The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-12

Chairman Eeecutice Coalnittee.
By the President of the United States
of America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas, In the month ofJuly, Ammo Domini
| 1861. the two Houses of Congress, with ex-
traordinary 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 Vt con-
quest or subjugation, nor the purpose of over
throwing or interfering with the rights or
established institutions of any State, but to
defend and maintain the supremacy of the
Constitution 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 Sth day of December. ammo
Domini, 1868, and on the 26th day of March,
Ammo Domini, 1864, did, with the object of
suppressing the existing rebellion, of Undue
ing all persons to return to their loyalty, and
of restoring the authority of the United
States, issue proclamation offering amnesty
and pardon to all persons who had directly
listing rebellion, except such as in these
proclamations were specified and reserved;
and
Whereas, The President of the United
States, did, on the Goth day of May, Ammo
Domini, 1865, issue further proclamation,
with the same objects before mentioned, and
to the end that the authority of the Gov
eminent 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 proclama-
ton, proclaim to all persons who had direct
ly or indirectly participated in the then ex-
listing rebellion, except as therein excepted,
amnesty and pardon, with restoration of all
rights of property except as to slaves, and
except in certain cases where legal proceed
ings had been instituted, but upon condition
that such persons should take and subscribe
an oath therein prescribed, which should be
registered for permanent preservation; and,
Whereas, In and by the said last men
toned proclamation of the goth day of May,
Ammo Domini, 1865, fourteen extensive
classes, therein specially described, were al
together excepted and excluded from the
benefits thereof; and
Whereas, The President of the United
States did, on the 2nd day of April, Ammo
Domini 1865, issue proclamation declar-
ing that the instruction was at an end, and
was thenceforth 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, Ala
bama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi,
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
disposed, and have conformed, or if per-
mitted to do so, will conform, in their legis-
lation, to the condition of affairs growing
out of the amendment to the Constitution of
the United States prohibiting slavery within
the limits and Jurisdiction of the United
States; and,
Whereas, There no longer exists any
reasonable ground to apprehend within the
States, which were involved in the late re-
bellion, any renewal thereof, or any unlaw-
full resistance by the people of said States to
the Constitution of the United States; and
Whereas, large standing armies, military
occupation, martial law, military tribunals
and the suspension of the privilege of the
writ Of ha6eas corpus, and the right of trial
by jury, are in time of peace dangerous to
public liberty, incompatible with the in
dividual rights of the citizen, contrary to the
genius and spirit of our free institutions,
and exhaustive of the national resources, and
ought not therefore to be sanctioned or al
lowed, except in cases of actual necessity for
repelling invasion or suppressing instruction
or rebellion; and,
Whereas, A retaliatory or vindictive policy,
attended by unnecessary disqualifcations,
pains, penalties, contiscations and disfran-
chisements, now, as always, could only tend
to hinder reconciliation among the people,
and national restoration, while it must
seriously embarrass, obstruct and repress
popular energies and national industry and
enterprise; and,
Whereas, For these reasons, it is now
deemed essential to the public welfare, and
to the more perfect restoration of constitu-
tional law and order, that the said last
mentioned proclamation, as aforesaid issued
on the goth day of May, A. D., 1865, should
be modified, and that the full and benefcent
pardon conceded thereby should be opened
and further extended to a large number of
the persons who, by its aforesaid exceptions,
have been hitherto excluded from Executive
clemency: -......
Now, therefore, be it known, that I.
United States, do hereby proclaim and de-
clare, that the full pardon, described in the
said proclamation of the Goth day of May,
A. D., 1865, shall henceforth be opened and
extended to all persons who, directly or in
directly, participated in the late rebellion,
with restoration 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
shall seek to avail himself of this proclama-
ton, shall take and subscribe the following
oath, and shall cause the same to be regis
tered, for permanent preservation, in the
same manner and with the same effect as
with the oath prescribed in the said pfocla-
nation of the Doth day of May, A. D., 1865,
namely: