The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-02-26

or Congress
Whereas, no legal State govern
ments or adequate protection for lif
or property now exist in the rebe
States of Virginia, North Carolina
South Carolina. Georgia, Mississippi
Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texa
and Arkansas tM85
And whereas, it is necessary tina
! peace and good order should be en-
forced in said States until loyal ant
republican governments can be legal,
established; therefore,
| BE 1t enacted by the Senate anC
House of Representatives of the Uni
ted States of American in Congress
assembled, That the said rebel States
shall be divided into military districts
and made subject to the military auth
GRITTY of the United States as hereinaf.
ter prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first dis.
trict, North Carolina and South Caro-
lima 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. And be it further ena cted,
That it shall be the duty of the Presi-
dent to assign to the command of each
ofthe said districts an officer of the
army not below the rank of brigadier
general, and to detail sufficient mill
tary force to enable such officer to
perform his duties and enforce his
authority within the district to which
he is assigned.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted,
Thatit shall be the duty Of each officer
assigned as aforesaid, to protect all
persons in their rights of person and
property, to suppress Instruction, 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 tri-
bunals to take jurisdiction of and to
try offenders, or, when, in his judg-
ment it may be necessary for the trial
of offenders, he shall have power to
organize military commissions or tri-
bunals for that purpose and all inter
ference, under color of State authority,
with the exercise of military authority,
under this act shall be null and void.
Sec. A. 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 inflicted, and no sentence of any
military commission or tribunal here
by authorized, affecting life or liberty
of any person, shall be executed until
it is approved by the officer in COM
mand 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 as they conflict with
its provisions; provided that no sen
tence of death under 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 of the
said rebel States shall have formed a
constitution and government in con-
formity with the constitution of the
United States in allsrespects, framed
by convention of delegates elected
by male citizens of said State 21 years
and upwards, of whatever race,
color or previous condition, who have
been resident in the State for one year
previous to the day Of such election,
except such as may be disfranchised
for participation 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 qualifica7
tions herein stated for election of del
egates, and when such constitution
shall be ratified by majority of per-
sons voting on the question of ratifi-
cation who are qualified as electors for
delegates, ana when such constitution
shall have been submitted to Congress
for examination and approval, and
Congress shall have approved the
same, and when the said State by
vote of its legislature elected under
said constitution shall have adopted
the amendment to the constitution of
the United States proposed by the
Thirty Ninth Congress and known as
article fourteen, and when the said ar
ticle shall become part of the consti-
tuition of the United States, said State
shall be declared entitled to
in Congress and
Senators and Representatives shall
b admitted therefrom on their taking
she oath prescribed by law; and then
and thereafter the preceding sections
Of this bill shall be imperative in the
said States Provided, That no person
from the privilege of holding
office by the said proposed amendment |
10 the constitution of the United |
States shall be eligible to election as
member of the convention to frame |
! constitution for any of the said rebel |
States; nor shall any such person vote
or members of the said convention.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted,
That until the people of the said rebel |
States shall be by law admitted to |
representation in the Congress of the |
United States, any civil governments
which may exist therein shall be deem
d provisional only, and in all respects
ubject to the paramount authority of
he United States, at any time to abol-
sh, modify, control or supersede the
anne; and in all elections to any Office
Inder such provisional governments,
IL persons shall be entitled to vote,
nd none other, who are entitled to
ote under the provisions of the fifth
ection of this act; and no person
hall be eligible to any Office under
UGH provisional governments, who
'ould be disqualified from holding
flee under the provisions of the
lird article of said constitutional
......-..
Reverdy johnson both spoke and
oted for the military scheme of re-
in tho Senate HE do /.