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 in our letters inculcated upon our venerable brothers. May it please God at the same time to make the other peoples of America and their rulers, reflecting seriously how terrible is civil war, and what calamities it engenders, listen to the inspirations of a calmer spirit, and adopt resolutely the part of peace. As for us, we shall not cease to offer up the most fervent prayers to God Almighty that he may pour out upon all the peoples of America the spirit of peace and charity, and that he will stop the great evils which afflict them. We at the same time, beseech the God of mercy and pity to shed abroad upon you the light of his grace, and attach you to us by a perfect friendship.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, the third of December, in the year of our Lord 1863, of our Pontificate 18.

PROCLAMATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

RAISING OF THE BLOCKADE OF THE PORT OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

By the President of the United States.

A PROCLAMATION.

, in my Proclamation of the twenty-seventh of April, 1861, the ports of the States of Virginia and North-Carolina were for reasons therein set forth, placed under blockade; and, whereas, the port of Alexandria, Virginia, has since been blockaded, but as the blockade of that port may now be safely relaxed, with advantage to the interests of commerce; now, therefore, be it known that I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, pursuant to the authority in ine vested by the fifth section of the Act of Congress, approved on the thirteenth of July, 18G1, entitled &quot; An Act further to provide for the collection of duties on imports, and for other pur poses,&quot; do hereby declare that the blockade of the said port of Alexandria shall so far cease and determine from and after this date; that commercial intercourse with the said port, except as to persons, things, and information, contraband of war, may from this date be carried on, subject to the laws of the United States, and to the lim itations, and in pursuance of the regulations which are prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, in his order, which is appended to my proclamation of the tenth of May, 1862. 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 twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord 1862, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-third. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. By the President: WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. Doc. 176. GENERAL BANKS S ORDER. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,) NEW-ORLEANS, September 28, 1863.) ORD-ERS, No. 70: I. The heroic efforts of the army of the United States have reestablished the free navigation of the Mississippi and its tributaries. The vindi cation of the freedom of these waters by the iron hand of war against a confederation of rebel States is an event of equal import with their dis covery and settlement, and makes the Union a nation. It is a baptism of blood. In a brief period of time this vast and fertile valley will be opened to the peaceful commerce of the world. Notwithstanding the ravages of war, the de struction of property, the dispersion of laborers, and the decimation of population, the inhabitable globe does not offer a nobler theatre for intelli gent enterprise than the valley of the Mississippi. The cultivation of new products, the application of new elements and different systems of labor, the immediate reorganization of local govern ments, and the resistless energy of many millions of freemen, will create individual and national wealth, such as the world has never seen. Never was a country better worth fighting for, better worth defending. The highest duty of the people is to maintain and defend the freedom of the Mississippi, upon which depends the support of the present and the hope of the future. The Government is en titled to the armed assistance of all those who claim the right of citizens or seek to share their privileges. Those who covet the profits of trade, disclaiming citizenship and acknowledging allegi ance to foreign nations only, remain here by per mission and favor, and not of right In the performance of this duty, and to assist n maintaining the important advantages secured t)y a free communication between the valley of the Mississippi and the markets of the world, the citizens of the First and Second Congres sional Districts of Louisiana, liable to military duty, have been enrolled for general military ser vice, in accordance with the provisions of the law of conscription, passed by Congress, so far as it may be applicable to this Department. Proper publication will be hereafter, made of the number of troops required for this purpose, and the time and manner of their selection. The conscription will not be held to embrace those well-disposed persons who, in the event of capture by the ene my, would not be entitled to the full immunity of soldiers of the United States. II. The organization of one or more volunteer regiments, to be designated &quot; The Louisiana Volunteers,&quot; whose services will be limited by ,he term of enlistment, to the protection and deence of New-Orleans, is hereby authorized. Vol unteers for this service will receive a bounty of one hundred dollars, twenty-five dollars of which ,nd one month s pay will be advanced when the volunteer is mustered into service for the war. aptain C. W. Killborn, Provost-Marshal of the