Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-20
FROM WASGEESGTGN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. u, lS65

THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
The Secretary Of State has received telegram of
the 18th instant from the Governor of California
representing that the Legislature of that State had
ratified the proposed Amendment to the United
States Constitution.
RECONsTRUCTION.
The bill introduced by Representative Ashley, of
ONO, to reconstruct the Southern States is more
ject heretofore presented 1t provides, among other
things for the appointment of Provisional Governors
with marshals and district attorneys for the tempo
rary discharge of civil duties.
The inhabitants of each State irrespective of race
or color, are to be enrolled, and if majority take
the oath to support the Constitution of the United
States, the Governor shall. by proclamation, invite
the loyal people to elect delegates to convention to
rc-establish State government. The delegates are
required to take and subscribe the oath of allegiance
and no person can thus vote who has held
or exercised any civil military office under the
rebel usurPaton, or Voluntarily borne arms against
the United States
Both the oath to support the Constitution of the
United States and the oath of allegiance are to be ad
mlnIstered to voters. The Constitution formed must
be Republican and not repugnant the Constitution
of the United States and the Declaration of hide
servitude is forever prohibited That no Confederate
State or municipal debt shall be recognized or
paid.
That perfect federation of religion shall be secured
and that no inhabant shall ever be molestcd in per-
son or property on account of his her mode of rei
glouS worship; and that person shall enter upon
any office wi thin the gift of the people until he shall
have first taken the oath to support the Constitution
OF the United States, and an oath to maintain the
perpetual union Of the States. This covenant is to
be perpetual,
If the Constitution shall come up to these and other
requirements copy shall be sent to the President of
the United States who after obtaining the consent
ernment so established.
This act Is not to operate recognition OF State
government in the State of Tennessee till the condi-
tons aforesaid are complied with; and till that time
Tennessee and all the States recently in rebellion
shall be subjected to this law.
CHARGE OF COUNTERFEiTING.
Charles Meusel and Hammond Erich, formerly of
m 10 haTa ol
terteit fractional currency. 1t is understood they
will be tried by a Military Commission in ses-
sion at this post Meusel claims, IN defence, that he
came by the funds in II legitimate manner, which he
expects TO subStantiate at the trial.
FORD'S THETEE,
Secretary Stanton has applied to Congress for an
appropriation to purchase tords Theatre, be fitted
up and used for the custody OF all papers relating 10
sick or wounded soldiers during the rebellion and Ia
hospitals and the operations of the medical and sur
gical departments of the army. He thinks that il
would be specially applied and appropriate thus to
monument OF the records OF those who suffered in
the same great cause. The purpose of using the
building place of deposit for the rebel archives
is being abandoned. The appropriation asked for is
$lOO,OOO,
SENTENCE APPROVED.
The President has approved the sentence Of mill
tary court held In Georgia, wherein coloTed man
called Isaac was sentenced to be hung for killing his
former master 1t appears Isaac ran away from his
master and joined the Union army; after the war he
returned and learning that his master had said that
Isaac deliberately went to his masters house. after
night raised the window, and shot him dead with Ia
rife.
THE COLORADO INDIAN oUTRAGES.
Mr.. James Luttre formerly of this city, but lately
a citizen of Colorado has arrived from that Terrific
ry, and reports further Indian outrages on the
plains. He came with party of forty, and being
well armed they were not aSsaed, but at various
points they found evidences of the terrible barbarty
with which the Cheyenne Indians exercise their hate
upon any stray squads of emigrants who disregard
the government regulations requiring them to keep
together in moving from post to post,
Near Alkali Station, on the borders of Nebraska
Territory they buried the bodies of four men mur-
dered by the Indians The victims in this case were
Of party of seven who imprudently separated their
wagons from the main train, and were assaed by
the Indians lying in wait. Four of them staid by
their wagons and killed. while the other three
made their escape to the main train. One of the
murdered men had been thrown on a fire and burned
by the savages in revenge apparently for his having
shot one of their number.
The Indians to be animated by pure devitry
in these attacks, they do not undertake to carry
off plunder to any extent, but simply murder the
whites burn their wagons and hamstring the cattle.
week before this occurrence bloody fight came
off between party of Cheyennes and detache ed
train, in which Il - killed on each side and
the Indians were finally beaten off.
The immense amount of emigration across the
plains may be estimated by the fact that Mr. LuttreI
and party met less than 900 loaded teams be
tween Fort Kearney and Denver, a distance of 400
miles.