The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-03-08
MILITARY DEsPOTIsM IN TEN STATES
OF THE UNION.

la, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisi-
ana, Florida, Texas and Arkansas
A,ad, a0hereas, 1t is necessary that
peace and good order should be enfor-
ced in said States, and loyal and repub-
lican State governments be legally es-
tablished /; therefore,
BE ii enacted, &C., That said Rebel
States shall be divided into military
districts, and made subject to the mil
itary authority of the United States, as
hereinafter prescribed; and for that
purpose Virginia shall constitute the
first district; North Carolina and South
Carolina the second district; Mississip-
pi and Arkansas the fourth district,
and Louisiana and Texas the fifth dis
trict.
Section 2. And be it further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of the Presi-
dent to assign to the command of each
of said districts an officer of the army
not below the rank of brigadier gener-
al, 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 as
signed.
Section 8. And be ii. further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of each officer
assigned as aforesaid, to protect all per-
sons in their rights of person and prop
erty, to suppress insurrection, disorder
and violence, and to punish or cause to
be punished, all disturbers of the pub
lie peace and criminals and to this
end he may allow local civil tribunals
to take Jurisdiction of and to try often
ders; or when, inhis judgment, it may
be necessary for the rial of offenders,
he shall have power to organize militia
ry commissions or tribunals for that
purpose, andall interference, under col
or of State authority, with the exercise
of military authority under this act
shall be null and void.
Section 4. And be it further enacted,
That no persons put under military ar
rest by virtue of this act, shall be tried
without unnecessary delay, and no cru
ell or unusual punishment shall be in
flicted; and no sentence of any militia
ry commission or tribunal hereby au-
thorized, affecting the life or liberty of
any person, shall be executed until it is
approved by the officer in command of
the district; and the laws and regula-
tions for the government of the army
shall not be effected by this act, except
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
approval of the President of the Uni
ted States.
Section 5. And be ii. further enacted,
That when the people of any one of the
said Rebel States shall have formed
constitutional government, in confor-
nifty with the Constitution of the Uni
ted States in all respects, framed -bya
convention of delegates elected by the
male citizens of said State, twenty-one
years old and upwards, of whatever
race, color or previous condition, who
have been residents in said State for
one year previous to the day of such e.
lection, except such as may be disfran-
chised for participation in Rebellion or
for felony at common law, and when
such Constitution shall provide that
the elective franchise shall be enjoyed
by all such persons as have the qualifi-
cations herein stated for election of del
egates, and when such Constitution
shall be adopted by majority of the
persons voting on the question of rat
ification who are qualified as electors
for delegates, and when such Constitu-
ion shall have been adopted by ma
o=ity of the persons voting on the
! question of ratification who are quail
flied as electors for delegates, and when
such Constitution shall have been SUBJ
mitted to Congress for examination
and approval, and Congress shall have
dpplOFOo IiiC 6tlAd WiNA ooiA
State, by vote of its Legislature, elect
ed under said Constitution, shall have
adopted the amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the United States proposed by
the Thirty-ninth Congress, and known
as article IA, and when said article shall
have become part of the Constitution
of the United States, shall be declared
entitled to representation in Congress,
and Senators and Representatives shall
be admitted therefrom on their taking
the oath prescribed by law; and there
after the .eding sections of this act
shall not be in operation in said State;
Provided, That no person excluded from
the privilege of holding office by the
said proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States shall be
eligible to election as member of a
convention to frame constitution for
any of said Rebel States, nor shall any
such person vote for a member of said
convention.
Section 6. And be it further enacted,
That until the people of said Rebe
States shall be by law admitted to rep
resentation in the Congress of the Uni
ted States any civil government which