750 



UNITED STATES 



by a proclamation of the 16th of June, 1865, declared 

 that the insurrection in the State of Tennessee had 

 been suppressed, and that the authority of the United 

 States therein was undisputed, and that such United 

 States officers as had been duly commissioned were 

 in undisturbed exercise of their official functions ; 



And whereas, the President of the United States, 

 by further proclamation, issued on the 2d day of April, 

 1866, did promulgate and declare that there no longer 

 existed any armed resistance of misguided citizens or 

 others to the authority of the United States in any or 

 in all the States before mentioned, excepting only the 

 State of Texas : and did further promulgate and de- 

 clare that the laws could be sustained and enforced 

 in the several States before mentioned, except Texas, 

 by the proper civil authorities, State or Federal, and 

 that the people of the said States, except Texas, are 

 well and loyally disposed, and have conformed, or 

 will conform, in their legislation to the condition of 

 affairs growing out of the amendment to the Consti- 

 tution of the United States prohibiting slavery within 

 the limits or jurisdiction or the United States : and 

 did further declare, in the same proclamation, that it 

 is the manifest determination of the American people 

 that no State, of its own will, has the right or power 

 to go out, or separate itself from, or be separated 

 from the American Union ; and that therefore each 

 State ought to remain and constitute an integral part 

 of the United States ; and did further declare, in the 

 same last-mentioned proclamation, that the several 

 aforementioned States, excepting Texas, had in the 

 manner aforesaid given satisfactory evidence that 

 they acquiesced in this sovereign and important reso- 

 lution of national unity ; 



And whereas, the President of the United States, 

 in the same proclamation, did further declare that it 

 is believed to be a fundamental principle of Govern- 

 ment that the people who have revolted had been 

 overcome and subdued must either be dealt with so 

 as to induce them voluntarily to become friends, or 

 else they must be held by absolute military power, 

 or devastated so as to prevent them from ever again 

 doing harm as enemies which last-named policy is 

 abhorrent to humanity and to freedom ; 



And whereas, the President did in the same proc- 

 lamation further declare that the Constitution of the 

 United States provides for constituent communities 

 only as States, and not as Territories, dependencies, 

 provinces, or protectorates ; and, further, that such 

 constituent States must necessarily be, and by the 

 Constitution and laws of the United States are, made 

 equal and placed upon a like footing as to political 

 rights, immunities, dignity, and power with the 

 several States with which they are united ; and did 

 further declare that the observance of political equali- 

 ty as a privilege of right and justice is well calculated 

 to encourage the people of the before-mentioned 

 States, except Texas, to be and become more and 

 more constant and persevering in their renewed al- 

 legiance ; 



And whereas, the President did further declare 

 that standing armies, military occupation, martial 

 law, military tribunals., and the suspension of the writ 

 of habeas corpus, are in time of peace dangerous to 

 public liberty, incompatible with the individual rights 

 of the citizen, contrary to the genius and spirit of our 

 free institutions, and exhaustive of the national re- 

 sources, and oug_ht not, therefore, to be sanctioned or . 

 allowed, except in cases of actual necessity for repel- 

 ling invasion or suppressing insurrection or rebellion ; 

 and the President did further, in the same proclama- 

 tion, declare that the policy of the Government of the 

 United States from the beginning of the insurrection 

 to its overthrow and final suppression had been con- 

 ducted in conformity with the principles in the last- 

 named proclamation recited ; 



And whereas, the President in the said proclama- 

 tion of the 2d of April, 1866, upon the grounds there- 

 in stated and hereinbefore recited, did then and 

 thereby proclaim the insurrection which heretofore 



existed in the several States before named, except 

 Texas, was at an end, and was henceforth to be so 

 regarded ; 



And whereas, subsequently to the said 2d day of 

 April, 1866, the insurrection in the State of Texas 

 has been completely and everywhere suppressed and 

 ended, and the authority of the United States has 

 been successfully and completely established in the 

 said State of Texas, and now remains therein unre- 

 sisted and undisputed, and such of the proper Uni- 

 ted States officers as have been duly commissioned 

 within the limits of the said State are now in the un- 

 disturbed exercise of their official functions ; 



And whereas, the laws can now be sustained and 

 enforced in the said State of Texas by the proper civil 

 authority. State or Federal, and the people of the said 

 State of Texas, like the people of the other States be- 

 fore named, are well and loyally disposed, and have 

 conformed or will conform in their legislation to the 

 condition of affairs growing out of the amendment of 

 the Constitution of the Umted_ States prohibiting sla- 

 very within the limits and jurisdiction of the United 

 States ; 



And whereas, all the reasons and conclusions set 

 forth in regard to the sever*! States therein specially 

 named now apply equally and in all respects to the 

 State of Texas as well as to the other States which 

 had been involved in insurrection ; 



And whereas, adequate provision has been made 

 by military orders to enforce the execution of the 

 Acts of Congress and the civil authorities^ and secure 

 obedience to the Constitution and laws of the United 

 States within the State of Texas, if a resort to mili- 

 tary force for such a purpose should at any time be- 

 come necessary : 



Now, therefore, I, Andrew Johnson, President of 

 the United States, do hereby proclaim, and declare 

 that the insurrection which heretofore existed in the 

 State of Texas is at an end, and is to be henceforth 

 so regarded in that State as in the other States be- 

 fore named, in which said insurrection was proclaimed 

 to be at an end by the aforesaid proclamation of 

 the 2d day of April, 1866 5 and I do further proclaim 

 that the said insurrection is at an end, and that peace, 

 order, tranquillity, and civil authority now exist in 

 and throughout the whole of the United States of 

 America. 



In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 

 and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. 



Done at the city of Washington this 20th day of 

 T EAL 1 August, A - D - 1866, and of the independence 

 >- '" of the United States of America the ninety- 

 first. 



ANDEEW JOHNSON. 



By the PRESIDENT : 



WILLIAM H. SEWABD, Secretary of State. 



On September 3d the President issued an- 

 other proclamation, declaring the supremacy of 

 the Constitution and the laws, with directions 

 to all subordinates strictly to observe the re- 

 quirements for an earnest support of the Con- 

 stitution and a faithful execution of the laws. 

 The heads of the several executive departments 

 were instructed to furnish each person holding 

 an appointment in their respective departments 

 with a copy. The proclamation was as fol- 

 lows: 



Whereas, by the Constitution of the United States, 

 the executive power is vested in a President of the 

 United States of America, who is bound bv solemn 

 oath faithfully to execute the office of President, and, 

 to the best of his ability, to preserve, protect, and 

 defend the Constitution of the United States ; and is, 

 by the same instrument, made Commander-in-Chie_f 

 of the Army and Navy of the United States, and is 

 required to take care that the laws be faithfully exe- 

 cuted ; 



