Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1868-07-10
.f.uN'ESTI' PROCL,Eu.FTEO.,.
ny THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATE

ny THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
Whereas in the month of July, A. d. 1851,
in accepting the condition of civil war,
which was brought on by instruction and
rebellion in several of the States which con-
stitute the United States, the two Houses of
Congress did solemnly declare that war
was not waged ON the part of the govern
ment in any spirit of oppression, nor for
any purpose of conquest or subiugation
nor for any purpose of ovcrthrowing or in
terfering with the rights or established in
situations OF the States, but only TO defend
and maintain the supremacy of the Consti-
tuition of the United States and to preserve
the Union with all the dignity, equality and
rights of the several States unimpaired, and
that so soon as those objects should be &C.
complished, the war on the part of the row
ernment 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 1t the ultimate and complete effect set
forth in the several proclamations offering
amnesty and pardon to persons who had
been, or were, concerned in the aforenamcd
rebellion, which proclamations, however,
were amended with prudential reservations
and exceptions, then deemed necessary and
proper, and which proclamations were re-
spectively issued on the Sth day of Dec,
18th day of May, 1865, and on the 9TH day of
Sept, 1867:
And whereas, the said lamentable civil
war has long since altogether ceased, with
an acknowledgment by all the States of the
supremacy of the Federal Constitution and
of the government Hereunder, and there
no longer exists any reasonable grounds to
apprehend renewal of the said civil war,
or any foreign interference, or any unlaw-
ful resistance by any portion of the people
of any of the States to the Constitution and
laws of the United States:
And whereas, il is desirable to reduce the
standing army and bring speedy termina-
ton TO military occupation, martial law,
military tribunals, abrdgment of the free
dom of speech and Of the press, and suspen-
sion of the privilege of habeas corpus and
of the right of trial by jury, such encroach-
ments upon our free institutions in the time
of peace being dangerous to public liberty,
incompatible with the individual rights of
the citizen, contrary to the genius and spirit
of our republican form of government and
exhaustive of the national resources
And whereas, it is believed that amnesty
and pardon will tend to secure a complete
and universal establishment and prevalence
of municipal law and order in conformity
with the Constitution of the United States,
and to remove all appearances and presump-
tons of retaliatory or vindictive policy of
the government, attended by unnecessary
disqualifications, pains, penalties, confirma-
tons and disfrancisement, and on the con-
trary to promote and procure a complete
fraternal reconciliation among the whole
people, with due submission to the Consti-
tuition and the laws:
Now, therefore, be it known that |, An
drew johnson, President of the United
States, do, by virtue of the Constitution, and
in the name of the people of the United
States, hereby proclaim and declare uncon-
ditionally, and without reservation, to all
and to every person who directly or indi-
rectly participated in the late instruction
or rebellion, excepting such person or per-
sons as may be under presentment or in
dictment in any court of the United States
having competent jurisdiction upon a charge
of treason or other felony, full pardon and
amnesty for the offense Of treason against
the United States, or of adhering to their
enemies during the late civil war, with the
restoration Of all rights of property, except
as to slaves, and except also to any properly
of which any person may have been legally
Invested under the laws of the United
States.
In testimony whereof l have signed these
presents with my hand, and have caused
the seal of the United States to be herewith
affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, the 4th day
of July, in the year of our Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-eight, and
of the independence of the United States
of America the ninety-third.
(Signed) ANDREW JOHNSON.
VIM. II. Seward, Sec. of State