The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-16
The Reconstruction Act.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES

i ANsACP. To pRoyfDEs FOR THE MORE Eff
! GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.
/ WHEREAS, no legal State governments or ade-
quate protection for life or properly now eXis -
In the rebel States of Virginia, sNortn-Caro!nna'
! Florida, Texas Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas, is necessary that pt ace ana Soou oueI
should be enforced in said States until loyal ana
| republican State governments can De legally es
tapllshed; therefore, ~ 7if
Be 1T enacted da the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatiUes Of the United States Of A1neffca IN Con,
gTess assembled, That said rebel States snail
be divided into military districts, ana MAGE SUD
ject to the military authority OF the United States
as hereinafter prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first districts North
Carolina and South Carolina the SECOND d!strict;
Georgia, Alabama and Florida the thrd d!str1ct !;
| Mississippi and A rkansas the fourth district, ana
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district.
Sec. 2. Andbe it further enacted, That it shall
be the duty of the President 10 assign 10 the COM
mand of each of said districts an officer OF the
| army not below the rank OF brlgadler genera,
and to detail sufficient military force TO enable
such officer to perform his duties ana enforce
his authority within the district to which he is
assigned.
SEC. g. And be it further enacted, That it
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 lnsurrecuon, 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 1t 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. 4. And be it further enacted, That all
persons put under military arrest by virtue oil
this act shall be tried without unnecessary delay
| and no cruel or unusual punishment shall be in
fiicted; and no sentence of any military COM
mission tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life liberty of any person, shall be eXecu-
TED until it is approved by the o1cer 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 rs they may conflict
with its provisions hGgiaea Fhat nat no no. sentence
carried into effect without the approval OF the
President
SEC 5. Ind be H.tttyAter enacted, That when
the people of any of the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed constitution OF government
in conformity with the Constitution of the
United States in all respects aspects, If framed ned by
citizens of said State twenty-one years old and
upward, OF whatever race, color, or previous
condition, who have been resident in said State
torone year previous to the day OF such election,
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 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
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 its 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 r.nown 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
theI taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the proceeding sections of
is act shall he imperative in said State PoUi
ded 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 as member of the convention
to frame constitution for any OF said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for MEM
beers of said convention.
SEC. &. 4Itd be IL 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 .'ivil governments which may
exist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
and IN all respects subject to the paramount aI-
thOrity of the United States at any time to abol
ish modify, control OF supcTsedc the same; and
in all elections TO any office under such provis
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
act and 10 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 const-
tutional amendment.