The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-05-19
Reconstruction.

On Tuesday last, Mr. Stevens introduced into the
House of Representatives the following resolutions
providing for the admission of North Carolina and
other States in the Union:
WHEREAS, The people of North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia and Alabama have in pursuance
of the provisions of act, entitled act for the
efficient government of the rebel States. passed
March I'd, 1867, and the supplementary thereto
framed constitutions of State governments which are
republican in form, and have adopted said constu-
tons by large majorties OF the votes cast at the cleo
tons held for theatifcation rejection of the
Therefore, Be it enacted, that the States of North
Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and
Alabama shall be entitled and admitted to represen-
tation in Congress States of the Union, when the
Legislatures of said States respectively, shall have
ratified the amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, passed by the 39th Congress and
known as Article 14th, upon the following fundamen
tai conditions:
THAT the Constitutions of said States shall never
be so amended or changed, to deprive any citizen
class of citizens of the United States of the right
to vote who now entitled to vote by said Const
tutions respectively, except for such crimes are
fclonies at common law whereof they shall have
been duly convicted, and person shall ever be
held to service labor punishment for crime in
said States except by the custody Of convcts by the
laws thereof
Second That if the day fixed for the meeting of
the Legislature of said States, by the Constitutions
thereof shall have passed before the passage this
they may be convened within thirty days after the pas
sage of this act by the President of the Convention
which framed the Constitution of suck State.
Third. That the first section of this Act shall take
effect when the President of the United States shall
officially proclaim the due ratification by the Legis-
latures of said States respectively of Article l4h of
the amendment to the Constitution Of the United
States proposed by the 39th Congress.
This bill made .h~s rpesi~l order from day 90
day until disposed Of
A bill reported from the Committee, re-
moving the disabilities from some five hundred cti-
zens of North Carolina. The bill passed SO to %,
being twothirds required for such legislation.
On Thursday last, the bill admitting into the Union
the States named above passed by lOS for to 35
against. 1t must yet be acted by the Senate. The
following are the proceedings Of the House:
Mr. Pruyn spoke in opposition Mr. Brooks fol-
lowed; he spoke of the unit character Of the Repre-
scntatives, aluding particularly to Florida. Mr.
Stevens interrupted saying that he was unwilling to
argue that the Representatives from Florida should
be admitted. MIR Brooks said he glad that
Stevens agreed with him on that point, and proceed
ed, saying that Georgia, Alabama and others were
controlled in like manner by squatters; maintaining
that their Constitutional Conventions and Leglsl
were composed of men who had no interest IN
the States-who were not understood by the people
did they understand the people. A tyranny
worse than that ever countenanced by the Car OF
Russia the Sultan of Turkey had been perpetracd
upon the people by the powers that had determined
TO control the election there by any means no matter
how, or by what means. The whole object of Con-
gressional Legislation apparent. 1t was all in
tended to Radicalize the South, and the party in
power here have amnesty and pardon and welcome
for any who embraces Radicalism, matter
what his past conduct past acts may have been, or
how deeply and darby his hands had been imbued
in treason, Those who accepted Radical rule we're
pardoned by the Wholesale" Messrs. Paine and
bingham advocated the bill. Mr. Woodbridge offered
amendment TO strike out Alabama from the bill
lost 10 to a.
An Amendment striking from the first section the
clause prohibiting change of the Constitution and
inserting: THAT the Constitutions of said States
shall never be amended determinate in favor
of against any citizen class of citizens of the
United States in reference to the right vote, who
entitled to vote by said Constitution, adopted
without division
An amendment, that all citizens Of the United
States in those States, shall be admitted TO equal
rights of suffrage, rejected without division.
The bill then passed-108 to IS.