The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-23
Oh A RLES TON.

MED iuils 1ae cash. . se.r
Il Oh A RI E S TON.
SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 2s, 1867.
THE NEW RECONSTRUCTION BILL.
We Law before our readers this morning the Bill
for the reconstruction of the Southern States, IN
troduced by Senator SHERMAN and amended by
Messrs. WILSON and SHEL1.ABAnaER. The Bill
inst, by vote Of IS yeas to,7 nays, Mr.. REvEnpy
JOHNSON voting yea. The following voted, nay /: |
Messrs. BUcKAIEw, CowAN, DAVIS, HENDR1cKs,
NEsn1rH, PATTERSON and SALISBURY. Absent and
not voting: Messrs ANTHONY, DIXON, Doo1rrrIE,
GRIMES; GUTHRIE, HABR1s, McDouaAL1, NoRToN,
EYE, RIDDLE and SpRAauE. s-s:, sG y. 4
It will be seen that this Bill establishes military
rule in the Southern States, confers sufsnge upon
+he negro and disfranchises many of our citizens;
e. al those who are designated in the third sec.
ton Of tho Constitutional Amendment.
Said third section reads as follows: sNo person
shall be Senator or Representative in Congress,
or Elector OF President and viee-President hold
any Office civil military, under the United
States, or under any State, who, having previously
taken an oath as member Of Congress or as an
officer Of the United States, Or as member Of any
State Legislature, or executive or judicial Of
fcer OF any State, to support the Constitution OF
the United States shall have engaged in insurrec-
ton or rebellion, given aid and comfort to the
41,,roof E,A 1v of
two-thirds of each House, remove such disability"
This clnuse, it would seem, was drafted with
special reference to Article vi. of the Constitution
Of the United States, which reads aa follows: The
Senators and Representatives before mentioned,
and the members Of the several State Legislatures.
and all executive and Judicial officers, both Of the
| United States and the several .state,, shall be
bound by oath Affirmation to support this Con
stitution.' This provision has reference only to
Governors, Judges, .Chancenors, etc. and to
| such only-it would seem to us the shove section
of the Constitutional Amendment refers.
OF State officers, therefore, this: would disfran-
chise members Of the Legislature, the Governor,
Iieutenant-Go the several Judges and Chan
cellors, but would not affect any one else.is
There are, however, various opinions as to tho
meaning Of this section The Washington cores
pondent Of the Baltimore San writes as follows:
cas- now constituted, fully one-third Of the white
men of the Southern States viii be DISQUALIFIED,
not only from sitting the constitutional conyen-
tions to be called, but even from voting for the
members thereof. Mr.. SHERMAN said it would dis
franchise about 10000 only. Mr.. BUoKAEEw
thought 81, ,00O but the real number Will not oil
much short, any, of 100000 The aebate which
ensued on the motion to concur, wss lengthy, but
chuseta sgaly Of much interest. The two Massa-
Mr.: sUaNEa wai5sssto wa5s took directly diverse ground
Ba965eaa 4ssesss and al fhg n
groes. Mr.. CowAN and Mr., HENDRrcKs again
stated their objections to the Bill" " Mr, JOHNSON.
in brief but most affecting speech on The sad and
desolate condition Of the Southern States, and the
utter hopelessness Of their being restored to the
Union ie1cept through the consent and, on the
! terms Of Congress, expressed his entire .disap-
proval Of every feature Of the Bill but SO anxious
was he 70 welcome these States back, and dispair-
ing OF any othert method than that indicated by,
the Will o. the majority, he announced his inten-,
ton OF voting for the Bill. His remarks produced
profound impression, and Mr.. WILSON and
other Senators came up and pressed hia hand
in silence. . 7s'.' it'sl. --i = 4 n
Z err ..
We do not think the number diafranchised bv
the immediate working Of the Bill will be much
over 5000; but this after all, is ofno real irapor
tance as, by the spirit both OF the Constitutional
Amendment and the Bill just passed, :san who
have IN any way participated in tts# # iate var,
against the Omitted States viii soon be disanchlsed
Iruly this is sad hour for the South: OF
humiliation and Of bitterness We can do moth
ing but submit. Ve uicas is nov atlast soming nj,
There re- Is u now naturally great speculation as to
the probsble Course Of the President. Upon 1
careful survey Of events at Washington ana con
sideration Of, the various conaiatn1g statements
that have enaanated from that quarter within The
past fewMeeks ne have come to the conclusion
that Mr. Johnston win give his sanction to this Bin.
t. is understood that Messrs. SEWARD, srArro,s
and McCuILooH are in favor Of it, as basis Of set
tlement Of the national difficulty. 1t is known
that a number Of Democrats voted for il; among
them Senator Sem R1vEnDg JoHssoa. who is believed
to be entirely in the Presidents confidence. The
President, it is isaid, will do this to secure the
peace Of the country, while he, at the same time,
rids himself Of the impeachment spectre that has
go long been harassing him. a few days viii de-
termlne the question. @ AZ Sd. s;::-s:,I 3.siy
The following IS the Bill 4 =;:; . :5; sS ;;s
VI. Whe7eds, No legal State Governments or ads
quate protection for or properly now exist ;n
the rebel statesof Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louiai-
ana, Florida, Texas and Arkansas; and whereas il /
Is necessary that peace and good order should be
enforced IN said States until loyal and Republican
state Governments can be legally established:
therefore, s.S%- ssEG',5s
Be.A enacted, &C., That said rebel States shan
Dc divided into military districts, and made sub
,ect to the military authority Of the United States
as hereinafter prescribed, and for thst purrtose
Virginia shall constitute the first district: Nortt,
Carolina and South Carolina the second distr;ct.
teorgia, Alabama and Florida the third district.
mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district. ana
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district. -.
SECTION 2. That it shall be the duty Of the praa;
lent to assign to the command :of- each at sa;d
an officer Of the army mot below t,e rank
y Prigadier- General and to detail = sufficient