The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-04
The Reconstruction Act.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE Eff
r1ENr GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES

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AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE Eff
| GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.
| WHEREAS, no legal State governments or ade-
quate protection for life or property now exists
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina,
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-
se,etatves Of the United States Of Anaertca IN Con,
gress assembled, That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority ofthe United States,
as hereinafter prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first district; 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. And it Ju1ther enacted That it shall
be the duty of the President to assign to the COM
mand of each Of said districts an 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 3. 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 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 tribunals to take jurisdiction OF and try
| offenders, or when in hi~ Judgment 1t may be
necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have
| power to organize military commissions or trl-
| 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. T. And be it .tte,thc, 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
flicted; and no sentence of any military COM
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life liberty of any person. shall be cXecu-
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 as they may conflict
with its provisions Provided, That no sentence
OF death under the provisions of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approvalo OF the
President
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That when
the people of any of the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed constitution of government
in conformity with the Constitution of the
United States in all respects, framed by
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 one 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 sucn 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 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 ofits 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 hnOwn as article II, 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 therefrom
on then taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the proceeding sections OF
tt is act shall be imperative in said State PtOV
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 constitution for any of said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for mem
bcrs of said convention.
SEC. 6. 1nd be it further enacted, That until
the people of said rebel States shall be, by law adj
mitted to representation in the Congress of the
exist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
and in all respects subject to the paramount
thority of the United States at any time to abol-
ish modify, control OF supcrsede the same :; and
in all elections to any office under such provis-
ional 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
act and no person shall be eligible to any office
under any such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding Office under
the provisions of the third article of said const
tutiOnal amendment.