Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1866-12-13
Governor Message.
The Constitutional Amendment.

points message to the Legislature pre-
cludes its publication entire III our paper.
That portion which relates to the Cvnstitu-
tional Amendment must suffice for the
present Upon this subject he says:
On the 10th of June last, the Secretary
Of State Of the United States forwarded to
me an official copy of a joint resolution Of
| Congress, proposing an amendment to the
Constitution Of the United States, which
it is my duty to submit to the General AS
| semby. It is in the following words, viz:
Be it resolved by the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatves OF the United States Of America III
| Congress assembled, (two-hrds Of both houses
concUrrng. That the following articles be pro
posed to the Legislatures Of tile several States as
an amendment to the Constitution OF the United
/ States. which, when ratified by three-fourts OF
said Legislatures. shall be valid as part OF the
/ Constitution, viz
ARTICLE XIV
/ Section ]. All persons born naturalized in
! the United states and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof are citizens Of the United States and of the
State wherein they reside No State shall make
/ or enforce amy law which shall abrdge The priv-
legas imlnunties OF citizens Of the United States;
nos shall any State deprive any person Of life. lib
/ erty o" property, without due proct Of law, nor
deny any person within its u isdiction the equal
| protection OF the laws.
Section ,. Representatives shall be appoiton-
ed among The several States according to their
respective numbers, counting the whole number
| OF persons in each State. excluding Indians not
taxed. But when the right to vote at any election
tor the choice Of electors Tor President and Vice
President o. The United States. representatives in
! Congress. executive and judicial officers Of state
or the members OF The Legislature thereof is de-
MED to any of the male Inhabitants OF such state,
being tWenty-o& wears o age and citizens o. the
! United States, in any was abridged, except for
pal tclpation in rebellion other crime. the basis
ofrepr nsentati0n therein shall be reduced in the
proportion which the number Of such male citizens
4 shall bear to the whole number OF male citiz LIS
| twenty -one years OF age in such state
! Section ;. No person shall be Senator or Re
preventative in Congress, Or Eiector Of President
and Vice PRESIDENT hold any Office. evil or
military under the United States, Or under any
state. who having previously taken an cath as a
member OF Congress. or as an officer Of the United
States as Il member OF any State Legislature
Or as an executive CT judicial officer OF any state
shall have engaged in iHsurIcct0n or rebellion
against the same. OF. given and and comfort to The
enemies thercoi; but Congress may, By vote OF
two-thiids of each house, remove such disability.
Section A. Th4 validity of the public debt Of
the United States, authoi lied by law, including
debts incurred Tor payment OF pensions and boun-
ties for services in suppressng nsurtection and
rebellion, shall not he Questioned; but neither the
United States or any state shall assume on pay any
debt OF obligation incurred in aid OF insUr,ection
or rebellion against the United States any
claim for the loss or emancipation OF any slave
but all such debts, obligations claims. shall be
held illegal and void
Section s. The Congress shall have power 10
enforce, BY appropriate legislation, the provisions
OF this article.
There is no ambiguity III the language
of the proposed amendment: it is before
you for y0nr mature considerations for a.
doption or rejection: you are fully aceuain-
ted with all the circumstances which led to
its proposal. The Congress Of the United
States has made its acceptance condition
precedent to the admission Of representa-
tives, in the councils Of the nation, from
States now unrepresented.
Ihe President Of the T. .5s,ates disap-
proved of this ail4eisd,ncnt, and insisted on
the immediate admission inEo Congress
from al the unreprcsented States, Of such
representatives as were 'Ioyal," who had
been elected according to the forms Of law
What he means by the term ''!eyal." is u
subject Of controversy. a number Of his
friends have explicitly affirmed that be
meant only such as could trntbfuAy take
the oath prescribed by Congress, to De va
ken by all persons before entering upon
the duties Of any office under the United
States. 1t is claimed by majority Of
Congress and those who support them, that
the people Of the States now unrepresented
voluntarily withdrew their representatives
from the councils of the nation, and attemp-
ted 70 set up IN independent government
or confederation, a;d thereby fnaugurated
great civil war; that the people Iii those
States have committed a grave offence,
and as security for the future, the Congress
Of the United States has authority to pre-
scribe the terms Oil which they may be re-
admitted to representation, and to detern-
inc, by constitutional provisions, that Ger
tain persons shall be disqualified from hol-
ding Federal or State Offices. as a punish
ment for having participated in the rebel
lion.
On this great question, Of such vast IN
terest to the people Of ten States, a clearly
defined separation took place between the
President and the Congress Of the United
States. Each appealed to the people Of
the twenty-six States now represented, to
decide the controversy at the late elections.
The elections are over, and very decisive
majority has been rendered i'll favor Of the
Congressional view Of the subject
Three points-as the controversy is sus-
ceptible of analysis, as | understand it
were distinctly submitted and decided at
these elections, viz:
First: That the unrepresented States
shall not gain additional political power in
the Congress of the United States by rca-
son Of the nanunssion of the slaves, where
the right Of suffrage in those States is
withheld from the negro population.
Second: That persons who have hereto
fore held executive, legislative and judicial
Offices under tho Government OF the United
States, OF Of amy State, and have engaged
in the late civil war against the Z. States,
shall not be eligible 10 like places without
the consent of two-thirds Of Congress.
Third: That the terms upon which rep
rcscntatiyes shall be readmittcd to Congress
from the States lately in rebellion, and dis
abilities imposed on or removed from those
| who participated III that rebellion. shall