The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-18
The Reconstruction Act.

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,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana,
| Florida Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas, tits 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-
seetatves of the United States of America in Con-
gress assembled That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ect to the military authority othe 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 be it further 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 8. 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 insurrection, dis
order, and violence, and to punish or cause to be
punished all disturbers of the public peace and
civil tribunals to take Jurisdiction of and try
offenders, when in his Judgment 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 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 further enacted That all
persons put under military arrest by virtue oil
this act shall be tried without unnecessary delay
and no cruel or unusual punishment shall be in
ficted; and no sentence of any military COM
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall be eXecu-
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 Pf0pided That no sentence
of death under the 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 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
convention of delegates elected by the male
upward, of whatever race, color, or previous
condition. who have been resident in said State
for one year previous TO the DAY OF sucn election,
except such as NAV he DISTINGUISHED for partici-
patton in the reIriiion 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 qualifications herein
stated for election of delegates and when such
constitution shall be ratified by majority of the
persons voting on 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 oflts 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 IA, and when said article
,1,n1lh nyya nf ifI1fin
the United States, said State shall be declared en-
titled to representation in Congress, and Senators
and Representatives shall be admitted therefrom
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the proceeding sections OF
i is act shall be imperative in said State: P'OUi-
led, That no person excluded from the privilege
Of holding office by said proposed amendment to
,he Constitution of the United States shall be
eligible to election as member of the convention
% frame constitution for any of said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for mem
)ers of said convention.
SEC. 6. And be 1t further enacted, That until
he people of said rebel States shall be, by law, adj
nitted to representation in the Congress of the
United States, any civil governments which may
Exist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
md in all respects subject to the paramount au-
hority of the United States at any time to abo-
sh modify, control OF supersede the same and
n all elections to any office under such provis-
onal governments all persons shall be entitled to
rote, and none other, who are entitled to vote
lnder the provisions of the fifth section of this
lct and no person shall be eligible to any office
lnder any such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding office under
he provisions of the third article of said const-
utiOnal amendment.