(Washington, D.C.), 1863. 8vo. 20 pp. Original limp printed wrappers, spine largely separated, front and rear wrappers split, bottom of spine chipped, small chip at top front corner, lightly toned.

A rare pamphlet of Lincoln's December 8, 1863 address to Congress, offering amnesty to Confederate citizens upon swearing loyalty to the Constitution and the United States, and for the first time, laying out plans for postwar reconstruction. This Proclamation had three major points. First, it offered a full pardon and restoration of property to all of those who participated in the rebellion, with the exception of the highest Confederate officals, upon taking an oath of allegiance to the United States. Second, it allowed states to rebuild their governments when 10 percent of their population took the aforementioned oath. And finally, it stipulated that states that reentered the Union must address the needs of their formerly enslaved citizens and make plans to integrate them into society without compromising their newfound freedom and rights. While the plan was conciliatory by design, some Radical Republicans in Congress viewed it as too lenient, and sought more strict benchmarks for reentry.