Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-02-27
Gus 9A2sT "a .
The Recensaruction ELL.


The following is copy of the Recon-
struction Bill passed by both Houses of
Congress on Wednesday last In the SEN
ate Reverdy Johnson Of Maryland unex-
pectedly announced his purpose to vote
for it as the best measure that could be
got, but Buckalew, Cowan, and five 9TH
ers recorded their names against it, The
remaining copperheads, although oppo-
sing it in all its stages lodged the vote.
Should it become law, the South would
be quieted in sixty days after its passage,
and less than year would see an entire
restoration Of the rebel States to all the
rights they had forfeited by their rebel
lion:
WheredS, No legal State governments
or adequate protection for life or property
now exist in the rebel States of Virginia.
North Carolina, South Carolina Georgia,
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Flori-
da, Texas, and Arkansas:
and lUheTedS, 1t is necessary that peace
and good order should be enforced in said
Stltcs and loyal and republican State gov
ernments be legally established; there
fore
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives. Of tie United States of
An1cricd IN Congress assembled, That said
rebel States shall be dividedinto military
districts, and made subject to the militia
ry authority of the United States. as here
matter prescribed; and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the First dis
trict: North Carolina and South Carolina
the Second district; Georgia, Alabama,
and Florida the Third district: Mississin-
pi and Arkansas the Fourth district and
Louisiana and Texas the Fifth district
SEC. :. Afd be it further enacted. That
it shall be the duty of the President to as
sign to the command of each of said dis
tricts an officer of the army not below the
rank OF brigadier general, and to detail a
sufficient military force to enable such of
ticcr to perform his duties and enforce his
authority within the district to which he
is assigned.
SEC. 3. and be it further enacted, That
it shall be the duty Of each officer assign
ed as aforesaid to protect all persons in
their rights of person and property; to
suppress insurrectiUn, disorder, and vio-
ience, and to punish or cause to be Iun-
ished all disturbers of the public peat
and criminals; and to this end he nav
allow local civil tribunals to take iuris-
diction of and to try offenders; or when,
i'll his Judgment, it Tlay be necessary for
to organize military commissions or tri-
bunals for that purpose, and all interfe-
renee, under color OF State authority, with
the exercise of military authority under
this act shall be null and void
SEC. 4. And be II further enacted, That
all persons put under military arrest by
virtue Of this act shall be tried without
unnecessary delay, and no cruel or unu-
sual punishment shall be inflicted and
or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall be
executed until it is approved by the off
Ger 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 as they conflict with
its provisions: provided, that no sentence
of death under the provisions of this act
shall be carried into effect without the ap-
prOval of the President of the United
States.
SEC. ). Be 1t FURTHER enacted, That
when the people of any one of said rebel
States shall have formed a constitutional
government, in conformity with the Con-
stitutiOn of the United States in all re-
spects, framed by a convention of dele
gates elected by the male citizens of said
State, tWenty-one years old and upwards
of whatever race color or previous con-
dition, who have been residents in said
State for one year previous to the day
of such election, except such as may
be disfranchised for participation in re-
bellion or for felony at common law, and
when such Constitution shall provide
that the elective franchise shall be enjoyed
by all such persons rs have the qualifica-
tions herein stated for election of delegates,
and when such Constitution shall be
adopted by maj jOrity of the persons voting
on the question of ratification who are
| 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 of its Legislature, elected under
said Constitution, shall have adopted the
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States proposed by the Thirty
ninth Congress- and known as article IA;
and when said article shall have become
part rtoftheConstitution ofthe UnitedStates
said State shall be declared entitled to re-
presentation in Congress, and Senators
and Representatives shall be admitted
therefrom on their taking the oath pre-
scribed by law; and thereafter the pre-
ceding sections of this act shall be in
operation in said State : PrOUided, That
no person excluded from the privilege of
holding office by the said proposed amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States shall be eligible to election as
member of a convention to frame con-
stitution for any said rebel States, nor
shall any such person vote for member
of said convention.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That
until the people of said rebel States shall
be by law admitted to representation in
the Congress of the United States, any
civil Government which NAV exist thpre-