A Proclamation By Governor Crapo

Michigan Seldiers, Oiücers and Men: Ju tho hour of nationnl d;inger aud ' peril, when the Biituty - when the vory ' existenee - of your countiy wuaimpeiil led, you left your fireeides, your homes , : and your fttucQies to defend tho ; muut and the Uniop. But the dangeris ' now averted, tho struggle is ended, and victory, absolbte and complete victory, has p&rched upou your bunners. You iiavtj conqinred u glorious peace, and ure therby poniiittod to return again to your homes and to the pursuiía of tranquil industry, to wfiioh I now weleomc you,; and, not only lor myself bat fer tho peoplo of liie State, dü 1 oíí'er you a most cordial greetiog.. Citizen soldiurs, recogni.ed liy lbo inslilutious of lliu land as fieeinon, as American citizon, tho l, proudest of' all political distiiictiuus, and possessing ra oommon with every citi.cn tho electivo franchise, which coufers the right to an exercuso of tho sovereigp. power ; you had bocomo so idoutifitd and engrossed with tho uationiil otiterpi-ke and pros peiity derivcd from tüe untrainmeled privileges of repiibïicau freedoin, that Ihe cnetnies of thosc icstitutious, in their ignoranoe of the principies upon which thcy aru founded, roadly and fooilishly belinyed that you were destituto of irianliood. Thoy supposed you had becoino eo debased by continued toil as to be duvoid of cvory noble impulse. - They imaginüd that y;m ore oowards aud oravens, and tb at by the threatenings a'ono of a despotio and tyrannical oligareby you could uotonly besubdacd, hut robbed of your inheritance of ircedom, of your birthright of liberty, those glorious and pricelesa legacies from your patriotio sires. ïhrough the vilest treaobery and the foulest robbery, these wicked and perjured . men, whom their country had not only greatly bonefited and favored, but highly bonorcd, believed that by det-poüing your country of its rcputaüon, of its troasures, of its means of protoutiou and dofeDse, they had eusurud your degradatioa and defeat. i Fatal mistako ! and teirible its eonsequencos to those wit'ked and forsworn men, aa vvcll ca to their deluded and blinded votaries ! Soldiers! you have taught a lesson, not on!y to liio enemies of your country but to the world, which will neyer be forgi tten. With your brave cómradesfi'om every loyal State in thisgreat and redcemcd Union, you have met thsse vaunting and perjured traitors and rebels, face to faee, upon the field of battle, in the frunt of strongly fortified jntrenchments, and before almost impregnaBlc ran:parts; and by your skill and valor, your persistent eöbrts aad uutiring devotion to the sacred causo of freedom, of civilization and of mankind - vou have proved to those arch-criminals and their sympathizers, that it is not necessary for men to be serfs and alavés in order to be soldiers ; but that in tho hands oí free and enlightened citizens, enjoyíng tho advantages and blessings oouferred by free instttutions, the templo of liberty will ever be safe, aad its escutcheoaforever uueullied. Pello'.v-citizens of Michigan ! Patriot citizen soldiers ! although you return to us beariug honorable inarks of years ol toil, of hardship, of privation, aud of suffering, many of you with bodies mutiluted, maimed and scarred, mourning the loss of brave oomiades, ruthlessly slain on the field of' battle, tortured to death by inches, or fouüy murdered in cold blood, not with tho weapon of a soldier, Lut by the panga of etarvation and esposure; yet will in the future enjoy the proudsotisfactioa of having aided in ashieving for your country her second Independence ; in viqdicating the national honor and digvñiy ; ia overthrowiog that despotic and ur.boly power which has dared to raise its, bideous head on this continent, for the purpose of trampling upon and destroying that inalienable right to life, liberty, and tho pursuit of happiness, whioU ifl the birth-right oL all ; and iinally in plasing the Unioa, osi&blished by the blood of our fathcra, upen aa imperishable foundation. You will also possess the rioh inhentauce of merit.ing the conlinued plaudits, and of enjoying the constant gratitude of a freo people, whose greatness you have preserved in lts bour of most imminent peril. In the name of the people oi Micb. igan, I thank you for the honor you have dono U8 by your valor, your soldierly bearing, your invincible courage everywhere displaycel, whether upqa the field of battle, n the periloua assault, or in the deailly breacb ; for your patience under tha fatigues, privations, and sufferings incident to war; and for your discipline and ready obedience to the orders of your superiors. We are proud in believing that when the history of this rebellion shall have baea written, vvhere all have done well, none will etaid higher on the roll of fame than the feipcers and soldiers sent to the field1 fronj tije loyal and patriotic State of Michigan. HENRY H. CltAPO. By tiis Excellency, the Governor, James B. Pokïeb, Secretnry of State.