said State of Kentucky in large force, and, not without aid and comfort furnished by disaffected and disloyal citizens of the United States residing therein, have not only greatly disturbed the public peace, but have overborne the civil authorities and made flagrant civil war, destroying property and life in various parts of that state;
And whereas it has been made known to the President of the United States by the officers commanding the national armies, that combinations have been formed in the said State of Kentucky with a purpose of inciting rebel forces to renew the said operations of civil war within the said state, and thereby to embarrass the United States armies now operating in the said States of Virginia and Georgia, and even to endanger their safety:
Now, therefore,Writ of habeas corpus suspended and martial law established in Kentucky I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the constitution and laws, do hereby declare that, in my judgment, the public safety especially requires that the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, so proclaimed in the said proclamation of the 15th of September, 1863, be made effectual and be duly enforced in and throughout the said State of Kentucky,Post, p. 773 and that martial law be for the present established therein. I do, therefore, hereby require of the military officers in the said state that the privileges of the writ of habeas corpus be effectually suspended within the said state, according to the aforesaid proclamation, and that martial law be established therein, to take effect from the date of this proclamation, the said suspension and establishment of martial law to continue until this proclamation shall be revoked or modified, but not beyond the period when the said rebellion shall have been suppressed or come to an end. And I do hereby require and command, as well all military officers as all civil officers and authorities existing or found within the said State of Kentucky, to take notice of this proclamation, and to give full effect to the same.
The martial law herein proclaimed,Lawful elections and proceedings of legislature not interfered with. and the things in that respect herein ordered, will not be deemed or taken to interfere with the holding of lawful elections, or with the proceedings of the constitutional legislature of Kentucky, or with the administration of justice in the courts of law existing therein between citizens of the United States in suits or proceedings which do not affect the military operations or the constituted authorities of the government of the United States.
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 fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord one[l.s.] thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and of the Independence of the United States the eight-ninth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President:
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
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No. 17.
BY THE PRESIDENTJuly 7, 1864. OF THE UNITED STATES:
A PROCLAMATION.
WhereasPreamble
Ante, p. 415. the Senate and House of Representatives, at their last session, adopted a concurrent resolution, which was approved on the second day of July instant, and which was in the words following, namely:
"That the President of the United States be requested to appoint a day for humiliation and prayer by the people of the United States; that he request his constitutional advisers at the head of the executive departments to unite with him as chief magistrate of the nation, at the city of Washington, and the members of congress, and all magistrates, all civil, military, and naval officers, all soldiers, sailors, and marines, with all loyal and law-abiding people, to convene at their usual places of worship, or wherever they may be, to confess and to repent of their manifold sins; to implore the compassion and forgiveness of the Almighty, that, if consistent with His will, the existing rebellion may be speedily suppressed, and the supremacy of the constitution and laws of the United States may be established throughout all the states; to implore Him, as the Supreme
