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Reconstruction Proclamation

Reconstruction Proclamation image
Parent Issue
Day
15
Month
July
Year
1864
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Whcreas at the late Bession, Congress passed a bilí to guarantee to cercain States whosa governments bave been usurped or overthrown, a i lican forrn cl' govurument, a copy of which is hereuMó annexed ; and vvhereas, the said bill was preseoted to the President of the United States for his approval less than orie hour before the sine die adjournment of mild session, and was not figned by him, and whereas, tht.' siiid bilí contain, umnng olher tliiugs, a plan for restoring the States in rebellion to their proper political relation in the Union, which plan expressed the sense of Oongress upon that sulijeot, and whk:h plan it is now thought fit to lay beiore tho peoplu for their consideration. Now, th.refore, I, Adp.aiiam Lincoln, President of the United State.s, do proclaim, declare, and make known, that while I am, is I was in December last, when by proclama' ion I propounded a plan for restoiation, unprepared by a forma] approval oí this bill, to be inflexibly committtd to any single plan of restoration, and while I am a!so unprepared to declare that the fVee State constitutions and governmcnts already adopted and installed in Arkun.a8 and Louisiana hall be set aside and held for naught, thereby repelling and discouraging the loyal ciüzens who have set up the samo as to further effort, or to declare a constitntional eornpetency in Coogress to abolish slavery in the States, bnt am at the same time sinceruly boping and expecting th t a constitntional amendment abolishing sla very throughoul the nation may be adopted ; nevertheless, I am fully satisfied with the system for restoration contained in the bill, as one very proper plan for the loyal peoplo of any State ohoosing to adnpt it, and that I am,and at all times ahall be, prepared to givu the Execu ive aid and assistance to aDy sueh people, so poon as the military reHistance to the United States bas been suppressed in any sueb State, and tho people shall have sufficiently returned to their obedience to the Coustitution and laws of the United Staten, in which case military Governors wiü be appointed, with directions to proeeed acoording to the bill. In testimony wliereof, I have liereunto eet my hand and unused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this 8ih day of Jnly, in the year of our Lord 1864, and in the Independerse of tho IT t. the 88th. ABKAHAM LINCOLN. By the President,

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus