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as not repealed, modified, or held void by Congress or by decision of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