Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-19


of states, if any, in which the people
thereof respectively shall then be in
rebellion against the United States,
and the fact that any state, or the
people thereof, shall on that day be in
good faith represented in the con-
gress of the United States by the
members chosen thereto at elections
wherein a majority of the qualified
voters of such state shall have par
ticipated, shall, in the absence. of
strong countervailing testimony, be
deemed conclusive evidence that such
state and the people thereof are not
then in REBELLION against the United
States:
Now therefore, I, Abraham Lin
coin, President of the. United States,
by virtue of the power in me vested
as commander in chief of the army
and navy of the United States, in the
time of actual armed rebellion against
the authority and government of the
United States and as fit and neces-
sary war measure for depressing said
rebellion do, on this first day of jan
uary, in the year of our Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and siXty-three,
and in accordance with my purpose so
| to do, publicly proclaim for the full
period of one hundred days from the
day of the above first mentioned or
| der, and designate, as the states and
parts of states wherein the people
thereof respectively are this day
in rebellion against the United States.
| the following to-wit: Arkansas, Texas,
Louisiana, except the parishes of st.
Bernard, Plaquemine, Jefferson, ST.
John. st. Charles, st. James. Ascen-
sion, Assumption, Terre Bonnie, La
| fourche, st. Mary, st. Martin and Or
leans, including the city of New Or
leans, Mississippi Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, South Carolina, North Caro-
lima, and Virginia, except the forty
eight counties designated as West Vir-
ginia, and also the counties of Berk-
eley, Accomac, Northampton, Eliza
beth City, York, Princess Ann and
Norfolk including the cities of Nor
folk and Portsmouth, and which eX
cepted parts are, for the present left
precisely as if this proclamation Were
not issued.
And by virtue of the power and fol
the purpose aforesaid. l do order ant
declare that all persons held as slaves
within said designated states an(
parts of states are, and henceforwart
shall be, free; and that the executive
government of the United States, in
! Guiding the military and naval author
3 tiles thereof, will recognize and main
J, tain the freedom of said persons.
{ And hereby enjoin upon the people
Y so declared to be free to abstain from
T. all violence, unless in necessary o
I1fN T ma
3 them, that in all cases, when allowed
e they labor faithfully for reasonabl
5 wages.
e And l further declare and max
e known that such persons of suitabl
e condition will be received into tn
s armed service of the United States t
o garrison forts, positions, stations an
e other places, and to man vessels OF
v ports in said service.
= And upon this, sincerely believed t
l. be an act of justice, warranted by tn
constitution, upon military necessit,
invoke the considerate judgment {
!. mankind and the gracious favor of A
!, mighty God.
III In witness whereof j have hereunt
!. set my hand and caused the seal of til
!. United States to be affixed.
vi Done at the city of Washington,th
=, first day of January, in the year of OIL
o Lord one thousand eight hundred al
i sixty-three, and of the independent
!, of the United States of America tt
10 eighty-seventh.
~ IL. ST. Abraham Lincoln.
"a BY the President:
"a William H. Seward Secretary
ar State.
p Ex-Slaves in OtturWa.
lg Ottumwa is the home of a few me
lie and women who were slaves before u
n proclamation was issued. Some
% the city's most highly respected c.
ored people were once subject to Di
ter like so many horses or Gait
,e Some of them can tell stories tn
i would make the cold blood OF t
-, northener" boil with rage, tales
he suffering of every nature. few
NJ, these ex-slaves have been interview
10 by the Courier, and have told sori
on interesting to people who do no re
i.I ize the horrors which were akin
&c. slavery.
z. Taylor's Story.
ay 2. TAYLOR, who resides at 125 MOI
lJdN1S street., Mao iSeii W oii - 49,
ty- plantation in Madison county, MISS
he sippi, where he was born in 1916: !
on master was Hugh Lawson, an lnilu
wv tial attorney whose home was in q
ton, and who died during the war. /
in property was then taken in charge
nd by his wife, who, according to
err Taylor's statements ruled her sla'
tie, with an iron hand.
he Mr.. Taylor was an able bodied D
re- almost man, during the war. He
all members distinctly the various no
nd and fears which alternated IN
ait minds of the colored slaves as ba
md after battle told how the tide OF
ize struggle was flowing. Meanwhile,
er- SAID, he worked along with the OF
re- slaves, picking cotton in the sunni
in and doing any work that came to nj
leir at all seasons, until the fall OF Vlf
burg.
rst After each successive victory tor
cla- northern troops, the slave holders
- the vicinity of the place just taken
the enemy would run their slaves
tor south, in an effort to keep u
until the northerners should at las'
I 4. A N