The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-21
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-
sentatiues Of the United States Of Ame,fca Ia Con-
gress assembled, That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority ofthe United States,
rs 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 aud Arkansas the fourth district, and
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district
SEC. 2. Andbe 10 further enacted, That II 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 brgadier 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 ii 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 cause to be
punished all disturbers of the public peace and
civil tribunals to take jurisdiction of and try
offenders, or 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. f. and be it further 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
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 they may conflict
with its provisions Rorided, That no sentence
OF death under the provisions of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approval of the
President.
SEC 5. Ind he nfa,tAer enacted, That when
the people of any the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed constitution of government
in conformity with the Constitution of the
United States in all respects, framed by a
convention of delegates elected by the male
citizens of said State twenty-one years old and
upward, OF whatever race, color, or previous
who have been resident in said State
for year previous to the day of such election,
except such as may he DISTINGUISHED for partici-
patton in the rebellion or for felony at common
law; and when such constitution shall provide
hat the elective franchise shall be enjoyed by all
snch persons 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
ire 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
I'd under said constitution shall have adopted the
amendment to the Constitution OF the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress,
md Anown article IA, and when said article
hall have become part of the Constitution of
he United States, said State shall be declared
tiled to representation in Congress, and Senators
nd Representatives shall be admitted therefrom
N their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
hen and thereafter the preceding sections of
is act shall be imperative in said State POvi-
led That no person excluded from the privilege
If holding office by said proposed amendment to
he Constitution of the United States shall be
ligible to election as member of the convention
O frame constitution for any of said rebel
'tates, nor shall any such person vote for mem
'crs of said convention.
SEC d. Ind be 1t further enacted, That until |
he people of said rebel States shall be, by law, ad
nitted to representation in the Congress of the |
United States, any civil governments which may
xist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
nd i'm all respects subject to the paramount
hority of the United States at any time to abol-
sh modify, control OF superscde the same and
n all elections to any Office under such provis-
onal governments all persons shall be entitled to
ote, and none other, who entitled to vote !
nder the provisions of the fifth section of this
ct and no person shall be eligible to any office
nder any such provisional governments who
you'd be disqualified from holding office under
he provisions of the third article of said consti-
utional amendment.