history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Whereas；　in　and　by　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　it　is　provided　that　the　President　〃shall　have　the　power　to　grant　reprieves　and　pardons　for　offenses　against　the　United　States；　except　in　cases　of　impeachment；〃　and

Whereas；　a　rebellion　now　exists　whereby　the　loyal　State　governments　of　several　States　have　for　a　long　time　been　subverted；　and　many　persons　have　committed；　and　are　guilty　of　treason　against　the　United　States；　and

Whereas；　with　reference　to　said　rebellion　and　treason；　laws　have　been　enacted　by　Congress；　declaring　forfeitures　and　confiscations　of　property　and　liberation　of　slaves；　all　upon　terms　and　conditions　therein　stated；　and　also　declaring　that　the　President　was　thereby　authorized　at　any　time　thereafter；　by　proclamation；　to　extend　to　persons　who　may　have　participated　in　the　existing　rebellion；　in　any　State　or　part　thereof；　pardon　and　amnesty；　with　such　exceptions　and　at　such　times　and　on　such　conditions　as　he　may　deem　expedient　for　the　public　welfare；　and

Whereas；　the　Congressional　declaration　for　limited　and　conditional　pardon　accords　with　well　established　judicial　exposition　of　the　pardoning　power；　and

Whereas；　with　reference　to　said　rebellion；　the　President　of　the　United　States　has　issued　several　proclamations；　with　provisions　in　regard　to　the　liberation　of　slaves；　and

Whereas；　it　is　now　desired　by　some　persons　heretofore　engaged　in　said　rebellion　to　resume　their　allegiance　to　the　United　States；　and　to　reinaugurate　loyal　State　Governments　within　and　for　their　respective　States；　therefore；

I；　Abraham　Lincoln；　President　of　the　United　States；　do　proclaim；　declare；　and　make　known　to　all　persons　who　have；　directly　or　by　implication；　participated　in　the　existing　rebellion；　except　as　hereinafter　excepted；　that　a　full　pardon　is　hereby　granted　to　them　and　each　of　them；　with　restoration　of　all　rights　of　property；　except　as　to　slaves　and　in　property　cases　where　rights　of　third　parties　shall　have　intervened；　and　upon　the　condition　that　every　such　person　shall　take　and　subscribe　an　oath；　and　thenceforward　keep　and　maintain　said　oath　inviolate；　and　which　oath　shall　be　registered　for　permanent　preservation；　and　shall　be　of　the　tenor　and　effect　following；　to…wit：

I；　___　__　___　；　do　solemnly　swear；　in　presence　of　Almighty　God；　that　I　will　henceforth　faithfully　support；　protect；　and　defend　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　the　Union　of　the　States　thereunder；　and　that　I　will；　in　like　manner；　abide　by　and　faithfully　support　all　acts　of　Congress　passed　during　the　existing　rebellion　with　reference　to　slaves；　so　long　and　so　far　as　not　repealed；　modified　or　held　void　by　Congress；　or　by　the　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court；　and　that　I　will；　in　like　manner；　abide　by　and　faithfully　support　all　proclamations　of　the　President　made　during　the　existing　rebellion　having　reference　to　slaves；　so　long　and　so　far　as　not　modified　or　declared　void　by　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court。　So　help　me　God。

The　persons　exempted　from　the　benefits　of　the　foregoing　provisions　are　all　who　are；　or　shall　have　been；　civil　or　diplomatic　officers　or　agents　of　the　so…called　Confederate　Government：　all　who　have　left　judicial　stations　under　the　United　States　to　aid　the　rebellion；　all　who　are　or　shall　have　been　military　or　naval　officers　of　said　so…called　Confederate　Government　above　the　rank　of　Colonel　in　the　army　or　Lieutenant　in　the　Navy；　all　who　have　left　seats　in　the　United　States　Congress　to　aid　the　rebellion；　all　who　resigned　commissions　in　the　army　or　navy　of　the　United　States　and　afterward　aided　the　rebellion；　and　all　who　have　engaged　in　any　way　in　treating　colored　persons；　or　white　persons　in　charge　of　such；　otherwise　than　lawfully　as　prisoners　of　war；　and　which　persons　may　have　been　found　in　the　United　States　service　as　soldiers；　seamen；　or　in　any　capacity。

