoration
Of all rights of property, except to slaves and
except in certain cases where legal proceedings
had been instituted, but upon condition that such
persons should take and subscribe oath there
in prescribed, which oath should be registered for
permanent preservation.
And, whereas, in and by the said last mentioned
proclamation of the twenty ninth day of May,
Ammo Domini eighteen hundred and sxty-fvo,
fourteen extensive classes of persons therein spe
cially described, were altogether excepted and
cluded from the benefits thereof, and, whereas,
the President OF the United States did, on the
. second day of April, Ammo Domini eighteen hun
dred and sixty-six, issue proclamation declaring
, that the instruction at an end, and was
thenceforth to be regarded, and, whereas, there
now exists organized armed resistance of mis-
guided citizens others to the authority of the
United States in the States of Georgia, South
, Carolina, Virginia North Carolina Tennessee, Ala
bama Louisiana, Ark ansas, Mississippi, Florida,
and Texas and the laws can be sustained and Gu
forced therein by the proper civil authority, State
or Federal and the people of said States are well
and Loyalty disposed; and have conformed, or, if
permitted to do 30, will conform, in their legisa-
tion to the condition of affairs growing out Of the
, amendment to the Constitution of tie United
States prohibiting slavery within the limits and
, Jurisdiction of the United States, and whc: cas-
} there no longer exists any reasonable ground to
apprehend within the States which were involved
in the late rebellion any renewal thereof, or any
unlawful resistance by the people OF said States
to the Constitution and laws of the United States
and, whereas, large standing armies, military &C.
cupation, martial law, military tribunals, and the
suspension of the privilege of the writ of hdJeaS
corpus and the right of trial by jury are, in times
of peace, dangerous to pu lie liberty, iuc0mpati-
bic with the individual rights of the citizen,
trary to the genius and spirit Of free institu
tions and exhaustives of the national resources,
and ought not, therefore, to be sanctioned or al
lowed except in of actual necessity for re-
f polling invasion or suppressing instruction or
d rebellion; and whereas, retaiatory or vndic-
tive policy attended by unnecessary Disqualified
v tons, pains, penalties, oonfiscations and dsfran-
y easements now, as always could only tend to
hinder reconciliation among the people and ma
tional restoration, while it must seriously embar
rass, obs:ruct and repress popular energies and
national industry and enterprise; and, whereas,
for these it is now deemed essential to the
. public welfare, and to the perfect restoration
of constitutional law and order, that the said last
Y mentioned proclamation 80 as aforesaid, issued
v on the twenty ninth day of May, Ammo Domini,
H eighteen hundred and sixty-liye, should be modi
fed and that the full and benefcent pardon con-
, coded thereby should be opened and further OK
tended to q large number Of the persons who, by
it's aforesaid exceptions, have been hitherto cH-
cluded from executive clemency.
Now therefore be it known that l, Andrew John
son, President of the United States do hereby
proclaim and declare that the full pardon de-
scrbed in said proclamation Of the twenty -nintl
day of May Ammo Domini eighteen hundred and
sixty-fve shall henceforth be opened and extend
ed to all persons who directly or indirectly part
cpated in the late rebellion with the restora ton
of sl privileges, immunties and rights OF property
except as to property with regard to slaves an
except in cases of legal proceedings under the
laws of the United States, but upon this conGi
ton nevertheless that every such person who shaI
seek to avail himself Of this proclamation shall
take and subscribe the following oath and shall
cause the same to be registered for permanent pre-
servaton in the same manner and with the same
effect as with the oath prescribed in said procla
nation of the twenty ninth day of Mag, 1865 name
Iy, " lido solemnly swear or affirm, IL
presence of Almighty God that will henceforth
faithfully support, protect and defend the Constr
tuition OF the United States, and the union OF the
States Hereunder, and that will in like manner
abide by and faithfully support all laws and pro
CARNATIONS which have been made during the late
rebellion with reference to the emancipation
slaves, 80 help me God"
The following persons and no others arc e1cIu
ded from the benefits Of this proclamation and o.
the said proclamation Of the twenty-ninth day Of
May, 1865, nemely
First The Chief pretended Chief Executive
officers, including the President the Vice Presldeh
o. and all heads of departments Of Ethe pretended
= Confederate or rebel government and all who were
agents thereof IN foreign States and countries ana
all who held or pretended to hold in the service u
ne the said pretended Confederate government
ly military rank title above the grade OF BriGaei
ay General naval rank, title above that oil Gap
i'd tain and all who were pretended to be Cover
nors of States while maintaining, abettiDgor SUI"
I'd milling to and acquiescing in the rebellion.
of | Sooord A rersons who in any treatCu'