The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-01-03

OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
DULY RATIFIED.


OFFICIAL .ANNOUNCEMENT-THE
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
DULY RATIFIED.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S-The following
official announcement has been promulgated
from the State Department:
To all to sohom these presents may come
Greeting: Know We, that whereas the Con.
gress OF the United States on the first day of
February last, passed resolution which is
in the words following, namely; "a resolu-
ton submitting to the legislatures of the
several States a proposition to amend the
Constitution OF the United States.
Resoloed, By the Senate and House of Rem.
resentatives of the United States of America
in Congress assembled, two-thirds 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 to all intents and purposes as part OF
the said Constitution, namely:
Article IS, section I. Neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude except as punishment
for crime, whereof the party shall have been
duly convicted, shall exist within the Uni
ted States or any place subject to their juris-
diction.
Sec. 2. Congress shall have power to en-
force this article by appropriate legislation.
And whereas, it appears from official doc
uments on file in this Department, that the
amendment to the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, proposed as aforesid, has been
ratified by the Legislatures of the States Of
Illinois, Rhode Island, Michigan, Maryland,
New York, West Virginia, Maine, Kansas,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio,
Missouri, Nevada, Indiana, Louisiana, Min
nesota, Wisconsin, Vermont, Tennessee, Ar
kansas, Connecticut, New Hampshire, South
Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina and
Georgian all twenty-seven States.
And, whereas the whole number of States
in the United States is thirty-six; and,
whereas the before specially named States
| whose legislatures have ratified the said pro-
posed amendment, 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 ap-
proved the goth of April, 1918, 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 pur-
poses, as part of the Constitution of the
United States
In testimony whereof, have herewith set
my hand and caused the seal of the Depart
ment of State to be affixed.
| Done at the city of Washington, this
| eighteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-tive; and of the Independence of the
United States of America, the ninetieth.
W. H. SEWARD,
Secretary of State.
Advices from Havana and Vera Cruz state
that additional forces are being forwarded to
Mexico; twenty-five hundred French troops
had already arrived at thelatter port. Latest
intelligence from Paris states that six thous-
and French soldiers had embarked for Mexi-
co. 1t would seem that Napoleon has antici-
pated and is preparing to meet the policy of
the United States in reference to the Mexican
Republic. Letters from New Orleans dated
the 18th inst, state that an old and estima-
BILE citizen of New Orleans returned from
Matamoras was innate there with French
officers. He says they fully anticipate war
between France and the United States, and
believe it will commence on the Rio Grande.
They already have a plan of the campaign
mapped out which anticipates the sudden
crossing of United States troops over the Rio
Grandeon pontoons, they will then abandon
Matamoras and the Rio Grande, and fall back
on Monterey, which will be held as strate-
gic point. These officers claim to be
thoroughly informed as to all the means the
United States have at their disposal here and
in Texas for an advance into Mexico.
A Vera Cruz letter says troops from
France continue to arrive, six hundred more
discriminating on the Cd instant, who were
Immediately sent into the field.
"A. B. Mullett, ESQ.,, Assistant Architect
of the Treasury Department, has just return
! ed from the South, where he has been in
spectipg the government buildings, under an
order directed to him, some weeks ago, by
the Secretary Of the Treasury. The old Gus
tom-house and Marine Hospital at Charles
ton were found to be so badly wrecked that
they will be useless. Mr.. Mullett reports that
the government buildings in the other South
ern cities are generally in fair condition, and
will require but little repairing.
WASHINGTON, Dec 19.-The decree of
Macmillan of September last having been
submitted to Attorney General Speed, that
officer pronounced the opinion that its pro-
visions make the working men in Mexico
slaves! Secretary Seward enclosed this opin-
ion to the United States Minister at Paris
who, at Mr.. Stewards request, called the at
tention of the French Government to the
subject, but no answer to his communication
has been received.
THE TEST OATH.
The Secretary of the Treasury officially
acknowledges that he has appointed officers
who have not subscribed to the test oath, he
having failed to obtain Others who could bt
relied on for the performance of the revenue
duties required to be performed, as nearly
every man in the South fit for revenue off
Ger has, at some time, either engaged il
hostilities against the Government, or hold
ing State or Confederate Offices either viii
lingly or unwillingly. The Secretary acted
upon the assumption that Congress would
modify the oath, and not subject the South
ii