Reading Room Document

Presidential proclamation for use of federal troops in civil disturbances

This document discusses the use of military force in situations of civil disturbance and insurrection, as authorized by federal statutes. It presents suggested forms of proclamation for use by the President in such situations, based on the relevant statutes. The conclusions reached in the document include the authorization for the President to employ military forces in cases of insurrection against the government, as well as the distinction between disturbances involving enforcement of federal laws and situations where there has been a denial of equal protection of the laws by a state. The document also presents questions for review, such as the use of specific terminology and the reliance on certain sections of the statutes in different scenarios.

March 13, 1956