The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-19
Correspondence of the New York Tribune I
The Enabling Acts of Messrs. Steve,.
and Ashley.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. IL tS


Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens will on Tuesday call
| up in the House his bill known as the "Ena
| bling Act" and will endeavor to press it to
a vote on the following day. A large mum.
Der of petitions from loyalists living in tbo
several Southern States have been received
by various members of the House, asEinor
the adoption of Mr.. Stevens bill as base
for the return of their States into the Tn,
ion. A petition from a number of leadinc
loyalists of North Carolina has been recp,y'
eel by Mr.. Stevens, in which the petitioners
set forth that they prefer his (Steven's) bin
| 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 bill agreed upon by the
| Territorial Committee as a 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 1t 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 Sth of December.
1858, had an opportunity been offered them,
and who can swear they never i'll used Tn
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 a commission
of their members to provide for the holding
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 ofIndependence.
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 a slave, and all laws en-
acted by this State shall be impartial, with
out regard to race or former condition of
servitude.
1Secoad. 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
flee, civil, military, OF 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-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-
bellon 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, at
ter the ratification of said Constitutions,
Senators and Representatives to Congress
shall be elected but no Senator or Represen-
tatiye shall be admitted as such until Con-
grcSS snail nave deCldTeu lLCSS StdlcS Sut1-
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, il 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. It 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 tn
al by jury, or which make any distinction
because of race or 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 III
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.
AFFAIRS AT THE SoUTH.-It is stated
that the evidence taken by the New Orleans
Riot Committee is very strong touching the
insults and wrongs to which original Union
lists are subjected il Louisiana, without
chance of redress. They are represented as
declaring that the States is an unsafe resi-
dence tor Union men. The recent letter Oh
Gen. Heintzelman shows that Texas is slmi-
larly bad. Rebel mobs control the authofi-
ties in many districts, and keep in constant
peril known friends of the National Govern
ment The report of Gen. Ord from Arkan,
sas is Mt one iota better. Outrages anu
murders upon freedmen and women are IT,
ported continually, and neither the local au-
thorities nor the people evince disposition
to enforce the laws. Gen. Ord speaks OF hfty-
two murders of freedmen by white persons
within three or four months, without an at
tempt to arrest or punish the murderers. Inc
constant recurrence of these reports Is sau
commentary upon the alleged fitness OF tns
South for unconditional restoration.
From Texas.
GALVESTON, JAN 15.-Gov. Throckmorton