The Shasta courier., 1867-09-14
SHASTA COURIER.
A PROCLAMATION.
Bv the President of the United States ef
America

that the war then existing was not "aeeu on
the mart of the Government IN any spirit OF
arnrossion nor for any purpose of conquest
or s,binoation. nor for the purpose of over
tbroDine or interfering with the rights or
established institutions of the States but to
defend.apd maintain the supremacy of the
Constitution, preserve to the Union with
dignity the equality of the rights of the sew
eral States unimpaired and that as soon as
these objects should be accomplished the war
ought to cease; and, whereas, the President
of the United States on the oth day of De
cember. 1868, and the Goth of March, 1864,
did, with the object of suppressing the then
existing rebellion, of inducing all persons to
return to their loyalty and of restoring the
authority of the United States, issue Proc
lametion offering amnesty and pardon to ell
persons who had, directly or indirectly, par
ticipated in the then existing rebellion, ex
cept as in those proclamations was specified
and reserved; and, whereas, the President
of the United States did, on the 29th of MAY,
A d. 1865, issue a further proclamation,
with the same objects before mentioned, and
to the end that the authority of the Govern.
ment of the United States might be restored
and that peace, order and freedom might be
established, and the President did. by said
last mentioned proclamation, proclaim and
declare that he thereby granted all persons
who had directly or indirectly, participated
in the existing rebellion, except as therein
excepted, amnesty and pardon, with the re-
storation of all the rights of property except
as to slaves, EXCEPT in certain cases where
legal proceedings had been instituted, but
upon condition that such persons should
take and subscribe an oath therein prescrib-
ed, which oath should be registered for per-
manent preservation and whereas in and
by said last mentioned proclamation Of the
Doth of May, 1865, fourteen extensive classes
of persons therein specially described were
altogether excepted and excluded from the
benefits thereof and whereas the President
of the United States did on Cd day of April,
1866, issue q proclamation declaring that the
insurrection was at an end and was thence
forth to be so regarded and whereas there
now exists no organized armed resistance of
misguided citizens or others to the authority
of the United States in the States of Georgia.
South Carolina, North Carolina. Virginia,
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas,
Mississippi, Florida and Texas, the laws
can be sustained and enforced therein by
proper civil authority, State or Federal, and
the people of said States are well and loyalty
disposed and have CONFIRMED, and if per
the conditions of affairs growing out of the
amendment to the Constitution prohibiting
slavery within the limits and jurisdiction of
the United States and whereas there no
longer exists anv reasonable danger, nor is
any to be apprehended within the States
which were involved in the late rebellion, 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 occupation, mar
tial law, military tribunals and the suspen.
sion of the privilege of habeas corpus and
the right of trial by jdry are in time of peace
dangerous to the public liberty and incom.
patble with the individual rights of citizens
contrary to the genius and 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 rep.Ilng invasion or
suppreSsng insurreetiou or rebellion; and
whereas, Il retaIiatory or vindictiye policy
attended by unnecessary disqualifcatiOns,
pains, penalties, confscation and disfran
chisemeut, now and always could only tend
20 hinder reconciliation among the people
and national restoration, while it must seri-
Ously embarrass. obstruct and repress the
popular energies, national industry and en-
terprise ard whereas for these reasons it
is now deemed essential to the public vel
fare, to a more perfect restoration and the
control of law and order, that said last men
toned proclamation so aforesaid issued on
the Doth of Nav, 1865, should be modified,
and that the full and bencfcent pardon con.
ceded thereby should be opened and further
extended to large number of persons. who.
by its aforesaid excep ions, have been hther
to excluded from the Executive clemencv
Now, therefore, be it known that |. An
drew johnson. President of the United
States, do hereby proclaim and declare that
the full pardon described in said proclama-
ti0n of the 29th of May, 1865, shall hence
forth be opened and extended to all persons
who, directly or indirectly, participated in
the late rebellion, with the restoration of all
privileges, immunities and rights of proper
ty, except as to property with regard to
slaves, except in cases leading to proceedings
under the law of the United States but
upon this condition, nevertheless, that every
such person who shall seek to avail himself
of this pardon shall take and subscribe the
following oath, and shall cause the same to
be registered for permanent preservation, in
some manner, with the same effect with the
oath prescribed in said proclamation of May
%, 1865, viz:
81 do solemnly swear or affirm, in the
presence of Almighty God, that will hence
forth support. protect. and defend the Con
stitution and Union of States Hereunder, and
that will in like manner abide by and
faithfully support all laws and proclamations
which have been made during the late rebel
lion with reference to the emancipation Of
slaves so help me God"
The following persons and no others are
excluded from the benefits of this proclama-
ton and said proclamation of 29th of May,
1865, namely:
First-The chief or pretended chief execu-
tive officers, including the President. Vice
President and all heads of departments of
the pretended Confederate or rebel Govern
ment, and all who were agents thereof in
foreign States an countries. and all who bad
or pretended to hold in the service of said
pretended Confederate Government, military
rank or title above the graie of Brigader
General and the naval Iank or title above
that of Captain. and all who were or pre-
tended to be Governors of States. while
maintaining. abetting and submitting to and
acqu'eselng IN the rebellion.
oeeond-An persons who in any way
treated otherwise than as lawful prisoners Of
war the persons who in anv capacity were
employed or engaged in the military service
of the United States.
1hlra-Ail persons who at the time they
may seek to obtain tho ho..c. :, my !