The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-13
The Reconstruction Act.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE Eff
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.

2 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES
WHEREAS. no legal State governments or ade
tor Fl virginia. Of
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, louisiana
Florida. Texas. Mississippi and Arkansas, ant
whereas tits necessary that peace and good orde
should be enforced in said States until loyal an(
republican State governments cah NC ieSaily CD
tablished; therefore,
Be it eanctez bv the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatipes of the United States Of Anae,7ca IN Con-
gress assembled, That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, ana maze SUP
as hereinafter prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first district; North
Carolina and South Carolina the second district
Georgia, Alabama and FLORIDA the tnlrd aistrlct
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district, an(
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district
SEC. 2. And6e it further enacted, That it shall
be the duty of the President to assign to the com
mand of each of said Districts an officer OF the
army not below the rank OF Dl1gaader genera
such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within the district to which he is
assigned
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That il
said to protect all persons IN their rights OF per
son and property, to suppress 1nsurrectlon, dis
order and violence ana TO PUNISH or eIuse 10 oS
criminals and to this end he may allow local
civil tribunals to take jurisdiction OF and try
offenders, or when in his Judgment it may be
necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have
power to organize military commissions or TIL
bunas for that purpose and all interference
under color of State authority with the eXer-
else of military authority under this act shall be
null and void.
| persons put under military arrest by virtue OF
this act shall be tried without unnecessary delay
| and no cruel or unusual punishment shall be in
ticted and no sentence OF any military COM
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall be execu-
ted until it is approved by the officer in command
of the district; and the laws and regulations for
| the government of the army shall not be affected
by this act, except in so tar as they may conflict
with its provisions POvided, That no sentence
of death under the provisions of this act shall be
| carried into effect without the approval of the
President.
Sec. s. Aaad be atauther enacted, That when
the people of any one of the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed a constitution of government
in conformity with the Constitution of the
United States in all respects, framed by a
convention of delegates elected by the male
citizens of said State twenty-one years old and
upward, of whatever race, color, or previous
condition, who have been resident in said State
for one year previous to the day OF such election
except such as may be DISTINGUISHED for partici-
patton in the rebellion or for felony at common
law; and when such constitution shall provide
that the elective franchise shall be enjoyed by all
such persons as have the qualifications herein
stated for election Of delegates and when such
constitution shall be ratified by minority of the
persons voting on the question of ratification who
are qualified as electors for delegates, and when
such constitution shall have been submitted to
Congress for examination and approval, and
Congress shall have approved the same; and
when said State by vote ofits Legislature elect
ed under said constitution shall have adopted the
amendment to the Constitution OF the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress,
and hnown article IA, and when said article
shall have become part of the Constitution of
the United States said State shall be declared
titled to representation in Congress, and Senators
and Representatives shall be admitted therefrom
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the proceeding sections OF
tt is act shall be imperative in said State POci
ded, That no person excluded from the privilege
the Constitution of the United States shall be
eligible to election member of the convention
to frame a constitution for any of said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for MEM
bcrs of said convention.
SEC. =. And be it further enacted, That until
the people of said rebel States shall be, by law adj
mitted to representation in the Congress of the
exist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
and in all respects subject to the paramount au
thority of the United States at any time to abol-
ish modify, control OF supcrsede the same and
in all elections to any office under such provis
ional governments all persons shall be entitled to
vote, and none other, who are entitled to vote |
under the provisions of the fifth section of this
act and person shall be eligible to any office
under any such provisional governments who |
the provisions of the third article of said consti-
tutiOnal amendment