States, proposed as aforesaid, has also been ratified by newly constituted and newly established bodies, avowing themselves to be, and acting as, the legislatures, respectively, of the states of Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama; And whereas, it further appears, from official documents on file in this department, that the legislatures of two of the states first above enumerated, to wit, Ohio and New Jersey, have since passed resolutions, respectively, withdrawing the consent of each of said states to the aforesaid amendment; And whereas, it is deemed a matter of doubt and uncertainty whether such resolutions are not irregular, invalid, and, therefore, ineffectual for withdrawing the consent of the said two states, or of either of them, to the aforesaid amendment; And whereas, the whole number of states in the United States is thirty-seven, to wit: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Maine, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Kansas, West Vir ginia, Nevada and Nebraska; And whereas, the twenty-three states first herein before named, whose legislatures have ratified the said proposed amendment, and the six states next thereafter named, as having ratified the said proposed amendment by newly constituted and established legislative bodies, together constitute three-fourths of the whole number of States in the United States: Now, therefore, be it known, that I, WILLIAM H. SEWARD, secretary of state of the United States, by virtue and in pursuance of the second section of the act of congress, approved the twentieth of April, eighteen hundred and eighteen, hereinbefore cited, do hereby certify, that, if the resolutions of the legislatures of Ohio and New Jersey, ratifying the aforesaid amendment, are to be deemed as remaining of full force and effect, notwithstanding the subsequent resolutions of the legislatures of those states, which purport to withdraw the consent of said states from such ratification, then the aforesaid amendment has been ratified in the manner herein before mentioned, and so has become valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the constitution of the United States. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the department of state to be affixed." Done at the city of Washington this twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand cight hundred and sixty[L. 8.] eight, and of the independence of the United States of America the ninety-third. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State of the United States: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME, GREETING: WHEREAS, by an act of congress, passed on the twentieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, entitled "An act to provide for the publication of the laws of the United States and for other purposes," it is declared, that, whenever official notice shall nave been received at the department of state that any amendment which heretofore has been and hereafter may be proposed to the constitution of the United States has been adopted according to the provisions of the constitution, it shall be the duty of the said secretary of state, forthwith, to cause the said amendment to be published in the newspapers authorized to promulgate the laws, with his certificate, specifying the states by which the same may have been adopted, and that the same has become valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the constitution of the United States; And whereas, the congress of the United States, on or about the sixteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, submitted to the legislatures of the several states a proposed amendment to the constitution, in the following words, to wit: "Joint Resolution proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. "Be it Resolved, by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America, in congress assembled (twothirds of both houses concurring), That the following article be proposed to the legislatures of the several states as an amendment to the constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said legislatures, shall be valid as part of the constitution, namely: (See Article XIV, above.) And whereas, the senate and house of representatives of the Congress of the United States, on the twenty-first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, adopted and transmitted o the department of state a concurrent resolution, which concurent resolution is in the words and figures following, to wit: "IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, "July 21, 1868. "WHEREAS, the legislatures of the states of Connecticut, Tennessee, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Pennsyl vania, Rhode Island, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Maine, Iowa, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina and Louisiana, being three-fourths and more of the several states of the Union, have ratified the fourteenth article of amendment to the constitution of the United States, duly proposed by two-thirds of each house of the thirty-ninth congress; therefore, "Resolved, by the senate (the house of representatives concurring), That said fourteenth article is hereby declared to be a part of the constitution of the United States, and it shall be duly promulgated as such by the secretary of state. "Attest: GEO. C. GORHAM, Secretary." "IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, · Resolved, That the house of representatives concur in the foregoing concurrent resolution of the senate, declaring the ratification of the fourteenth article of amendment of the constitution of the United States." "Attest: EDWD. MCPHERSON, Clerk." And whereas, official notice has been received at the department of state that the legislatures of the several states next hereinafter named, have, at the times respectively herein mentioned, taken the proceedings hereinafter recited, upon or in relation to the ratification of the said proposed amendment, called article fourteenth, namely: The legislature of Connecticut ratified the amendment June 30th, 1866; the legislature of New Hampshire ratified it July 7th, 1866; the legislature of Tennessee ratified it July 19th, 1866; the legislature of New Jersey ratified it September 11th, 1866, and the legis lature of the same state passed a resolution in April, 1868, to withdraw its consent to it; the legislature of Oregon ratified it September 19th, 1866; the legislature of