And　I　do　further　proclaim；　declare；　and　make　known　that　whenever；　in　any　of　the　States　of　Arkansas；　Texas；　Louisiana；　Mississippi；　Tennessee；　Alabama；　Georgia；　Florida；　South　Carolina　and　North　Carolina；　a　number　of　persons；　not　less　than　one…tenth　in　number　of　the　votes　cast　in　such　State　at　the　Presidential　election　of　the　year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　sixty；　each　having　taken　the　oath　aforesaid　and　not　having　since　violated　it；　and　being　a　qualified　voter　by　the　election　laws　of　the　State　existing　immediately　before　the　so…called　act　of　secession；　and　excluding　all　others；　shall　reestablish　a　State　government　which　shall　be　republican；　and　in　no　wise　contravening　said　oath；　such　shall　be　recognized　as　the　true　government　of　the　State；　and　the　State　shall　receive　thereunder　the　benefits　of　the　constitutional　provision　which　declares　that　〃the　United　States　shall　guarantee　to　every　state　in　this　Union　a　republican　form　of　government；　and　shall　protect　each　of　them　against　invasion；　and；　on　the　application　of　the　legislature；　or　the　executive　（when　the　legislature　cannot　be　convened）　against　domestic　violence。〃

And　I　do　further　proclaim；　declare；　and　make　known；　that　any　provision　which　may　be　adopted　by　such　State　government　in　relation　to　the　freed　people　of　such　State；　which　shall　recognize　and　declare　their　permanent　freedom；　provide　for　their　education；　and　which　may　yet　be　consistent　as　a　temporary　arrangement　with　their　present　condition　as　a　laboring；　landless；　and　homeless　class；　will　not　be　objected　to　by　the　National　Executive。

And　it　is　suggested　as　not　improper　that；　in　constructing　a　loyal　State　government　in　any　State；　the　name　of　the　State；　the　boundary；　the　subdivisions；　the　constitution；　and　the　general　code　of　laws；　as　before　the　rebellion；　be　maintained；　subject　only　to　the　modifications　made　necessary　by　the　conditions　hereinbefore　stated；　and　such　others；　if　any；　not　contravening　said　conditions；　and　which　may　be　deemed　expedient　by　those　framing　the　new　State　government。

To　avoid　misunderstanding；　it　may　be　proper　to　say；　that　whether　members　sent　to　Congress　from　any　State　shall　be　admitted　to　seats；　constitutionally　rests　exclusively　with　the　respective　houses；　and　not　to　any　extent　with　the　Executive。　And　still　further；　that　this　proclamation　is　intended　to　present　to　the　people　of　the　States　wherein　the　National　authority　has　been　suspended；　and　loyal　State　governments　have　been　subverted；　a　mode　in　and　by　which　the　National　authority　and　loyal　State　governments；　may　be　re…established　within　said　States；　or；　in　any　of　them；　and　while　the　mode　presented　is　the　best　the　Executive　can　suggest；　with　his　present　impressions；　it　must　not　be　understood　that　no　other　possible　mode　would　be　acceptable。

Given　under　my　hand　at　the　City　of　Washington；　the　eighth　day　of　December；　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　sixty…three；　and　of　the　Independence　of　the　United　States　of　America；　the　eighty…eighth。

