Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-01-01
~. Douglas, Plas OF A1jsssneut.

On Monday, December oath, Mr..
Douglas introduced Joint Resolution
into the Senate proposing amendments
to the Constitution of the United States
with q view of restoring peace and
preserving the Union. HIS proposition
was read first and second time, and
referred to the Committee OF Thirteen.
1t is ~ follows
JOINT REsOLUrIOH.
RESOLVED By the Senate and Houss Of
Representotives of the United States in
Nbng,ess assembled, (tro thirds Of both
Houses concurring,) that the following
articles be and are hereby proposed and
submitted Is amendments to the COnsti-
tuition Of the United States, which shall
be valid, to all intents and purposes, a.
part OF said Constitution, when ratified
by conventions Of three-fourtbs OF the
several States.
ARTICLE XIII.
Sic. /. Congress shall make no laws
in respect to slavery or servitude in any
Territory of the United States and the
status OF each Territory in respect to SER
vitude, as the same now exists by law,
shall remain unchanged until the Ter
ritory, with such boundaries a. Congress
may prescribe, shall have population
of fifty thousand white inhabitants,
when the white male citizens thereof
over the age of twenty-one years may
proceed to form Constitution and gov.
eminent for themselves, and exercise all
the rights OF self-government consistent
with the Constitution OF the United
States and when such new State shall
contain the requisite population for
member OF Congress-, according to the
then Federal ratio OF representation, 1t
shall be admitted into the Union on an
equal footing with the original States,
with or without slavery, as the Consti-
tuition OF such new State shall provide at
the time Of admission; and in the mean
time such new State shall be entitled to
one delegAt in the Senate, to be chosen
by the Legislature, and one delegate in
the House Of Representatives. to be chos-
en- by the people having the qualifica-
tions requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch of the Legislature; and
said delegates shall have all the rights
and privileges OF Senators and Repre-
sentative., respectively, except that of
voting.
SIC. 2. No more territory shall be &C.
CURED by the United States except by
treaty or by the concurrent vote of two
thirds of each House OF Congress, and
when so acquired the status thereof in
respect to servitude, a. it existed at the
time of acquisition, shall remain un-
changed until it shall contain the popu-
lation aforesaid for the formation OF new
States, when it shall be subject to the
terms, conditions aud privileges herein
provided for the existing Territories.
SEC. 3. The area Of all new States
shall be as nearly uniform in size as may
be practicable, having due regard to
convenient boundaries and natural ca
pacities and shall not be less than SIX
ty nor more than eighty thousand square
miles, except IN case Of Islands which
NAV contain less than that amount.
SIC. 4. The second and third clauses
of the second section of the fourth ar
ticle of the Constitution, which provides
for delivering up togt!y.es + from iast,ee,s;
have tie same force in the Territories
and new States as in the States of the
Union; and the said clause in respect
to fugitves from justice shall be con-
.trued to include all crimes committed
within and against the laws of the State
ilom which the fugitive fled, whether the
acts charged be criminal or not in the
State where the fugitive was found.
Sec. 5. The second section Of the third
article of the Constitution, in respect to
the judicial power Of the United States,
shall be deemed applicable to the Ter
ritories and new States as we'll as to the
States of the Union.
ARTICLE XIV.
Sec. l. The elective franchise and the
right to hold Office, whether Federal,
State, Territorial, or municipal, shall not
be exercised by persons Of the African
race, in whole or in part.
SEC. 2. The United States shall have
power to acquire, from time to time, dis
tricts of country in Africa and South
America for the colonization, at the ex-
pense Of the Federal Treasury, of such
tree negroes and mulattoes as the seve-
raj States may wish to have removed
from their limits, and from the District
of Columbia and such other places as
may be under the jurisdiction of Con-
gress.
SEC. 8. Congress shall have no power
to abolish slavery in the places under
its exclusive jurisdiction and situate
within the limits OF States that permit
the holding of slaves.
SEC. 4. Congress shall have no power
to abolish slavery within the District of
Columbia SO long as it exists in the ad-
joining States of Virginia and Maryland,
or either, nor without the consent Of
the inhabitants, nor without just COM
pensation first made to such owners Of
slaves as do not consent to such abol-
ishment. Nor shall Congress at any
time prohibit officers OF the Federal
Government or members of Congress,
whose duties require them to be in said