

CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



ThU coii>t:tiition maybe presented to Con- 



[roval, and admission of represent- 

 ative-;, l.nt on such terms . shall pre- 



The eleventh section required nil the laws 

 I liv :i;iy provisional Legislature to be, B8 



u ponible, presented to Congress for ap- 



1 declared tin-in void from date of 

 ceipt of the disapproval by the Supreme 



Court of Louisiana. 



t'-nth section created the militia out of 

 \vlio \\ere electors, required them to be 

 organized and equipped ; and, during the pro- 

 visional government, put them under the par- 

 amount control of the United States com- 

 mander for Louisiana. 



Til-.- sixth section made every act of dis- 

 loyalty prima facie voluntary ; and, to avoid the 

 re.s.u!ting disqualification to vote or hold office, 

 permitted it to be shown, by testimony of those 

 who have always borne true allegiance to the 

 United States, that it was involuntary. 



The thirteenth section held in force, until 

 modified or repealed, all the laws of Louisiana, 

 which are not inconsistent with this act, nor 

 with the Constitution, or any law of the United 



, 



And the ninth section provided that when- 

 ever, from any cause, the civil authority should 

 fail promptly to enforce, in favor of all men, 

 the criminal and other laws of both State and 

 United States, including all local election laws, 

 the United States military forces (to bo sta- 

 tioned by the President in Louisiana for the 

 purpose, under a United States officer, not be- 

 low brigadier-general), should arrest and hold 

 offenders until prosecuted in the civil courts ; 

 and should, so far as requisite to insure full exe- 

 cution of the laws, give support and aid to the 

 civil authorities. 



In the Senate, on February 13th, on a motion 

 to postpone this bill, and take up the Recon- 

 struction Bill, Mr. Trnmbull, of Illinois, said : 

 "I am very much in favor of the general prin- 

 ciples of the bill in reference to Louisiana, and 

 am also in favor of the other bill, that has been 

 reported by the joint Committee on Reconstruc- 

 tion, though I desire to see both bills amended 

 in some respects. I think the Louisiana bill 

 should be amended, so as to extend somewhat 

 the right of suffrage. As I understand that bill, 

 it excludes from votihg all persons who have 

 taken part in the rebellion, but provides that 

 private soldiers who were engaged in the re- 

 bellion may, on going before the Unjted States 

 court, and making it appear to the court that 

 they acted as private soldiers, and did nothing 

 inconsistent with ordinary warfare, receive a 

 certificate which will entitle them to vote. 

 Now, every Senator, who reflects for a moment, 

 will remember that the United States court 

 meets but in one place in Louisiana, the city of 

 New Orleans, and has, I think, but two terms 

 a year. It would be manifestly very incon- 

 venient and improper to require citizens all over 

 the State of Louisiana, who would bo entitled 



to vote, and take part in the reorganization of 

 the State, to <:> be purpoao 



of obtaining a certificate. If I uud> 

 Mil rightly, they would have to do so. in order 

 to qualify themselves to vote. I think, in that 

 respect, the bill ought to be amended. My ob- 

 ject in saying thi.s now is, to call the att. 

 of the Senate to this point." 



Mr. Wade, of Ohio, said: "Now, sir, I wish 

 to say again, that I do not propose to antago- 

 nize one of these bills with the other. I am in 

 favor of them both. If I am to express my 

 choice, I must suy that I like the Louisiana hill 

 rather the best ; but then I am for both, and 

 they must both pass; and I hope in order to 

 secure that result, we shall all restrain our 

 fancies a little in the matter of amendments. 

 I might see things that, if I were to draw a 

 new bill, I would alter, perhaps, for the better, 

 though probably I should not make very greaj 

 headway at it at last." 



Mr. Sumner, of Massachusetts, said : " 1 am 

 in favor of each of these bills. Each is excel- 

 lent. One is the beginning of a true recon- 

 struction ; the other is the beginning of a true 

 protection. Now, in these rebellious States, 

 there must be reconstruction, and there must 

 be protection. Both must be had, and neither 

 must be antagonized with the other. The two 

 should go on side by side, the guardian angels 

 of this Republic. Never was Congress called 

 to consider measures of more vital importance. 

 I am unwilling to discriminate between the 

 two. I accept them both with all my heart, 

 and I am here now tp sustain them by ray con- 

 stant presence and vote." 



The bill was not passed by the Senate, but set 

 aside by the subsequent act of Reconstruction. 



In the Senate, on December 5th, Mr. Snm- 

 ner, of Massachusetts, offered the following 

 resolutions, which were ordered to be printed : 



Resolutions declaring the true principles of recon- 

 struction ; the jurisdiction of Congress over the 

 whole subject ; the illegality of existing govern- 

 ments in the rebel States, and the exclusion of 

 such States, with such illegal governments, from 

 representation in Congress, and from voting on 

 constitutional amendments. 



Besohed, 1. That, in the work of reconstruction, it 

 is important that no false step should be taken, in- 

 terposing obstacle or delay ; but that, by careful pro- 

 visions, we should make haste to complete the work, 

 so that the unity of the Republic shall be secured on 

 permanent foundations, and fraternal relations shall 

 be once more established among all the people there- 

 of. 



2. That this ond can be accomplished only by fol- 

 lowing the guiding principles of our institutions as 

 declared by our fathers when the Republic was 

 formed, and that any neglect or forgetfulness of 

 these guiding principles must postpone the estab- 

 lishment of union, justice, domestic tranquillity, the 

 general welfare, and the blessings of liberty, which 

 are the declared objects of the Constitution, and, 

 therefore, must be the essential object of recon- 

 struction itself. 



3. That this work of reconstruction mast be con- 

 ducted by Congress, and under its constant super- 

 vision ; that, under the Constitution, Congress u 



