The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1867-02-28

district
Section q That it shall be the duty Of
the President to assign to the command
OF each OF said districts an officer of the
army not below the rank of Brigadier
General, snd to detail a sufficient mill
tary force to enable such officer to per-
form his duties and enforce his authority
within the district to which he is as
signed.
Section 3. That it shall be the duty of
each officer assigned as aforesaid to pro-
tect all persons in their rights of person
and property, to suppress Instruction,
disorder and violence, and to punish or
cause to be punished all dsturbers of
the public peace and criminals, and to
this end he may allow local civil tri-
bunals to take jurisdiction of and try
offenders. or when in his Judgment it
may be necessary for the trial of Offend
ers, he shall have power to organize
military commissions OF tribunals for
that purpose; and all interference under
| coer of State authority with the exer-
else of military authority under this act
shall be null and void.
Section t. 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
inflicted, and no sentence Of any mill
tary commission or tribunal. hereby au-
thorized, affecting the life or liberty of
any person, shall be executed until it is
approved by the officer in command of
the district; and the laws and regu-
lations for 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 Of the
United States.
Section 5. That when the people of
any of said 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, ex-
cept such as may be DISTINGUISHED for
participation in the rebellion or for
felony at common law; and when such
constitution shall provide that the cleo
tive franchise shall be enjoyed by all
such persons as have the qualification
herein stated for the election of dele
gates; and when such constitution shall
be ratified by a majority of the persons
voting on the question Of ratification
who are qualified as electors for dele
gates, and when such constitution shall
have been submitted to Congress for eX-
animation and approval, and Congress
shall have approved the same; and
when said State, by a vote of its Iegis-
lature elected under said constitution,
shall have adopted the amendment to
the Constitution of the United States,
proposed by the Thirty-Ninth Congress,
and known as article H. and when said
article shall have become part of the
Constitution of the United States, said
State shall be declared entitled to repre-
sentationin Congress, and Senators and
Representatives shall be admitted there
from on their taking the oath prescribed
by law, and then and thereafter the
preceding sections Of this act shall be
imperative in that State. Pro-
rided, That no person excluded from
the privilege of holding office by the
said proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States shall be
eligible to election as a member of a
convention to frame a constitution for
any of said rebel States, nor shall any
such person vote for a member of said
convention.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That
until the people of said rebel States shall
be by law admitted to representation in
the Congress of the United States, any
civil government which may exist there
in shall be deemed provisional only and
in all respects subject to the paramount
authority of the United States at any
time to abolish, modify, control, or
supersede the same, and in all elections
to any office under such provisional
government all persons shall be entitled
to vote, and none other, who are en-
titled to vote under the provisions OF
the fifth section Of this act, and no per-
son shall be eligible to any Office under
such provisional government who would
be disqualified from holding Office under
the provisions Of the third article of
said constitutional amendment.
The most cursory reader of the above
will perceive at once its evident aim and
object, and we do not deem it necessary
to attempt to give a labored exposition
of its provisions. 1t is enough to say
that it begins with lie and ends with a
cheat, that it territorializes ten States,
thus turning over to the Brigadiers six