American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-09-18

lowing pardon proclamation, although
prepared yesterday, WAS not issued until
this afternoon
by the President of the United
States of America.
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, In the month of July, A.
D. 1861, the two Houses of Cong ess, with
extraordinary unauimity, solemnly declar-
ed that the war then existing vas not
waged on the part of the Government in
any spirit OF oppression, nor for any pur'
pose of conquest or subjugation, nor pur-
pose of overthrow or interfering with the
rights or established institutions of tile
States, but to defend and maintain the su
premacy of the Constitution, and to pre-
serve the Union with all the dignity,
equality and rights of the several States
unimpaired. and that as soon as these OBJ
jeets should be accomplished the war
ought to cease and, whereas, the Presi-
dent of the United States, on the 9Th day
of December, A. d. 1868, and on the 26th
day of March, A. d. 1854, did, with OBJ
jects of suppressing the then existing re
bellion, of inducing all persons to return
to their loyalty, and of restoring the au.
thority of the United States. issue proc
lamatlons Offering amnesty and pardon to
all persons who had diretcly or indirectly
participated in the then existing rebel
lion, except as in those proclamations was
specified and reserved aud, whereas, the
President of the United States did, ou
the 29th day of May, A. d. 1865, issue
a further proclamation with the same OBJ
ject before mentioned, and to the eud
that the authority 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 proclamation, proclaim and de-
clare that he thereby granted to all per
sous who had directly or indirectly par
ticipatcd IN the then existing rebellion,
except us therein excepted, amnesty and
pardon, with the restoration Df all rights
Of property except as 10 sla"es, aud ex,
cept III certain case, where l"gaI pro-
ceedings had been instituted, but upon
condition that such persons should take
and subscribe an oath therein prescribed
which oath should be registered for per
maneut preservation; and. whereas. i
aud by said last mentioned proclamation
of the 29th day Of May, A D. 1855,
fourteen extensive classes OF persons
therein specially described, were al o
gether fexceptcl aud excluded from the
benefits thereof; and, whereas, the Pres
ldeut Of the United States did, on the I'd
day of April, A. D, 1866, issue a proc.
lsmaton declaring that the insurrection
was at an end aud was thenceiorth to b.
SO regarded aud, whereas, there now ex.
lists no organized armed resistance OF mis-
guided citizens or Others to the authority
OF the United States in the States of G eo.
gia. South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee,
North Carolina, Alabama Louisiana, Ar
kansas, Mississippi, Florida aud Texas,
and the laws can be sustained and eninrc
ed therein by the proper civil authority,
State or Federal, aud the people of said
States are we'll aud lnyally disposed, aud
have couformed, and if permitted t. d.
SO. will coutorm in their legislation 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 Unite 3!
States aud, whereas, there no longer
exists any reasonable ground to apprehend
within the States which were involved in
the late rebellion renewal thereof, OF
any unlawful resistance by the people OF
said States to the Constitution aud laws
Of the United States; and, whereas, as
large staining armies, military occupa-
ton, martial Jaw, military tribunals, and
the suspension of the privilege of the
writ of haGeas corpus, and the right ol
trial by jury, are in time of peace dan
gerous to public liberty, incompatible
with the individual rights of the citizen,
contrary to the genius aud spirit of our
free institutions, aud exhaustive of the
national resources, aud ought not, there
fore, to be sanctioned or allowed except
in cases of actual necessity for repelling
invasion or suppressing insurrection or re
belliou; and, whereas, retaliatory or
viudictive policy, attended by unnecesss
ry disqualifcations, pains, penalties, con
fscatiuDs and distranchisement, now as
always could only tend to hinder recon
ciliatlon among the people and Nationa
restoration, while it must seriously EN-
barrass, abstruct and repress the popular
energies and National industry aud enter
prise and, whereas, for these reasons i
is now deemed essential to the public
welfare and to the more perfect restora
tion of Constitutional law and order thai
the sad last mentioned procl lmation, s.
as aforesaid issued on the 18th day o
May, A d. 1865, should be modified
and that the full and bene6ceut plrdo.
conceded thereby should be opened an,
further extendei to large number o
persons who by its aforesaid exception,
have been hitherto excluded from execu
tive elemency;
Now, therefore, be it known, that
Andrew johnson, President of the Uni
ted States, DO hereby proclaim aud declar'
thai the full pardon described in the sale
proclamation of the 29th day of May, A
ID. 1865, shall heneerorth be opened and
extended to all persons who, directly o
indirectly, participated in the late rebel
lion, with the restoration Of all privileges
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