Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1867-02-27
RECONSTRUCTION.
The XXXIXth Congress, after tv

eO lt9 laOoIS ny auoptinS pIau Ior tht
reconstruction Of the Union which til,
people are willing to accept, and by which
we trust, Peace and Justice may be secur
ed TO all the States and all the inhabtan,
Of the land. The bill, as passed BY Goa
sress ard sent TO the President FOR his ap
proyal, is as follows:
Whereas, No legal State government
or adequate protection for life or pr0per,,
uow exists in the rebel States Of Virgins
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Flrlda
Texas, aud Arkansas; and ,rhereas, it i
necessary that peace aud good order
should be enforced in said Stats unit
loyal and republican State eovrnmert:
can be legally established: thereiGrc
BE Il chacted, d.c., That the aid rebe
States shall be divided into Military dis
tricts aud made subject to tls military
authority of the United States as here
matter mentioned; and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first Dis,
trct, North Carolina and Souti Carolin;
the Second District, Georgia, Alabam:
aud Florida the Third District, Nississip.
| pi and Arkansas the Fourth District, ant
Louisiana and Texas the Fifth district
SIC. . That it shall be the du.y of th
President to assign to the COMMAND q
each Of said districts an officer of tle
army not below the rank Of Brigadia
General, aud 10 detail Il sufficient militsry
force to enable such officer to perform lis
duties aud enforce his authority within
the district to which he is asSgued.
SEC 3. That it shall be the duty q
each officer assigned as aforesaid to pro
;ect al. persons in their rights Of perso.
aud property, to suppress lnsuTTectior
disorder. and violence, and to punish o.
caase to be punished all disturbers Of I'll,
public peace and criminals and to thu
end he may allow local civil tribunals t
take jurisdiction Of and try offenders, or
IN his judgment, when 1t may be neces
,ary for the trial Of offenders, he shal
have power to organize military commits
,ions or tribunals for that purpose anu
all Interference under color Of Stat,
authority with the exercise Of miitar,
authority under this act Shal! be null anu
void.
SEC. 4. That all persons put under mil
itary arrest By virtue of tbs act shall bC
tried without unnecessary delay, and n
cruel or unusual punishment, rhall be III.
tiIcied, and 10 sentence u. any m!itarI
commission or tribunal hereby authorized
si!ccIing the lie and liberty Of any per.
son shall he executed unit il l. approved
by the officer in command Of the district
and the laws and regulations for The gov
crnmcnt OF the army shall not be affected
by this act, except in 50 :ar as they NAV
conflict with its provisions. Horided
That no sentence Of death under tbs ac,
shalt be carried into execution without
the approval of the President.
SEC >. When the people Of any Of the
said rebel Statcs shall have formed Z con.
,ti,ution and government in conformity
with the Constitution Of the United State,
in all respects, framed by 4 convention Of
said STATE twenty years old and up.
ward, of whatever race, color or previou,
condition, who have been resident, in sad
State for one year previous TO the day o.
such election, except such as may be dis
!;anchised for participation in the REBEL
ion CT for felony at common law, and wher
such constitution shall provide that TIE
elective franchise shal! be enjoyed by al
such persons as have the qualification.
herein stated for electors of delegates. and
whcn such constitution shall be ratified
By a majority of the persons voting on the
question Of ratification who are qualified
as electors for delegates, and wher such
constitution shall have been submitted tC
Congress for examination ard apDrova
and Congress shall have approved the samC
and when said State by vote its lie .isIa
la;ure elected under said constitution shal
have adopted :he amendmrn, to the Con.
s,itntiou of the United States proposed by
the Thirty ninth Congress, and known a,
article Il, and when said article shall
have become part Of the Constitution OF
the United States, said State shall be de
ciarod entitled to representation in Con
sress, aud Senators and Representatives
shall be admitted thereirom on taking the
oatts prescribed by law, and thereafter
the preceding sections OF this act shall be
imperative in said State
SEC 6. AndbeH further enacted, That
until the people of said rebel States shall
by law, be admitted to representation il
the Congress of the United States, ciyi
governments that may exist therein, shal
he deemed provisional only, and shall be
in all respects, subject to the paramount
authority of the United States, which, at
any time, may abolish, modify, contro
and supercede the same and in all elec
tons to any Office under such provisional
governments, all persons shall be entitled
TO vote, and none others, who are entitlel
20 vote under the provisions of the fifth
section of this act, and no person shai
be eligible to any Office under such provi
sional governments, who would he dis.
qualified from holding Office under tht
third article of said constitutional amend.
ment.