The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-03-08
RECONSTRUCTION.

1ne !oIlo"lnS Is the Rec)nSlrucL Oh
bill as passed by Congress;
WI efeaz, No legal State government.
or adequate protection forlfe or property,
now exists in the rebel States of Virginia,
North Carolina. S nth Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas and
Arkansas; and rLi
Whereas, II is necessary that peace and
good order should be enforced in said
States until loyal AMI republican State
governments can be established; therefore,
b it enacted, DC, That said rebel
States shall be divided into military dis
tricts and made subject to the military
Authority of the United States. as hereaf-
ter prescribed, and for that purpose Vir-
GINA shalt constitute the first district;
North Carolina aud South Carolina the
second district; Georgia, Alabama and
F, Florida the third district; Mississippi and
Arkansas the fourth district; Louisiana
and Texas the fifth district.
| Sec. g. 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. and to detail sufficient military
] u
duties and enforce his.authorty within the
district to which he is assigned.
SEC 3. That it shall b.. the duty of
such officer assigned as aforesaid, to pro
lect all persons IN their rights OF psrson
and property, to suppress insurreetion,
disorder and violence. and 10 punish, or
cause to be punished. all dslurbers of the
public peace and criminals. and to this
end he may allow loyal civil 10 unals TO
take jurisdiction of aad try offenders; or,
when in his judgement it may be neces-
sary for the trial of offenders, he shall
have power to organize military commits
sious or tribunals for that purpose, and
all interference under color of State au
thority under this act, shall be null and
void. ss
SEC 4 That all persons put under mill
tary arrest by virtue of this act shall be
tried without unnecessary delay, and no
cruel or unusual punishmsut shall b9 in
| f1Icled, and no sentence of any military
commission or tribunal hereby authorized,
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 regulations for the govern
menI OF the army shall not be affected by
this act, except in SO far as they may
conflict with its provisions.
Sec 3. That when the people of any
one of said rebel States shall have formed
constitutional government. in conformity
with the Constitution of the q nited States
in all respects, framed by convention of
delegates elected by the person who may
vote upon the ratification or rejection
lherhot, as hereinafter provided; and
} when said constitution, so framed, sh al
have been ratified by majority of the
male citizens of said State, 81 years old
and upward, Of whatever race, color or
previous condition of sarvitule who, may
} have been resident in said State for one
year preV:Ou' to the day of voting on the
question Of ratifying such constitution,
except such as may be disfranchised for
, participating in the rebellion or for felony
at common law; and when such oonstitu-
ton shall provide that the elective fran
! chise shall be enjoyed by all such persons
that have the qualifications herein stated
} and shall have been submitted TO Con-
3 gress for examination, and Congress
I shall have approved the same; and when
said State, by vote of its Legislature en-
! acted under said constitution shall have
) adopted the amendment to the Coustitu-
! tion OF the United States, proposed by
' the thirty ninth Congress, and known as
: article IA, and when said article shall
: have become part of the Constitution of
the United Safes, said State shall be
declared entitled to representation in
Congress. and Senator'S and representa-
tivac cha ba adn,itt,l
their taking the oath prescribed BY the
law; and then and thereafter the preceding
sections of this bill shall be imperative in
} said S ate.
;, Wilson's AMENDMENT.
Provided. No person excluded from
! the privilege of holding Office by said pro-
position of amendment to the Constitution
of the Uaited States shall be eligible to
election as a member of any convention
to frame constitution for any of said
rebel States. nor shall any such person
vote for members of such convention.
sHELLABARGER's AMENDMENT.
4 Be it enacted, That until the people in
said rebellious States shall. III due form Of
law, be admitted to representation in the
+ Congress of the United States. any civil
government which may exist there shall
} be deemed to be provisional, aud 10 ali
respects subject TO the power and author
ity of the United States, at any lime to be
abolished. modified or superseded. And
all elections for officers of such provision
al government shall be conducted only by
the persons named in the fifth secion of
this act, and no person shall be eligible
TO ofice under such provisional govern
, msnt who would be disqualified from
holding Office under the provision Of the
third section of the constitutional amend
,, meRt Of last session.
Tie baaI inforn,ed n,,ernhanta IL New