Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order

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Wednesday, January 21, 1863

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1 min read (205 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on 1863-01-21, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Executive Order." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ Formal executive instruction issued by the President establishing official administrative policy on Executive Order.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments

Total Words

205

1,142 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

42.3

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Executive Order," Abraham Lincoln (Jan 21, 1863). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-463.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

Whereas by the twelfth section of an act of Congress entilded "An act to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, and to secure to the Government the use of the same for postal, military, and other purposes," approved July 1, 1862, it is made the duty of the President of the United States to determine the uniform width of the track of the entire line of the said railroad and the branches of the same; and Whereas application has been made to me by the Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad Company, a company authorized by the act of Congress above mentioned to construct a branch of said railroad, to fix the gauge thereof: Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, do determine that the uniform width of the track of said railroad and all its branches which are provided for in the aforesaid act of Congress shall be 5 feet, and that this order be filed in the office of the Secretary the Interior for the information and guidance of all concerned. Done at the city of Washington, this 21st day of January, A. D. 1863. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.