Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-03-08
RECONSTRUCTION.
Plan Proposed by the Congress Of the
United States.


The Bill a. 1t Finally Passed.
The following is correct copy of the
act "to provide for the more efficient gov
ernment Of the rebel States" as it passed
the Senate:
"WHERxAs. No legal State governments,
or adequate protection for life or proper
ty, now exists in the rebel States 'of Vir-
ginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana,
Florida, Texas aud Arkansas; and
"WHEREAs, 1t fs necessary that peace
and good order should be enforced in said
States until loyal and republican State
governments can be legally established;
therefore.
"Be it enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives Of the United States Of
America, in Congress assembled, That
said rebel States shall be divided into mil
itary districts, and made subject to the
military authority Of the United States,
as hereinafter prescribed, aud for that
purpose Virginia shall constitute the FIRST
district; North Carolina and South Caro-
lima the second district; Georgia. Alabama
and Florida the third district; Mississippi
and Arkansas the fourth district; and
Louisiana aud Texas the fifth district.
SEC. 2. And be il further enacted, That
il 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 de-
tail sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and en-
force his authority within the district to
which he is assigned.
SEc. B. And be IL further enacted, That
il shall be the duty of each officer assign
ed us aforesaid TO protect all persons in
their rights of person and property, to
suppress insurrection, disorder and vio-
lehce, and to punish, or cause TO be pun
ished, oil disturbers of the public peace,
and criminals, and to this end he may
allow local civil tribunals TO take jurisdic-
ton of and to try offenders, or, when in
his judgment it may be necessary for TIE
trial of offenders. he shall have power to
organize military commissions or tribunals
for that purpose; aud all interference un-
der color Of State authority with the exer-
else of military authority under this act
shall be null and void.
"SEc. 4. And be il further enacted, That
all persoos put under military arrest by
virtue Of this act shall be tried without
necessary delay, and no cruel or unusual
punishment shall be inflicted; and no SEN
tence Of any military commission or tri-
bunal 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, ex-
cept in SO far as they conflict with its pro-
visions: Provided, that no sentence of
death, under the provisions OF this act,
shall be carried into effect without the ap-
proyal Of the President.
"SEc. 5. And be it further enacted, That
when the people Of any one Of said rebel
Statcs shall have formed constitution of
government in conformity with the Con-
stitution Of the United States in all res
poets, framed by conveniion of delegates
elected by the male citizens of said State
twenty-one years old and upward, of what
ever race, color or previous condition, who
have been resident in said State for one
gear 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 constitu-
tion shall provide that the elective fran-
chise shall be enjoyed by all such persons
as have the quali6 i6cations herein stated
for election of delegates, and when such
constitution shall be ratified by a majority
Of the persons voting on the question Of
rntihcation, 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 n vote of its Legislature
elected under said constitution, shall have
adopted the amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the United States, proposed by the
Thirty-Ninth Congress, and known as ar
ticle fourteen, and when said article shall
have become part of the Constitution Of
the United States, SAID State shall be de-
clared entitled to representation in Con-
gress, and Senators and Representatives
shall be admitted therefrom on their TAX
ing the oath prescribed by law, and then
and thereafter the preceding sections of
this bill shall be imperative in said State:
Provided, 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 as n member Of the convention to
frame constitution for any of said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for
members OF said convention.
"SEc. 6. And be it further enaotsd,
That until the people Of said rebel States
shall be By law admitted to representation
in the Congress Of the United States any
civil governments which may exist there
in shall be deemed provisional only, aud
in all respects subject to the paramount
authority Of the United States ut any time
to abolish, modify, control, or supercede
the same;a and in all elections to any Office
under such provisional governments all
persons shall be entitled to vote, aud 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 Of
hce under any such provisional govern
ments who would be disqualified from
holding Office under the provisions of the
third article Of said constitutional amend
ment.'
The Speech Of Reverdy johnson on the
Reconstruction Bill.