＇L。　S。＇

By　the　President：　Abraham　Lincoln。　William　H。　Seward；　Secretary　of　State。

How　the　revolted　States　could　be　most　successfully　and　expeditiously　restored　to　their　constitutional　relations　to　the　Union　on　the　cessation　of　hostilities；　was　the　momentous　question　of　the　hour；　upon　which　there　were　views　and　schemes　as　varied　and　antagonistic　as　were　the　mental　differences　and　political　disagreements　of　those　who　felt　called　upon　to　engage　in　the　stupendous　work。　As　history　had　recorded　no　similar　conditions；　and　therefore　no　demand　for　the　solution　of　such　a　problem；　there　were　no　examples　or　historic　lights　for　the　guidance　of　those　upon　whom　the　task　had　fallen。

It　is　apparent　that　Mr。　Lincoln　maintained　the　indestructibility　of　the　States　and　the　indivisibility　of　the　Unionthat　the　resolutions　of　secession　were　null　and　void；　and　that　the　States　lately　in　rebellion　were　never　in　fact　but　only　in　theory　out　of　the　Unionthat　they　retained　inherently；　though　now　dormant；　their　State　autonomy　and　constitutional　rights　as　before　their　revolutionary　acts；　except　as　to　slavery；　and　that　all　their　people　had　to　do；　to　re…establish　their　former　status；　as　he　declared　to　the　Emperor　of　the　French　when　that　potentate　was　about　to　recognize　the　Confederacy；　was　to　resume　their　duties　as　loyal；　law…abiding　citizens；　and　reorganize　their　State　Governments　on　a　basis　of　loyalty　to　the　Constitution　and　the　Union。　The　terms　he　proposed　to　formally　offer　them　were　first　illustrated　in　the　case　of　Louisiana；　early　in　1863；　and　later　in　the　foregoing　Message　and　Proclamation；　and　clearly　indicated　what　was　to　be　his　policy　and　process　of　reconstruction。

Messrs。　Flanders　and　Hahn　were　admitted　to　the　House　of　Representatives　as　members　from　Louisiana　agreeably　to　the　President's　views　thus　outlined。　They　had　been　chosen　at　an　election　ordered　by　the　Governor　of　the　State　（Gov。　Shepley）；　who　had　undoubtedly　been　permitted；　if　not　specially　authorized　by　the　President；　to　take　this　step；　but　they　were　the　last　to　be　received　from　Louisiana　under　Mr。　Lincoln's　plan；　as　the　next　Congress　resolved　to　receive　no　more　members　from　the　seceded　States　till　joint　action　by　the　two　Houses　therefor　should　be　had。

Prior　to　the　election　at　which　these　gentlemen　were　chosen；　Mr。　Lincoln　addressed　a　characteristic　note　to　Gov。　Shepley；　which　was　in　effect　a　warning　that　Federal　officials　not　citizens　of　Louisiana　must　not　be　chosen　to　represent　the　State　in　Congress；　〃We　do　not；〃　said　he；　referring　to　the　South；　〃particularly　need　members　of　Congress　from　those　States　to　get　along　with　legislation　here。　What　we　do　want　is　the　conclusive　evidence　that　respectable　citizens　of　Louisiana　are　willing　to　be　members　of　Congress　and　to　swear　support　to　the　Constitution；　and　that　other　respectable　citizens　are　willing　to　vote　for　them　and　send　them。　To　send　a　parcel　of　Northern　men　as　Representatives；　elected；　as　would　be　understood；　（and　perhaps　really　so）　at　the　point　of　the　bayonet；　would　be　disgraceful　and　outrageous。〃

Mr。　Lincoln　would　tolerate　none　of　the　〃carpet…bagging〃　that　afterwards　became　so　conspicuous　and　offensive　under　the　Congressional　plan　of　Reconstruction。

These　steps　for　reconstruction　in　Louisiana　were　followed　by　the　assembling　of　a　convention　to　frame　a　new　constitution　for　that　State。　The　convention　was　organized　early　in　1864；　and　its　most　important　act　was　the　prompt　incorporation　of　an　antislavery　clause　in　it