The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-13
RECONSTRUCTION.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
crp1r GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MofsE LIT
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES
WHEREAS. no legal State governments or ade-
quate protection for life OF properly
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, louisiana,
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, ana
whereas, tbs necessary that peace and good 0roel
should be enforced in said States until loyal ana
republican State governments can w ioS"hJ %
tablished; therefore,
Poa enocted 5y the Senate and House Of Repre-
se,,tat;yes Of tie United States Of An'6r7ca M Go1
0yess assembled, That said reDel Etates sniii
be divided into military districts, ana mace SUD
ect to the military authority OF te Uneu nrutes,
VIRGINIA shall constitute the first district NCrth-
Carolina and South-Carolina the SECOND district
Georgia. Alabama and Florida the third district
Mississippi and Arkansas the 1ourtn dlstrlcl, anu
I,onisiana and Texas the fifth district.
SEC. @ Aasd6e it, further enacted, That it shall
he 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 brigadler general,
and to detail a sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within the district to which ne IS
assigned. MI. :.
shall be the duty of each officer assigned as afore-
said to protect all persons in their rights OF per-
son and property, to suppress resurrection, as
order, and violence, and to punish or cause 10 De
Duuishc all dsturbcrs 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 in his Judgment 1t may be
necessary for the trial OF offenders ne snai nave
power to organize military commissions or TIL
bunals for that purpose and all interference
under color of State authority with the exer-
else of military authority under tits act shall be
null and void. .
SEC. 4 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
f n1NS- mil tlry cor
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 Tor
the government of the army shall not be affected
by this act, except in so far as they may conflict
with its provisions Provided, 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 il, ftt,3hcr enacted, That when
the people of any one ofthc aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed a constitution of government
III conformity with the Constitution OF the
United States in all respects, framed by
convention of delegates elected by the male
citizens of said State twcnty-one years old and
upward, OF whatever race, color, or previous
condition, who have been resident III 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 majority 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
eG under said constitution shall have adopted the
amendment to the Constitution of the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress,
and i.nown as article Il, and when said article
shall haze 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
Il is act shall be imperative in said State : Piop
0el, That no person excluded from the privilege
Of holding office by said proposed amendment to
the Constitution of the United States shall be
eligible to election member of the convention
to frame 4 institution for any of said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for men,
ber5 of said convention.
SEC. 6. Ind Dc it .tIsJther enacted, That until
the people OF said rebel States shall be- by law ad
mitted to representation in the Congress of the
United States, any civil governments which may
exist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
and in all respects subject to the paramount ar-
thority of the United States at any time to abol-
ISL modify, control OF superscde the same and
i'll all elections to any Office under such proys-
ional governments al 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 no person shall be eligible to any Office
under any such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding Office under
the provisions of the third article of said consti-
tuti0nal amendment.