The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

STATE PAPERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

401

IHw of nations, retain a right to renounce that purposo, and to forego
the privilege of citizenship and residence within tile United States, under
the obligations imposed by the aforesaid act of Congress:
Now, therefore, to avoid all nisapprehensions concerning the liability of
persons concerned to perform the service required b)y such enactment, and
to give it full effect, I do hereby order and proclaim that no plea of alienage will be received, or allotwed to exempt from the obligations imposed
by the aforesaid act of Congress any person of foreign birth who shall
have declared on oath his intention to become a citizen of the United
States, under the laws thereof, and who shall be found within the United
States at any time during the continuance of the present insurrection and
rebellion, at or after the expiration of the period of sixty-five days from the
date of this procla:nation; nor shall any such plea of alienage be allowed
in favor of any such person who has so, as aforesaid, declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, and shall have exercised at
any time the right of suffrage, or any other political franchise witlin the
United States, under the laws thereof, or under the laws of any of the
several States.
In witness 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 8th day of May, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the in[L. s.]
dependence of the United States the eighty-seventh.
ABRAHA&M LINCOLN.
By the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
It was subsequently ordered that the draft should take
place in July, and public proclamation was made of the
number which each State would be required to furnish.
Enrolling officers had been appointed for the several districts of all the States, and, all the names being placed in
a wheel, the number required were to be publicly drawn,
under such regulations as were considered necessary to
insure equal and exact justice. Very great pains had
been taken by the opponents of the Administration to excite
odium against that clause of the law which fixed the price
of exemption from service under the draft at three hundred
dollars. It was represented that this clause was for the
special benefit of the rich, who could easily pay the sum
required; while poor men who could not pay it would be
compelled, at whatever hardships to themselves and their
families, to enter the army. The draft was commenced in
26