The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-03-07
.RECONSTRUCTION.
Plan p ropOsed by the Congress of
the United States-The Bill as it
Finally Passed. IS

the ACT TO provide 1Or the more ELL
cient government of the rebel States,'
.sWHEREAs, No legal State govern
ments, or adequate protection for life
or property, now exists in the rebel
States Of Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louis
lana, Florida, Texas and Arkansas ::
and 9st. atii a7ots3 EE7s aTa4 1kusf Esd
"WHEREAs, tits necessary that peace
and good order should be enforced in
said States until loyal and republican
State governments can be legally estab-
lished: therefore, aaa ad
"Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representative of the Uni
ted States of America, in Congress as.
sembled. That said rebel States
shall be divided into military districts,
and made subject to the military au-
thority of the United States, as herein
after prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first dis
trict North Carolina and South Caro-
lima the second district; Georgia, la
bama and Florida the third district -
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth
district; and Louisiana and Texas the
| fifth district. Ei* +.
| SEC. 2. And be it further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of the Presi-
dent to assign to the command of each
of said districts an officer of the army,
not below the rank of Brigadier Gener-
al, 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 as
signed.
''SEC. g. And be it further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of each officer
assigned as aforesaid to protect all per
sons in their rights ofperson and prop
ertv, to suppress insurrection, disorder
and violence and to punish, or cause
to be punished, all disturbers of the pub
lie peace, and criminals, and to this end
he may allow local civil tribunals to
take jurisdiction of and to try offenders,
or, when in his judgement itmay be ne
Inecessaryfor the trial Of offenders, he
shall have power to organize military
commissions or tribunals for that puc-
pose; and all interference under color
of State auth ority with the exercise OF
military authority under this act shall
be null and void. an. sl. SIR au
s'SEC. 4. And be it.. further enacted
That all persons put under. military ar
sest by virtue of this act shall be tried
without unnecessary delay, and no cru
:el Or unusual punishment shall be in
fiicted land no sentence of any military
commission or tribunal hereby author
ized, affecting the life or liberty of an
person, shall be executed until it is ap-
proved 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 conflict with its provisions: Pro
Evided, That no sentence Of death, ,uudel
the provisions Of this act, shall be car
ried into effect without the approval OF
the President. lass+
''SEC. 5. And be it further euacted
That when the people ofany one of said
rebel States shall have formed censtitt
ton government in conformity with
the Constitution Of the United States
| in all respects, framed by a convenior
of delegates elected by the male citi
zens Of said State twenty one years ole
and upward, Of whatever race, color OF
previous condition, who have been res
| ident in said State for one year preyi
Gus to the day yof such election excep
such as may be disfranchised for par
tieipation in the rebellion, or for felony
at common law, and when such cconsti
lttutions shall provide that the electiv,
franchise shall be enjoyed by all sucl
persons as have the qualifications here
4 i'll stated for election of dele
gates; and when such constitu
: ton shall beratified by.a ajority ofth,
fpersons voting on thequestion ofratifi
cation, who o'areiqualifiedas electors fo
/ delegates, and when such a constitu
! tion.shall have been submitted to Con
gress! for examination and approya
and Congress shall have approved tn
same, and when said State, by a vot
:, of its Legislature elected under sai'
constitution, shall have adopted the a
! mendment to the Constitution of til
United States, proposed by the Thirty
' Ninth Congress, and known as articl
fourteen, and when said article shal
have become a part of the Constitutis
of the United States, said State sha.
be declared entitled to representatio
in Congress, and Senators and Repre-
sentatives shall be admitted therefor
on their taken the oath prescribed b
law, and then and thereafter the prt
r ceding sections Of this bill shall be il
operative in said States Provided ths
is no person excluded from the priyileg
of holding Office by.said proposed /;
mendment to the Constitution of til
/ United States shall be eligible to elet
ton as member to the convention t
= frame a constitution for any of sal
s rebel States nor shall ahy.such perso
3 livote for members of said convention
r G Sec. 6, And be it further enacte'
e That until the people of said rebel Sta
n shall be by law admitted to represent
: ton in the Congress of the Unite
t States any civil government which ma
e exist therein shall be deemed prov
: sional only, and in all respects subje
h to the paramount authority of the |
uited States at any time to abolis
s modify, control or supersede the sams
e and in all elections to any office uud
: such provisional governments all pc
# sons shall be entitled to vote, and mol
J. other, who are entitled to vote und
d the. provisions Of the fifth section
d this act and no person shall be eligib
n to any office under any such provisio