The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-19 00:00:00

" ARTICLE XV.

" Sect:on 1. The rights 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, colour, or previous coalition of servitude.
"Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation."
And, further, that it appears frotn official docu.
meats on file in the department that the amend-
ment to the Constitution of the United States, pro-
posed as aforesaid, has been ratified by the Legis-
latures of the States of North Carolina, West Vir-
ginia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maine, Loui-
siana, Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania,
Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, ludnna,
New York, New Hampshire, Nevada, Vermont,
Virginia, Ala!iama, Missouri, Ohio,
lowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Nebraska
and Texas, in all 29 Stab's ; and, further, that the
States whose Legislatures have so ratified said
proposed amendment constitute thre.2-fourtha of
the whole number of Stares in the United States ;
and, further, that it appears from official documents
on file in this departra,at that the Legislature of
the State. of New York has since passed aeresolu-
tion claiming to withraw said ratification of the
said atnendm....,nt which had been made by the
Legislature of that State, and of which official
notice bad been filed in this department; and,
further, that it appears from official documents on
file in this department that the Legislature of
Georgia hal, by resolution, ratified said proposed
amendment—

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Hamilton
Fish, Secretary of State of the United States, by
virtue an i in pursuance of the second section of an
Act of Congress, approved •on the 20th day of
April i❑ the year 1818, entitled "An Act to pro-
vide for the publication of the laws of the United
States and for other purposes," do hereby certify
that the amendment aforesaid has become valid to
all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitu-
tion of the United States.

lu testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and caused my seal of the Department of
State to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this 30th of
March, in the year of our Lord 1870, and of the
Independence of the United States the 94th.
HAMILTON FISH.

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT ON THE DECAY OF
AMERICAN. SHIPPING.

" To the Senate and House of Representatives—
"
I ntlrB
61:97 et
oc uctiovneg
rAelsessstahge importance of tak-
e of the 6th of De-
cember,ing steps to revive our decaying merchant marine
was urged, and a Special Ales Sage promised at a
future day, during the present Session, recom-
mending, more specifically, plans to accomplish this
result. Now that the Committee of the House of
Representatives intrusted with the labour of ascer-
taining- the cause of the decline of American corn-
nitre° has completed its work, and submitted a
report to the legis'ative branch of the Government,
I deem • this a fitting time to execute that pro-
mise. The very able, calm, and exhaustive report
of the Committee points out the grave wrongs
which have produced the decline in our commerce.
It is a national humiliation that we are now com-
pelled to pay from twenty to thirty millions of dol-
lars annually, exclusive of pa.4ag money, which
we should share with other natioJs, to foreigners
for doing the work which should be done by Ame-
rican owned and American manned vessels. This
is a direct drain upon the resources of this country
of just so inuA, money, equal to casting it into the
sea, so far as the nation is concerned. A nation of
the vast and ever increasing interior resources of
the United States, extending as it does from one
to the other of the great 'oceans of the world,
with an inlustrious, intelligent, and energetic
population, must one day possess its full share
of the commerce of there oceans, no matter
what the cost. Delay will only increase this
cost and enhance the difficulty of attaining the
result. I therefore put in an earnest plea for early
fle'l,ll in this matter in a way to secure the increase
of American commerce. The advance] period of
the year, and the fact that no coniract tor ship-
build:ng will probably be ent:red into until th's
question is settl. dby Congr.,ss, an-I the further fact
that if there should be much delay all large vessels
co:Jr .cted for this year will fail of completion
before winter sts in, and will therefore be car-
rie l over for another year, induces me to request
yotir early con,iderati.,n of t'lis subject. I regard
it of such grave importance, affecting every interest
of the corm. ry to so great an extent, that any me-
tho.l which w;11 gain the end will secure a rich na-
tional blessing. Building ships and navigatng them
and utilizing vast capital at home. 'This businessem-
ploys tl ousandi of workmen in the ir coast ruct ion and
11111.,iitilg. It cre .t;!s a home market for the products
of the farm and the shop. It di min!slies the balau ce of
trade against us prcci-ely to the extent of frei.thts and
passage-money paid to American vessels, an i gives
us a superiority upon the.seas of inestimable value
in case of foreign war. Our Navy, at the com-
mencement of the late war, consisted of less than
100 vessels, of about 150,000 tous, and a force of