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FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY Is. 1867.
The Military government for the South.

The Military Government for the South
The Bill introduced by Mr.. Stevens from
the Reconstruction Committee, is entitled
ga bill to provide for the more
efficient government of the insurrectionary
States" Its preamble is as follows:
Whereas the pretended State governments oi
the late so-called Confederate States Of Virgin
Is, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Mississippi, AlaSama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas
/ and Arkansas were set up without the authority
/ Of Congress and without the sanction Of the peo-
I PIE; and whereas the o-pretended governments
afford no protection for life or property, and
/ eountenance ard encourage laElessness and
crime; AID whereas it is necessary that peace
au- good order should be enforced in the So
called States until loyal and republican State
. governments can be legally established.
The act proceeds TO divide the Southern
States into FIVE military districts: makes it
the duty Of the General Of the army to as
sign 10 tue command OF each Of said districts
AZ Cihcer o! the army not below the rank o;
Brigali-r General, and to furnish such
officer with tie military force sufficient to
enable hinl TO perform his duties and to en-
force bis authority; makes it the duty OF
each officer 50 assigned, to protect all peace
able and law-abiding citizens in their rights
OF person and property, to suppress insur-
rlction, disorder and violence. and to punish
OF cause TO be punished all disturbers Of the
public peace and criminals, and gives him
power 90 organize military commissions for
that purpose, anything in the constitution
and laws OF the sO-cllled State to the con-
trary notwithstanding and all legislative or
Judiciary proceedings 10 control or present
the proceedings of said military tribu-
nlls, and all interference by said pretended
State goverumcnts with the exercise of mill
tary aut l9r..y under this act shall he void
and # n) effect. /; further provides that
tie judges shall not issue writs of haJeas
e3Vgs in tchalf Of persons in military Gus
t7dE, unless .'s1iuc commissioner or officer on
duty in tic district" shall certify on the
petition FOR the wri;, that he believes the de-
tenh0l If the person arrested 10 be wrong
fal.
Iaerc also a provision that all persons
Vut under military arrest by virtue Of this
cc- Ia. Re tried without unnecessary delay,
and u1 c.uci oT unusual punishment shall
De inflicted.
Mr. Bingham OF Ohio sought, but did not
secure, an opportunity to offer an amend
meat, which is stated by one Of the Wash
ington correspondents to be substitute for
the preamble. IN the following words
'WLercas, it is necessary that peace and COED
order should he enforced in the several States
lately % rebellion. until said States shall have
been fully restored to their constitutional rela-
tons 90 tAe Government cf the United States;
therefore be IL enacted" sc.
Al-1 changing the f,arth section $ as to
..mit the courts 20 issue the writ Of hG5eas
corpus, IN eases where a person is held for
crime which Is indictable by the courts Of |
the United States
What the final fate %. this bill is to be, Of
course cannot te predicted. It seems to US
that such return to military control of the
Southern States can be justified only on the
ground Of stern necessity. But if the things
r,,.,ei IL the preamble are true If it is the
fac, as BIAS been stated, that 1T Is not
known that an instance is on record Of pun
ishuent of offenders against the laws of the
United States, especially in the commission
of crimes against UniOnists, black or white
then some such measure as this is necessary
and right, hard though 1t be, and 1t VII be
sustained by the loyal sentiment Of the
Country. until State governments adequate
TO the proper ends Of civil government can
be organized.