Year: 1867

8
should understand who are eligible to a seat iu
the State Convention, to make State Consti
tuition, and what Congress demands, by the Re.
construction Acts, that Constitution shall be,
to be acceptable We, therefore, append the
. following section of the Reconstruction Act,
passed March I'd, 1867: ....,...
''Section And be at further enacted, That
when the people of any one of said rebel States
shall have formed Constitution of government
10 conformity with the Constitution of the United
States in all respects, framed by Convention
oil delegates elected by the male citizens of said
State, twenty-one years old aud upwards, of
whatever race, color or previous condition, who
have been resident in said State for one year
previous to the day of such election, except
such as may be dsfranchised for participation
in the 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 qualifications herein
stated for electors of delegates; and when such
Constitution shall be ratified by majority of
the persons voting on the question of ratifca-
ton, who are qualified as electors for delegates;
and when such Constitution shall have been
submitted to Congress for examination and ap-
proval, and Congress shall have approved the
same; and when the said State, by vote of its





shall have adopted the amendment to the Con
stitution Of the United States, proposed by the
Thirty ninth Congress, and known as article
fourteen; and when said article shall have be-
come part of the Constitution Of the United
States, said State shall be declared eotited to
representation in Congress, aud Senators and
Representatives shall be admitted therefrom, on
their taking the oath prescribed by law and
then and thereafter the preceding section Of
this act shall be imperative 10 said State. Pro-
vided, That no person excluded from the privi-
lege of holding Office by said amendment to the
Constitution Of the United States shall be eli
gible to election as member Of the Convention
to frame Constitution for any of said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for mem
bers Of such Convention, -..gz5 .tH.


It will be seen, from the above, that Con-
gress requires, first, that the new Constitution
shall be formed 10 conformity with the Consti-
tuition of the United States 10 all respects-that
said Constitution shall provide that the elective
franchise in this State shall be enjoyed by such
persons as have the qualifications required of
all those who are allowed to vote for delegates
to the Convention, j. e. all males twenty-o
years of age, ,oithout regard to color, residents
of the State for one year, and who are not dis



Every reader can understand the above


By an Order of Gen. Sickles, every person,
having the qualifications to vote for delegate
to the Convention, is declared eligible to be a
delegate, if elected


The following sections from the Supplemental
Act. No /, to the Reconstruction Act, demand
careful attention


"Sec 4 That the Commanding General of
each District shall appoint such loya! officers or
pefsons as may be necessary, not exceeding three
in each election district, in any State, to make
and complete the registration, superntend the
election, and make return to bim Of the votes,


lists of voters and Of the persons elected as dele
gates by plurality of the votes cast at said
election and upon receiving said returns be
shall open the same, ascertain the persons elected
as delegates according to the returns of the
officers who conducted said election, and make
proclamation thereof; and if ma ajority Of the
votes given on that question shall be for Con
veution, the Commanding General within sixty
days from the date of election, shall notify the
delegates to assemble in Convention at time
and place to be mentioned in the notification,
and said Convention, when organized, shall pro-
ceel to frame Constitution and civil govern
ment according to the provisions of this act, and
the act to which it is supplementary; and when
the same shall have been so framed, said Con-
stitution shall be submitted by the Convention
for ratification to the persons registered under
the provisions OF this act, at an election TO be
conducted by the officers persons appointed
by the Commanding General as hereinbefore
provided, and to be held after the expiration of
thirty days from the date of notice thereof to be
given by said Convention, and the returns there
of shall be made to the Commanding General of
the District ..... -r <


Sec s. That if, according to said returns, the
Constitution shall be ratified by majority of
the votes of the registered electors qualified as
herein specified, cast at said election, at least
one-half Of all the registered voters voting upon
the question of such ratification, the president
of the Convention shall transmit copy of the
same, duly certified to the President OF the
United States, who shall forthwith transmit the
same to Congress, if then in session, and if not
in session, then Immediately upon its next as
sembling; and if it shall moreover appear to
Congress that the election was one at which all
the registered and qualified electors 10 the State
had opportunity to vote freely and without
restraint, fear or the influence of fraud, and if
Congress shall be satisfied that such Constitu-
tion meets the approval of majority OF the
qualified electors In the State, and if the said
Constitution shall be declared by Congress to be
in conformity with the provisions of the act to
which this is supplementary, and the other pro-
visions OF said act shall have been complied
with, and the said Constitution shall be approved
By Congress- the State shall be declared entitled
to representation, and Senators and Represen-
tatives shall be admitted tberefrom as herein
provided" s......


When the Commanding General orders the
election OF Convention, he will order, FIRST, q