Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-07-14

that as soon as those objects should be accomplished, the war on the part of the Government should cease and,
 WHEREAS, The President of the United States has heretofore, in the spirit of that declaration and with the view of securing for it the ultimate and complete effect, as set forth in the several procamations offering amnesty and pardon to persons who had been, or were concerned in, the aforenamed rebellion, which proclama tions, however, were attended with pru- dsntial reservations and exceptions then deemed necessary and proper. and which proclamation were respectively issued on the Sth day of December, 1863, on the 26th day of March 1864, on the 29th day of May, 1865, and on the 7th day of September, 1867 and, ,r.- -
 WHEREAS, The said lamentable civil war has long since altogether ceased, with an acknowledgment by the States of the supremacy of the Federal Constitution and of the Government hereunder, and there no longer exists any reasonable ground to apprehend renewal of the said civil war or any foreign interference, or any unlawful resistance by any portion of the people of any of the States to the Constitution and laws of the United States; and,
 WHEREAS, It is desirable to reduce the standing army, and to bring to speedy termination the military occupation, mar tial law, military tribunals, the abridg- mcnt of the freedom of speech and of the press, the suspension of the privilege of ha6eas corpus and the rights of trial by jury, such encroachments upon our free institutions in times of. peace being dan gerous to public liberty, incompatible with the individual rights of the citizens, contrary to the genius and spirit of our Republican form of Government and exhaustion of the National resources and, WHEREAS, It is believed that amnesty and pardon will tend to secure complete and universal establishment and prcva- lence of municipal law and order in con- formity with the Constitution of the United States, and to remove all appear ances and presumptions of a retaliative or vindictive policy on the part of the Government, attended by unnecessary disquali6cations, pains, penalties, confsca- tions and disfranchisements, and on the contrary to promote and preserve com pete fraternal conciliation among the whole people, with due submsson to the Constitution and laws,
 Now, therefore, be it known that I, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, by virtue of the Constitution, and in the name of the people of the United States, do hereby proclaim and declare, internationally and without reservation, to all and to every person, who directly or indirectly participated in the late insur- rection or rebellion, excepting such per sons who may be under present indict- ment in any court of the United States having competent jurisdiction, upon a charge of treason or other fclony--a full pardon and amnesty for the offensc of treason against the United States, or of adhering to either, enemies during the late civil war, with a restoration of all their rights of. property, except as to slaves, and except, also, as to any property of which any person may have been legally divested under the laws of the United States
 In testimony whereof, I have signed these presents with my hand, and have caused the seal of the United States to be hcreunto affixed. Done at the City of Washington, the 4th day of Jnly, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hun dred and sixty-cight, and of the Indepen- dence of the United States the ninety third.
 By the President,
 TSigned1 ANDREW JOHNSON. WILLIAM II. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
 Ees~The bill to remove the county