Texas rejected it November 1st, 1866; the legislature of Vermont ratified it on or previous to November 9th, 1866; the legislature of Georgia rejected it November 13th, 1866, and the legislature of the same state ratified it July 21st, 1863; the legislature of North Carolina rejected it December 4th, 1866, and the legislature of the same state ratified it July 4th, 1868; the legislature of South Carolina rejected it December 20th, 1866, and the legislature of the same state ratified it July 9th, 1868; the legislature of Virginia rejected it January 9th, 1867; the legislature of Kentucky rejected it January 10th, 1867; the legislature of New York ratified it January 10th, 1867; the legislature of Ohio ratified it January 11th, 1867, and the legislature of the same state passed a resolution in January, 1868, to withdraw its consent to it; the legislature of Illinois ratified it January 15th, 1867; the legislature of West Virginia ratified it January 16th, 1867; the legislature of Kansas ratified it January 18th, 1867; the legislature of Maine ratified it January 19th, 1867; the legislature of Nevada ratified it January 22d, 1867; the legislature of Missouri ratified it on or previous to January 26th, 1867; the legislature of Indiana ratified it January 29th, 1867; the legislature of Minnesota ratified it February 1st, 1867; the legislature of Rhode Island ratified it February 7th, 1867; the legislature of Delaware rejected it February 7th, 1867; the legislature of Wisconsin ratified it February 13th, 1867; the legislature of Pennsyl vania ratified it February 13th, 1867; the legislature of Michigan ratified it February 15th, 1867; the legislature of Massachusetts ratified it March 20th, 1867; the legislature of Maryland rejected it March 23d, 1867; the legislature of Nebraska ratified it June 15th. 1867; the legislature of Iowa ratified it April 3d, 1868; the legislature of Arkansas ratified it Apri 6th, 1868; the legislature of Florida ratified it June 9th, 1868; the legislature of Louisiana ratified it July 9th, 1868; and the legislature of Alabama ratified it July 13th, 1868; Now, therefore, be it known, that I, WILLIAM H. SEWARD, secretary of state of the United States, in execution of the aforesaid act, and of the aforesaid concurrent resolution of the 21st of July, 1868, and in conformance thereto, do hereby direct the said proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States to be published in the newspapers authorized to promulgate the laws of the United States, and I do hereby certify, that the said proposed amendment has been adopted in the manner hereinbefore mentioned by the states specified in the said concurrent resolution, namely: The states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Tennessee, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, New York, Ohio, Illinois, West Virginia, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, and also by the legislature of the state of Georgia; the states thus specified being more than three-fourths of the states of the United States. And I do further certify, that the said amendment has become valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the constitution of the United States. In testimony whercof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the department of state to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, and of the independence of the United States of America the ninety-third. [L. S.] WILLIAM H. SEWARD, ARTICLE XV. SECTION 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. SECTION 2. The congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. The following is the certificate of the secretary of state of the United States, announcing the ratification of the foregoing article: HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of State of the United States: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME, GREETING: KNOW YE, That the congress of the United States, on or about the twenty-seventh day of February, in the year one thousand eight nundred and sixty-nine, passed a resolution in the words and figures following, to wit: "A Resolution proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. "Resolved, by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America, in congress assembled (two-thirds of both houses concurring), That the following article be proposed to the legisla tures of the several states as an amendment to the constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said legislatures, shall be valid as part of the constitution, namely:" (See Article XV, above.) And, further, that it appears from official documents on file in this department, that the amendment to the constitution of the United States, proposed as aforesaid, has been ratified by the legislatures of the states of North Carolina, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maine, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York, New Hampshire, Nevada, Vermont, Virginia, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Nebraska and Texas; in all, twenty-nine states; And, further, that the states whose legislatures have so ratified the said proposed amendment constitute three-fourths of the whole number of states in the United States; And, further, that it appears, from an official document on file in this department, that the legislature of the state of New York has since passed resolutions claiming to withdraw the said ratification of the said amendment which had been made by the legislature of that state, and of which official notice had been filed in this department; And, further, that it appears, from an official document on file in this department, that the legislature of Georgia has, by resolution, ratified the said proposed amendment: Now, therefore, be it known. that I, HAMILTON FISH, secretary of state of the United States, by virtue and in pursuance of the second section of the act of congress approved the twentieth day of April, in the year eighteen hundred and eighteen, entitled An act to provide for the publication of the laws of the United States, and for other purposes," do hereby certify, that the amendment afore said has become valid to all intents and purposes as part of the constitution of the United States. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the department of state to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, [L. 8.] and of the independence of the United States the ninety fourth. HAMILTON FISH. |