To the Senate of the United States: EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, May 17, 1864. I herewith lay before the Senate, for its constitutional action thereon, a treaty concluded on the 7th instant in this city between William P. Dole, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Clark W. Thompson, superintendent of Indian affairs, northern superintendency, on the part of the United States, and the chief Hole-in-the-day and Mis-qua-dace for and on behalf of the Chippewas of the Mississippi, and the Pillager and Lake Winnibigoshish bands of Chippewa Indians in Minnesota. A communication from the Secretary of the Interior of the 17th instant, with a statement and copies of reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs of the 12th and 17th instant, accompany the treaty. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. WASHINGTON, D. C., May 24, 1864. To the Senate of the United States: I recommend Lieutenant-Commander Francis A. Roe for advancement in his grade five numbers, to take rank next after Lieutenant-Commander John H. Upshur, for distinguished conduct in battle in command of the United States steamer Sassacus in her attack on and attempt to run down the rebel ironclad ram Albemarle on the 5th of May, 1864. I also recommend that First Assistant Engineer James M. Hobby be advanced thirty numbers in his grade for distinguished conduct in battle and extraordinary heroism, as mentioned in the report of Lieutenant-Commander Francis A. Roe, commanding the United States steamer Sassacus in her action with the rebel ram Albemarle on the 5th May, 1864. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the House of Representatives: WASHINGTON, May 24, 1864. In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of yesterday on the subject of the joint resolution of the 4th of last month relative to Mexico, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, to whom the resolution was referred. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, May 28, 1864. In reply to a resolution of the Senate of the 25th instant, relating to Mexican affairs, I transmit a partial report from the Secretary of State of this date, with the papers therein mentioned. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, May 31, 1864. I transmit to the Senate, in answer to their resolution of the 28th instant, a report* from the Secretary of State, with accompanying docABRAHAM LINCOLN. uments. WASHINGTON, D. C., June 8, 1864. To the Senate and House of Representatives: I have the honor to submit, for the consideration of Congress, a letter and inclosure† from the Secretary of War, with my concurrence in the recommendation therein made. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, June 13, 1864. In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 4th of March, 1864, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of War in the case of William Yokum, with accompanying papers. To the Senate of the United States: ABRAHAM LINCOLN. WASHINGTON, June 13, 1864. I transmit herewith, for consideration with a view to ratification, a convention between the United States of America and the United Colombian States, signed by the plenipotentiaries of the contracting powers on the 10th February last, providing for a revival of the joint commission on claims under the convention of 10th September, 1857, with New Granada. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, June 18, 1864. In further answer to the Senate's resolution of the 28th ultimo, requesting to be informed whether the President has, and when, authorized a person alleged to have committed a crime against Spain or any of its dependencies to be delivered up to officers of that Government, and whether such delivery was had, and, if so, under what authority of law or of treaty it was done," I transmit a copy of a dispatch of the 10th instant to the Secretary of State from the acting consul of the United States at Havana. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. *Relating to the delivery of a person charged with crime against Spain to the officers of that Government. + Report from the Provost-Marshal-General, showing the result of the draft to fill a deficiency in the quotas of certain States, and recommending a repeal of the clause in the enrollment act commonly known as the three-hundred-dollar clause. EXECUTIVE MANSION, June 21, 1864. To the Senate of the United States: I herewith communicate to the Senate, for its constitutional action thereon, the articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at the city of Washington on the 15th instant between the United States and the Delaware Indians of Kansas, referred to in the accompanying communication of the present date from the Secretary of the Interior. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, June 24, 1864. To the Senate of the United States: I herewith lay before the Senate, for its constitutional action thereon, a treaty made and concluded at the city of Washington on the 11th day of June, 1864, by and between William P. Dole, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Hiram W. Farnsworth, United States Indian agent, commissioners on the part of the United States, and the chiefs and headmen of the Kansas tribe of Indians. A communication of the Secretary of the Interior of the 18th instant, with a copy of report of Commissioner of Indian Affairs of the 13th instant, accompany the treaty. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, June 28, 1864. In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 24th instant, requesting information in regard to the alleged enlistment in foreign countries of recruits for the military and naval service of the United States, I transmit reports from the Secretaries of State, of War, and of the Navy, respectively. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, June 28, 1864. In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 16th of last month, requesting information in regard to the maltreatment of passengers and seamen on board ships plying between New York and Aspinwall, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, to whom the resolution was referred. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the Senate of the United States: WASHINGTON, July 2, 1864. In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 6th ultimo, requesting information upon the subject of the African slave trade, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State and the papers by which it was accompanied. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. PROCLAMATIONS. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas in and by the Constitution of the United States it is provided that the President “shall have 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 now 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 confiscation 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 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 excepted 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 of lieutenant in the navy; all who 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 afterwards 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 other 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 A. D. 1860, each having taken the oath aforesaid, and not having since violated it, and being a qualified voter by the election law 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 nowise 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 application of the legislature, or the executive (when the legislature can not 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. |