The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-07-08
COLUMBIA.
wednesday morning. July s. 1858.
Tho Amncsty ProeiamatioF. J.

4RO RIhkhCbtJ-
The President signalized the Fourth
Of July, 1868, by a proclamation Of
general amnesty to the participants
in tho resistance, which terminated
over three years ago, to the Federal
Government in the South. He in
cludes in this proclamation all the
classes who were excluded in previous
proclamations, excepting those under
presentment Oh indictment in the
Courts. The last amnesty proclama-
tion was September z, 1867, and it
excluded from its benefits, and from
the benefits Of the proclamation of
May 20, 1866, the President, Vice.
President, and all heads of depart
ments of the. Confederate Govern
ment; its agents in foreign States
and countries; officers in the army
above the grade of Brigadier- G General,
or in the navy above the rank Of
Captain; all who were Governors Of
States in the Confederacy during the
war;. all persons treating otherwise
there as lawful prisoners of war per-
sons in the service of tie United
States; persons in civil or military
custody at the time they may seek to
obtain the benefits OF the proolama-
tion, and; all persons engaged, direct
ly or indirectly, in the assassination
of Mr.. lincoln. OF. in any plot or
conspiracy connected Herewith. All
these, which embrace many officers
of high rank, both in the civil and
military service of the late Confede-
racy,, are pardoned by the present
proclamation, with the exception of
Jefferson Davis, and other persons,
against whom indictments have been
found, and with the exception of
those who have violated the laws of
war in the treatment of prisoners.
The power of the President to par
don, by general proclamation, topaz
don en- m,asse or individually, to par.
don before or after conviction, is
conferred upon the Executive by the
Constitution, which expressly clothes
him with "power to grant reprieves
and pardons for offences against the
United States, except in cases of i'm
parchment" The effect of the pro-
clamation of amnesty is to relieve
political offenders of the conse.
quences of their offences against pub
lie order. 1t is, literally, u forget
ting, o putting away from remem-
brance, an act of oblivion, which, in
domestic disturbances and civil wars,
is o necessary prelude to peace. It
works restoration, if the pardoning
power SO proclaims, as the President
did in the proclamation of last Sep
tember, (and the present proclama-
tions) of all privileges. immunities
and rights of property, except in
slaves, sand except, also, as to any
property Of which any person may
have been legally divested by
the laws Of the United States
It has been remarked, no never,
that Of all the instances of amnesties
which history affords. there have
been fewin which governments have
not found means to punish their op~
ponents without openly violating
their promise Of pardon, and SO far
as the removal Of political disabilities
is concerned, the reconstruction acts
of Congress have rendered the am
nesties of the President of little ef-
feet. tI'
We congratulate the country, how
ever, that general amnesty has at last
been declared. 1t would have been
better and more creditable to the ma
tion, if it had beenTproclaimed at an
early period. And now we have to
regret that the rubbish of isolated
treason indictments, here and there,
is not swept away with it. Their
very isolation renders the injustice of
prosecuting them more palpable,