The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-08-22

! ne farce, aud, IN making this state
ment make it because truth com
pells me, aud for no other reason. =
* Over the killing of many
freedmen nothing Is d6Ae.T CSonerSl
Sheridan cites cases in which ofr ma.
tioual soldiers wearing the uniform of
tho Republic have been deliberately
shot "without provocationp by citi-
zens, and the grand jury refused to
hud a bill against the murdcrers,-
Even in Virginia, Gen Scho6eld was
compelled to resort to military tri
buual because "a gentleman who
shot a negro dead in cold blood, "was
instantly acquitted by one Of the civ
II courts.' ...
General Ord reports, In Arkansas,
tifty twplmurders OF freed persons by
white mou in the past three or four
months, and no reports haze been re-
ceiUcd that thc mar,ictcrs hdro been
imllFisoaed or punished 4 a# IS
The number Of murders reported is
not half the number committed.
General Siekles says that in South
Carolina, =" in certain counties, such
as Newberry, Edgecmbo- and i,nu
rcns, so much couutcuanco was given
to outragos on freedmen, by the indif.
ference Of the civil Authorities aud by
tho population, who mado themselves
accomplices in the crimes, that ether
measures became necessary"
In Mississippi, General Thomas
calls attention to the legislation in
regard to colofod people. alt is op.
pressiye, unjust, and uuconstituiion-
al" The laws as to buyiug real os-
tate, bearing arms, making contracts,
and the like, are Of such a character
that the constitutional gilt of free
d6m Is not much more than a name"
Gen. Sheridan, speaking of Louisi.
ana, says: Homicidcs are frequent
in somo localities. Sometimes they
are investigated by cofouor's Jury
which justifcs tic act aud releases
the perpetrator; IN other cases 8
the parties are held to bail in a nom
inal sum; but the trial Of a white
man for the killing OF a freedman
can, ip,the existing state of society in
this State, be nothing more nor less
than a farce" ...,
Gen. Thomas, in February last, in
relation to tho display of the rebel
flag in Rome, Ca, said " The sole
cause of this aud similar offences lies
in the fact that certain citizens of
Rome, and n portion Of the people Of
the States lately in rebellion, do not
and have not accepted the situation,
and that is, that the late civil war
was rebellion, and history will 70
record It. !; - Everywhere In
the States lately in rebellion treason
is respectable and loyalty. odious
This the pople Of the United States
whpe eeude9sthe- rebelliongpd saved
, the country will not permit, and al
! attempts to maintain this unnatural
order of things will be met by decided
disapproval.' ''ia. .a.t- '.....
) UNION PLAN OF REcoNsRUcuoN.
Upon these official reports, showing
not merely that ntrociouscrimes were
everywlieres conhnitted tngainst loya
people, but that the civil authoritie,
did not even attempt to prevent then
by tho punijhment Of the perpetratof,
it became the plain duty of Congress
to adopt measures "to enforce peace
2 and good order in tho rebel States
until loyal and republican State Gov
ernments could be legally establish
ed How we'll this duty is perform
= ed win appear from a brief cxamina
: ton Of the reconstruction acts, whicl
( were passed by Congress in Mare
y last, aud by tho anspicions result
c which followed their adoption aud cx
> eoutioh, SIIaAtta 1IlhCIi NJ
u BY these acts the ten rebel State
@ were dividcdin into five military dist.
n ricts, subject to the military authori
ty of the United States, and it wa
> naadsst he dutyiofthe, Prosidcnt 10 as
sign military officers, not below tn
rank Of Brigadier General, to com
. mpnd each of said districts, and to, dc
: tail a'srilicient military force TO cha
i BILE such officers to perform their du
J ties. The duties Of military com
manders were defined as follows in til
= Sd section OF the act
/, SEC, Ind be IL fWther cnacteo
I That it shall be the duty of each Elf
h Ger assigned as aforesaid to protec
: all persons in their rights of perso
!. aud property, to suppress insurrec
ton, disorder and violence, aud t
"a punish, or causeto be punished, a
r. disturbers of the public peace au
q criminals, and to this end he ma
> allow oeal civil tribunals to take ju
) risdiction OF and to try offenders, OF
e when in his Judgment it may be nee
- essary for the trial Of offenders, h
4 shall havepower to organize militar
commissions or tribunals for that pur
!. pose; and all interference under colo
I Of State authority with the exereis
, of military authority under this &C
> shall benull and void. mi ,1
= The act also sets forth the manue
n in which the people Of any one Of tn
+ rebel States could form a State con
\ stitution aud the terms on which tn
State would be fully restored to prop
er relations with the Union. Tn
. most important provisions are thOs
relating to the qualifications Of voter
1f and the one requiring the adoptio
l. of the amendment to the Constitutio
d proposed by the Thirty-ninth Con
Il gress, known as article fourteen. Th
h, right of suffrage Is given to all me
i of suitable age aud residence with
1T out distinction Of race or color, ex
! eept limited number who are exclu
c, ded for participation in the rebellion
+ In pursuance Of these acts, the dis
o trict of Louisiana and Texas wa
1t placed under the command Of Genet
l, al Sheridan; Arkansas and Mississip