The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-26
RECONSTRUCTION.


! AN ACT 10 PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
5cIENT aoyERHnfENT OF THE REBEL Ell. STATES
WHEREAS, no legal State governments or ade
auate protection for life e, or properly now exists
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas, itis necessary that peace and good ordel
should bio enforced In said States until loyal an6
republican State governments can be legally es
tablishGd; therefore, 3ra,t,f ,Ig,rs,,f., -
Be IL enacted by the Senate and House Of Repre-
Se1tatives Of Tie United States Of Apae1ica in Con
greSs assembled, That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority oftlle United States
us hereinafter prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first districts 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. Aaed be 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. 4nd be it further enacted That ii
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 instruction, dis
order, and violence, and to punish or cause to be
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 in 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. ~ ..-.- ,.f,r D.. g.
! Sec. 4. Ind be 1T 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
| ficted; and no sentence of any military COM
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall be eyecu-
ted untilit 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 far they may conflict
with its provisions RoOided That no sentence
of death under the provisions of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approval of the
President. t ...-,. 90 .4
SEC. 5. And be afu7tjter enacted, That when
the people of any ofthe aforesaid rebel States
| shall have formed 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 Tor 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
ed under said constitution shall have adopted the
amendment to the Constitution of the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress,
and hnown as 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 theretrom
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 Pt0Vi-
ded, That no person excluded from the privilege
of holding office by said proposed amendment to
the Constitution of the United States shall be
to frame constitution for any OF said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for men,
bcrs of said convention .-.
SEC. e. And belt further 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 au-
thority of the United States at any time to abol-
lsh modify, control OF supersede the same and |
in all elections to any office under such proYis-
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
under any such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding Office under
the provisions of the third article of said consti
tutional amendment.