The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-09-13
JOhnsOn's Amnesty PrOclama-

WASHINGTON, September s.
The following pardon proclama-
ton, although prepared yesterday,
was not issued until this afternoon:
, By the President Of the United State.
4 of america:
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, In the month of July,
A. ID. 1861, the two Houses of Con
: gress, with extraordinary unanimity,
, solemnly declared that the war then
existing was not waged on the part
of the Government with any spirit OF
oppression, nor for any purpose OF
conquest or subjugation, no purpose
OF overthrowlng or interfering with
the rights or established institutions
OF the States, but to defend and main
tain the supremacy of the Constitu-
ton, and to preserve the Union with
all the dignity, equality and rights OF
the several 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 8th day OF
December, A. D. 1868, and on the
26th day of March, A. d. 1864, did
with the objects of suppressing the
then existing rebellion, of inducing
oil narcnna fn raturp tr, fbo boir lnuolt,-
and restoring the authority of the
United States, issue proclamations
offering amnesty and pardon to all
persons who had directly or indirec
tly participated in the then existing
rebellion, except as in those procla
nations, was specified and reserved:
AND WHEREAS, The President of
the United States did on the 29th day
of May, A. d. 1865. issued further
proclamation, with the objects before
mentioned, and to the end that the
authority of the Government of the
United States might he restored, and
that peace, order and freedom might
be established, and the President
did, by the said last mentioned pro
clamation, proclaim and declare thas
he thereby granted to all persons
who had directly or Indirectly par
ticipated in the then existing rebel
lion, except as in therein excepted,
amnesty and pardon with restoration
of all the rights of property, except
as to slaves, and except in certain
cases where legal proceedings had
been instituted, but on condition that
such persons should take and sub
scribe to an oath therein prescribed,
which oath should be registered tor
permanent preservatlon;
AND, WHEaEAs, In and by the said
last mentioned proclamation of tn"
29th day OF May A d. 1865, fourteen
extensive classes of persons therein
specially described, were alto ether
excepted and excluded from the ben
etits thereof;
AND WHEREAS, the President of
the United States did. on the I'd day
of April, A d. 1866, issue procla
nation declaring that the insurrec-
ton 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.
Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mis-
sissippi, Florida and Texas, and the |
laws can be sustained and enforced |
therein by the proper civil authority. !
State or Federal, and the people of
said States are well and Loyalty dis /
posed, and have conformed, and if
permitted to do so, will conform, in |
in their Legislatures, to the condi-
ton of affairs growing out of the
amendm ent to the Constitution of the
United States prohibiting slavery
within tha -linsita ers9-j,.-,,< ic%i~vs ~ y
the United States;
ABD WHEREAS, there no longer
exists any reasonable ground to ap-
prehend within the States which were
involved in the late rebellion, re-
newal thereof, or any unlawful resis-
tance by the people of said States to ;
the Constitution and laws of the
land;
AND WHEREAS, AS large standing
armies, military occupation, martial
law, military tribunals, and the sus-
pension of the privilege of the writ
of habeas corpus, and the right of
trial by jury, are in time of peace
dangerous to public liberty, incom
patible with the individual rights of
the citizen, contrary to the genins
and spirit of our free institutions,
and exhaustive of the national re-
sources, and ought not therefore to
be sanctioned or allowed, except in
cases of actual necessity for repelling
invasion or suppressing insurrection
or rebellion;
AND WHEREAS, A retaliatory or
policy, attended by unnec-
essary disqualifcations, pains, penal
ties, confiscations and disfranchise-
ment, now, as always, could only /
lend to hinder reconciliation among
the people and national restoration.
while it must seriously embarrass,
obstruct and repress popular ener-
gies, and national industry and en-
terprise; -. GOOD iscm lo /
AND WHERIAs, For these reasons,
it is now deemed essential to the
public welfare, and to the more per
feet restoration of constitutional law
and order, that the said last men
toned proclamation, so as aforesaid
issued on the 29th day of May, A. D.
1865, should be modified, and that
the full and benefcent pardon con
ceded thereby should be opened and
further extended. to large number
of persons who, by the aforesaid ex-
have been hitherto excluded
from Executive clemency.
Now, therefore, be it known that
I, Andrew johnson, President of the
United States, do hereby proclaim
and declare that the full pardon de-
scribed in the said proclamation of
the 29th day of May, A. d. 1865,
shall henceforth be opened and ex
tended to all persons who directly or
indirectly participated in the late re-
bellion, with the restoration of all
immunities and right of
property, except as to property with
regard to slaves, and except in cases
of LEGAL PROCEEDINGS under the laws