The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-14
The Reconstruction Act,


The following is correct copy of the act
Ito provide for the more efficient govern
ment of the rebel States" as it passed:
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE Eff
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.
WHEREAS no legal State governments or ade-
quate protection for life or property now exists
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama Louisiana,
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas,it necessary that peace and good order
should be enforced in said States until loyal and
| republican State governments can be legally es-
| tablished; therefore,
sentativeS Of the United States Of Anerica in Con
gross assembled, That said rebel States shall
| be divided into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority ofthe United States,
! 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 third district
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district and
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district.
| SEC 2. A7dGe 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 brigadier general,
and to detail sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within the district to which he is
| assigned.
SEC 3. and be it further e..acted That it
| shall be the duty of each officer a signed aforc
said to protect all persons in their rights of per-
son and property, to suppress insurrcction dis
punished all disturbers of the public peace and
criminals and to this end he may allow local
civil tribunals to take jurisdiction of and try
offenders, Or when i'll his Judgment it may be
necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have
power to organize military commissions or tri
bunals 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.
Sec. f. And be it further enacted, That all
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
1licted 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 i'll so far as they may conflict
with its provisions Pro0ided, That no sentence
of death under the provisions of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approval of the
President.
SEC. 5. Ind be Hfu1tter enacted, That when
the people of any one of the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed q constitution of government
in conformity with the Constitution of the
United States in all respects, framed by q
convention of delegates elected by the male
citizens of said State twcnty-one years old and
upward, of whatever race, color, previous
condition, who have been resident in said State
for year previous to the day of such election,
: | patton in the rebellion for felony at common
law; and when such constitution shall provide
that the elective franchise shall be enjoyed by all
such persons have the qualifications herein
stated for election of delegates and when such
constitution shall be ratified by majority of tie
: persons voting 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 OF lts Legislature eject
al ,lnrc oil tItIn hall har p.nn
I. amendment to the Constitution OF the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress,
| and hnown us article IA, and when said article
, shall have become part of the Constitution OF
the United States said State shall be declared en-
titled to representation in Congress, and Senators
and Representatives shall be admitted therefron
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the preceding sections O
this act shall be imperative in said State PiOot
ded, That no person excluded from the privilege
of holding office by said proposed amendment tt
! the Constitution of the United States shall bt
} eligible to election member of the convention
= to frame constitution for any of said rebe
States, nor shall any such person vote for mem
bers of said convention.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That unit
the people Of said rebel States shall be- by law ad
mitted to representation in the Congress of tn.
United States, any civil governments which ma,
:, | exist therein shall be deemed provisional only
: and in all respects subject to the paramount an
thority of the United States at any time to abol
=, iSh modify, control OF superscde the same ant
in all elections to any office under such provis
r ional governments all persons shall be entitled t.
f VOTE and none other, who entitled to vot
under the provisions of the fifth section of thi
act and no person shall be eligible to any offic
4 under any such provisional governments wh'
: would be disqualified from holding office unde
the provisions Of the third article of said consti
! tutional amendment.