The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-19
=RECoNsTRUcTIoN
An 1or 70 rnoynn roH THE MORE EFF

I WHEREAS, no legal state governments or ade-
| quate protection for life or property now exists
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina,
| South-C Carolina Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana,
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas, it is necessary that peace and good order
should be enforced in said States until loyal and
republican State governments can be legally es
| tablished; therefore,
| : Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Repre-
seatdtives Of the United States Of America in Con-
gress assembled, That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ect 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 district /;
Georgia, Alabama and Florida the third district !;
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district, and
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district.
SEC. 2. And6e IT. further enacted That 1t shall
be the duty of the President to assign to the COM
mand of each of said districts ali 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 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 insurrection, 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 in his Judgment it may be
necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have
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 this 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
iicted; 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 in so far they may conflict
of death under the provisions of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approval OF the
President.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That when
the people of any one of the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed constitution of government
in conformity with the Constitution of the
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 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 gifts 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 Anown 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 |
oath nraSPriha6 nv law aphl
then and thereafter the preceding sections OF |
Il is act shall be imperative in said State Provi
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 member of the convention |
to frame a constitution for any of said rebel |
States, nor shall any such person vote for mem
beers of said convention.
SEC. 6. And be 1t 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-
sh modify. control OF supersede, the same and
in all elections to any office under such provis-
onal 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
sct and person shall be eligible to any office
under any such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding office under
he provisions of the third article of said consti-
uCl0nal amendment.
Constitutional Amendment.
The following is the Constitutional Amend
nent, commonly called the Howard Amendment:
ARTICLE XIV.
Section I. All persons born or naturalized in
he United States and subject to the Jurisdiction
hereof are citizens of the United States and of
he State wherein they reside. No State shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunties of citizens of the United
tates; nor shall any State deprive any person of
life, liberty or property without due process OF
aw, nor deny to any person within its jurisdic- :
ion the equal protection of the laws
Sec. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned s
mong the several States according to their re- {
ersons in each State excluding Indians not tax a
d. But when the right to vote at any election t
or the choice of electors for President and Vice
President OF the United States, representatives in t
Congress- executive and judicial officers ofa State,
r the members of the Legislature thereof, is de-
led to any of the male inhabitants of such State
eing twcntyone years of age and citizens of the t
United States, in any way abridged except for q
in rebellion other crime, the basis
representation therein shall be reduced in the l
roportion which the number of such male citi- S
ems shall bear to the whole number OF male citi S
ems twenty one years of age in such State. s
Sec 8. No person shall be Senator or Repre- q
entatve in Congress, elector OF President and t
or hold any office civil or mill
airy, unQer the united STATES or unQer any state,
Tho, having previously taken an oath men, c
er of Congress-, or as an officer of the United &
tates or member of any State Legislature, a
as executive or judicial officer of any State,
support the Constitution of the United States, | c
hall have engaged in instruction rebellion s
gainst the same, given aid and comfort to the t
nemies thereof. But Congress may, by vote of a
wo- thirds of each House, remove such disability r
Sec. 4. The validity of the public debt of the I
United States authorized by law, including debts s
lcurred for payment of pensions and bounties s
,r services in suppressng insurrection or rebel
on, shall not be questioned. But neither the d
Inited States nor any State shall assume or pay (
ny debt or obligation incurred in aid of insur- T
ection or rebellion against the United States, or
ny claim for the loss or emancipation of any q
ave; but all such debts, obligations and claims,
hall be held illegal and void. Q
Sec. 5. The Congress shall have power to ell I
'rce by appropriate legislation the provisions of
lis article.
N Act to Prescribe an Oath of Office
and for Other Purposes. f t
The following is the oath Ctiron- Gladly of of T
ce referred to in the Reconstruction and Sup 6
lemental Acts:
Be it enacted, That hereafter any person elected