The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-01-23
Correspondence Of the New York Tribune
The Enabling Acts 81 Messrs. Stevens
and Ashley.

Correspondence Of the New York Tribune
The Enabling Acts Of Messfs. stevens
and Ashley.
u WAsHMGroN CRY, Jan. Is, 1867.
Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens viii on Tuesday call
up in the House his bill known as the Ena-
bling Act and will endeayor to press it to
vote on the following day. A large num-
Der of petitions from loyalists living in the
several Southern States have been received
by various members Of the House, asking
the adoption of Mr. Stevens bill as basis
for the return of their States into the I'm
ion. A petition from number Of leading
voyalists Of North Carolina has been recelv-
ed by Mr.. Stevens, in which the petitioners
set forth that they prefer his (Steven's) bill
to the one prepared by Gov. Holden and
Mr.. Pool, and which was presented to Con-
gress before the holidays. On Tuesday Mr..
Ashley will present q bill agreed upon by the
Territorial Committee as substitute for Mr.
Stevens bill. Mr.. Ashley's bill provides for
the total adjustment of the pretended local
governments of the Southern States, and de-
clares all laws enacted in pursuance of said
State governments null and void. It calls
on all male citizens above the age of twenty
one, who can take an oath that they would
never have aided or abetted Rebellion after
the 4th of March, 1864, and would have com
piled with the requirements of the Presi-
dents proclamation of the 9th of December,
1868, had an opportunity been offered them,
and who can swear they never i'll used I'm
ion soldiers and will henceforth bear true al
legiance to the Government of the United
States, to organize Constitutional Govern
ments in their respective States 1t calls for
conventions in each of the Southern States,
to be composed of delegates who can swear
they never voluntarily bore arms against the
United States or aided or allotted rebellion
in any way. These conventions are to deter
mine if their respective States will accept
the terms proposed by Congress, and, if they
agree to do SO, shall appoint commission
elections in the States to adopt new consti-
tutions, elect officers, and prepare them for
admission into the Union. 1t is pro-
vided that these State Constitutions shall
be Republican, and not repugnant to the
Constitution of the United States and the
principles ofthe Declaration of Independence
1t is further provided that the Constitution
of each State shall contain the following:
First: That all persons in this State are
free and equal before the law, so that no man
can hold another as slave, and all laws en-
acted by this State shall be impartial, with
out regard to race or former condition of
servitude eAt
Second: That this State shall never assume
or pay any debt or obligation contracted in
aid of instruction or of war against the Uni
ted States, or any claim for the loss or eman-
cipation of any slave.
Third: That this State will establish and
maintain well organized system of free
schools for all children in the State between
six and twenty years of age, from which no
child shall be excluded because of race or
color.
Fourth: That no person who has held Of
. fee, civil, military, or naval, under either of
the recent revolutionary Governments, State
or Confederate, shall be allowed to hold any
office of honor or profit under said State Gov
ernmcnt, until the Legislature thereof, BY
special act in each case, and by two-t thirds
vote shall have granted full and uncondi-
tional release from the disability herein i'm
posed upon such person.
Fifth: In case Of rebellion against the
United States by citizens of this State, Con-
gress shall have power to declare its relations
with the Government at an end until said re-
bellion is ended and the State is thoroughly
purged of disloyalty. ~
These Constitutions must be ratified by a
majority of the people of the States. who can
take the prescribed oaths of loyalty to the
Government 1t is further provided that, af-
ter the ratification of said Constitutions,
Senators and Representatives to Congress
shall be elected but no Senator or RepFesen-
tative shall be admitted as such until Con-
gress shall have declared these States emit
tied thereto 1t is further provided that, if
these States decline to accept the terms pro-
posed by this bill, they will submit to Con-
gress for acceptance, modification, or rejec-
ton, plan of restoration, providing that
said plan recognize the Constitution of the
United States as the supreme law of the land,
that the State Constitutions shall guarantee
to all person freedom and equality before the
law, and suffrage shall be impartial, without
regard to race or color, and that no war
debt or compensation for emancipation of
slaves be assumed by said States, or claims
be brought for such against the United
States. 1t is also provided that all laws, ju
dicial decisions, or usages of said States,
which recognize or sustain any form of sla-
very, or which exclude the testimony of per-
sons of color, or which deny the right Of tri-
al by jury, or which make any distinction
because of race OF color or former condition
of servitude, shall be utterly void within the
United States. 1t is further provided that
the Provisional Governments Of these States
can suspend the writ of habeas corpus in
case of resistance of authority, and call on
Government for aid. A provision is made
to divide Texas into two States before read
mission into the Union. ~.