SUMMARY: This offering is an endorsement signed
by Lincoln concerning the Loyalty Oath of Dec. 8, 1863.
Abraham Lincoln (February
12, 1809 – April 15, 1865)
was the sixteenth President of the United States, serving from
March 4, 1861 until his death on April 15, 1865. As an outspoken
opponent of the expansion of slavery, he won the Republican Party
nomination in 1860 and was elected president later that year.
During his term, he helped preserve the United States by leading
the defeat of the secessionist Confederate States of America
in the American Civil War. He introduced measures that resulted
in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation
in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment
to the Constitution in 1865.
Despite the fact that the war
would not be over for another 18 months, Lincoln  wanted to provide for a lenient
policy of reconstruction. On December 8, 1863 he issued
this proclamation which provided a means of repatriating "those
who resume their allegiance" even though the war was still
in progress. To those who took an oath of loyalty, he was
prepared to issue a full pardon, with some notable exceptions.
Those exceptions he specifically listed in the proclamation so
there would be no misunderstanding. He also provided guidelines
for the systematic reestablishment of loyal state governments.
Lincoln, Abraham. AES ("A
Lincoln"), cut from a larger sheet, 1¾" x 2¾",
n.p., 1864 Feb. 1. The President writes, "Let this
man take the oath of Dec. 8 and be discharged." Very
fine. Some interesting fragments appear on the verso: "of
irreproacha[ble]…the rebel…he never will…[u]nion
man…[unc]onditional…A.H. Buckner…[McCle]llan of
the…."
The Federal government was overwhelmed
by requests for amnesty, to the extent that on March 26, 1864,
President Lincoln had to issue a second proclamation to clarify
"which insurgent enemies are entitled to the benefits of
the proclamation" of December 8, 1863. Here is a link to the full proclamation:http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/procamn.htm
This oath come with a full 8
in. x 10 in. B&W image of Abraham Lincoln shown above.
All items sold by the History Buff, Inc. come with documentation
and a certified opinion as to authenticity.
SOLD
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