The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-14
No. 19-Major General

A careful search of the archives of the
state will uncover no act Of her govern
ment and no movement of her people to
place her organized life In any different
relation to the constitution and laws of
the United Staten than that contemporary
relation occupied by the states of Ohio
and New Jersey, who had voted both ways
each on the question of ratification of the
fourteenth article; than the states of CAL
ifornia, Kentucky, Delaware and Mary
land, who refused to ratify.
The short session OF Congress would
close March 4, 1857 at noon. AS yet the
fourteenth article had not been ratified.
Impeachment proceedings against the
President had not displaced him. Thus on
January % Congress passed an act to
move backward the day of meeting of the
Fortieth Congress from December to
March A, 1874 continuous session.
The reconstruction committee reported a
bill ito provide for the more efficient
government OF the rebel states" and this
bill passed The preamble to the bill as
serted that no legal governments existed
In the 10 states named; that the object
was to establish peace and order In
those states named, all that had COM
prised the Confederacy except Tennes-
see, until loyal and republican state gov
ernments can be legally established.
Nashville had been continuously occupied
by the enemy since February, 1862, and
a loyal governor had resided there
the first in order being Andrew johnson,
now President
Under the act of March 2, 1857, passed
over his veto, the President made the
following assignments on March II:
To the First military district, the state
of Virginia, brevet, Major General Scho-
field was assigned.
To the Second military district. the
states of North and South Carolina, Major
General Sickles, changed for cause to
Major General Candy.
To the Third military district, the states
of Georgia, Florida and Alabama, Maj.
Gen. George III. Thomas next to Maj. Gen.
John Pope, and finally to Maj. Gen. George
Meade.
To the Fourth military district. the
states of Mississippi and Arkansas, brevet,
Maj. Gen. E. o. G. Ord.
And to the Fifth military district, the
state of Texas, Maj Gen. P. H. Sheridan.
changed to Maj. Gen. w. s. Hancock.
The action of Congress being directly
revolutionary, the several district COM
manders were In doubts touching the linz
its of power intrusted to them. There
was no room for doubt that the Congress
intended to yacate all civil offices In the
states assigned to them respectively, but
1t was not made clear by the act to what
extent the general commanding was en-
lowed with authority over life, liberty
and property.
The commanders referred their perplex-
ity to the President, and he submitted II
to the Attorney General
In his veto messages the President fore
told the evils which the reconstruction
acts would entail not only upon the south
| hut upon the whole union. In his regular
message written several months later he
said:
/ THE system of measures established by
these measures of Congress does totally
subvert and destroy the form as well az
the substance of republican government
in the 10 states to which they apply. II
binds them hand and foot in absolute slav-
cry and subjects them to strange ano
hostile 0ower, more unlimited and more
likely to be abused than any other now
known among civilized men,. These
wrongs, being expressly forbidden, cannot
be constitutionally inflicted upon any por-
ton of our people, no matter how they
may have come within our Jurisdiction
and no matter whether they 1--we IN states
territories or districts.
Explaining their meaning, their leader
in the House, Thadeus Stevens, said OF
these acts:
1.-The Federal arms conquered The Con
federate armies and government surren'
dered unconditionally mot sustained ~