The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-09-10
AMNESTY.
p-oc,omation by the Presidents of
the United States.

.-aprIinaIN uI"'i'ii'Nt Shi
.hat the war then existing was not waged
-, the part Of the Government in any spirit
- onprcssion, nor for any purpose Of con-
S,,nssfo or suhiugation, nor for the purpose Of
Etrorthrowing or interfering with the rights
established institutions Of the States,
w., - defend and maintain the supremacy
~ the Constitution, and to preserve the
,.o;oo. with all the dignity. equality, and
.;,bts of the several States unimpaircd,
"a that as soon as these objects should be
.nromnlshcd, the wal ought to cease and
"Io-csS the President OF the United States,
y, me Sthday Of December, a. D. 1868, and
~ The 26th day of March, 1864, did, with
he objects Of SlppTcSsing the then existing
r~asrllIon, of inducing all persons to return
:, their LOYALTY, and of restoring the
or,boritv OF the United States, issue pro-
.r,mat;ons offering amnesty and pardon
- al pcrsonS who had directly or indi-
rIr,Iy participated in the then existing re-
hoIl;6n, except as in those proclamations
u,s specified and reserved and whereas
.ro President Of the United States did on
,hr 2qth day of May, A. D. 1865, issue a
either proclamation with the same OBJ
;sct, before mentioned, and to the end
hat the authority of the Government of
he United States might be restored, and
,ha, peace, order, and freedom might be
ss,abliSLed: and the President did BY the
said n; -mcutioned proclamation proclaim
and declare that he thereby granted to all
nr->ouS who had directly or indirectly par
;icipatcd in the then existing rebellion,
eycrp; as therein excepted, amnesty and
,,,don, with restoration OF all rights of
PROPERTY, except as TO slaves and eX-
cen; in certain cases where legal pro-
c,rdiucs had been instituted, but upon
condition that such persons should
take and subscribe an oath therein
prescribed, which oath should be regis
,rfeG for permanent preservation and
whereas. in and by the said l~aSt-mention-
ed proclamation of the goth day of Nay,
1858. fourteen extensive classes Of persons
,gcrcin specially described were altogether
excepted and excluded from the benefits
thereof: and whereas the President of the
United STATES did on the ID day of April,
I>GG, issue a proclamation declaring that
The iuSufrection was at an end, and was
;heucctUrth to be SO regarded and where
3, there nov exists no organized armed re-
ss,ancc OF misguided citizens or others to
the authority of the United States in the
States of Georgia, South Carolina, Viz
.inia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ala
lama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Florida, and Texas. and the laws can
lie sustained aud enforced therein by the
proper civil authority, State or Fede-
raj, and the people OF said States arc
we'll and Loyalty disposed, and have
contormcd, or, II permitted to do so,
will conform, in their legislation to the con-
dltion OF affairs growing out OF the amend
mcut TO the Constitution Uf the United
States prohibiting slavery within the limits
and jurisdiction OF the United States and
whereas there no longer exists any reason
able ground to apprehcnd within the
States which were involved in the late re-
nelliou any renewal thereof, or any In
lawful resistance by the people of said
States to the Constitution and laws Of
the United States; and whereas large
standing armies, military occupation, mar
tlal law, military tribunals, and the sus-
pension OF the privilege OF the writ Of
i0jeGs corpus and the right of trial by
Jury are III time of peace dangerous to
public liberty, incompatible with the indi-
yitUa! rights OF the citizen, contrary to the
genius aud spirit Of our free institutions,
and exhaustive of the national resources,
and ought not therefore to be sanctioned
or allowed, except in cases OF actual
necessity, for repelling invasion or
supprcSsing Instruction or rebellion
and whereas a retailatory or vlndlctlve
policy, attended by unnecessary ~dlSquallh-
cations, pains, penalties, contiscations, and
acknowledgements, now, as always, could
only tend to hinder reconciliation among
the people and national restoration, while
il must seriously embarrasS, obstruct, and
rrpresS popular energies and nationalindus-
Try and enterprise and whereas for these
reasons it is now deemed essential to the
,ublic welfare and TO the more perfect
restoration of constitutional law ard order
that the said last mentioned proclamation
50 as aforesaid, issued on the goth day of
Nay, 1868, should be modified, and that
the lull and beueiicent pardon conceded
thereby should be opened, and further eX-
tended TO a large number OF the persons
who, by It's aforesaid exceptions, have
been hitherto excluded from Executive
cleruency.
Now therefore be it known that I, An
drew Johnson, President of the United
States, do hereby proclaim and declare
that the full pardon described in the said
PROCLAMATION of Goth of May, 1865, shall
hencetorth be opened and extended to all
persons who directly or indirectly partici-
patcd in the late rebellion, with the rcsto-
ration of all privileges, ~immunities, and
rights OF property, except as to property
with regard to slaves, and except in cases
OF legal proceedings under the laws OF the
United States; but upon this condition,
nevertheless, that every such person who
snail seek to avail himself of this procla-
nation Shall take and subscribe the fol-
lowing oath, and shall cause the same TO be
registered lor permanent preservation IN
the same manner aud with the same effect
a, "Ith The oath prescribed in the said pro-
c4amation OF the goth May, 1865, namely:
IL, do solemnly swear Tor athrm) in
presence OF Almighty God, that | will
hencviorth faithfully support, protect, and
defend the Constitution of the United
States and the Union of the States there
under, and that | will in like name abide
oy aud faithfully support all laws and pro-
Carnations which have been made during
lie late rebellion with reference to the
emancipation Of slaves. So help me God"
The following persons and no others are
excluded from the benefits Of this procla-
nation and of The said proclamation OF
lie 18TH Of May, 1865, viz:
|. The chief or pretended chief execu-
I'VE officers, including the President and
wee President and heads of departments
u NE pretended Confederate or rebel Go
'eFHInent, aud all who were agents thereof
ii !oEeign States and countries, and all
VINO hell or nratnnded TO hold in the SER