The New York herald., 1866-10-31
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT N TEXAS

rHE EpiTon or TAX HERALD.
NV YoRx, Oei. ~, 1850
notice an article IN yoar paper this morning. en-.
titled The Constitutional Amendment in Texas, from
which Is evident every Texan tina, you must be mis
INFORMED IN regard ha, matter The history Of the
constitutional amendment Texas Ii this In August
last the Legislature Of Texs called act upon the
thirteenth smendmcnt the constitution Of the United
states committee pas appointed conrder IL That
committee reported that Tho amendment having been
adopted by three ouribs or siates 1t was an nneccs
sary Tor ths people Of Texas to upon a. sinro s
h,ndny upon them a. organic law, whether they ra,ify
i OF not The amendment respectfully returned 70
the Secretary OF state and committee discharged
from further consideration Of IT, weeks aso the
fourteenth amendment referred To the Legislature
The committee sppointed to consider II reported
against its adoption, and WINS rejected in the
house by vote of sixty to i've
Tie proclamation Of Govern Throckmoro 10 gh,cb
you refer in reference the upon Tho amend
to the state Constitution submitted to Lo people
by the convention OF Tih February convened by virtue
Of proclamation OF Provisional Governor Hamilton
Ard the history OF the submission tho people Of t,osa
amendments Is rnther Interesting
Tho constitution Of the state ot Tsxss was amended 40
10 abolish slavery but this amendment was not sub
mtted TO a vote Of the people In "Paschns Digest of
Tho Laws OF Texas 80 handsomely noticed IN your
IL reads -
AmrIolr s. rn.rp.rr-sscnos l. African SLAVERY a. II
bs ,he governncn, Of he United STATES by force u arn
70 he o &. naia states. Is s ass s
neither slavery involuntary -etvude except pun
Sce shall e,s ill., ss,s ssd Arrears and s 'Ss d.
poperiy BY nppreprs,s iesi.son hey have ae shi
e sa sn G b ,onrasi,d WITH 70 sas a ,Sa Be s,ea
,e'tions against them shah 6e conduetcd - ta~
maasr ~ prosecutions for Ike onencc. against the white
race, anu they snail be subject To liks penslcr.
,,s s,s Ar cans AID q 'asiT .h ae ss
orally witnesses IN clyil crlnal ng
opsr asds :. same same ss ss S.y
BE- sns y ss ss s'ss or a ras 81 e.
same and the Lsf.a.arc shall ssss power 70 .aho,r
curring.
This article substituted for the article aboat
slayes in tho Old constitution, and the fact that
withheld from vote Of the people caused The
ton to be sharply criticized II charged upon them
that they acting bad faith " the government
that they intended that this abolition sriicie should
not be binding upon the people But rather incline 10
tho opinion that the convention know thst n people
were allowed to vote upon this article Il would been
re"cted and thus the whole Of their three months s
Dor, At ~ pcf day would hRvo been lost 20 Tins
uce was made final by the convention, well three
other ordinances which Il woli known the peop.
would have rejected In "iafrbais Digest" page g<o
hnd how they dsd IL. Ordinance No TX sabuiit,ng
portion of the action of the convention the peops
II ss foows:-
an oRDrsscs CONSTITUTION or r,m rrArs os
$50 L. Ths constitution Of the Eta~ of
followsTbe constitution OF the state Of Teas
on the asb Day OF January ~, li The following orb
asopsd BY this convention The ordlnanro
titled Freedmen adopted substitute for article
The constitution IN force January M 1871 the odaane
declaring the debt vod and fDr other purposes the
ordnance assuming The unisu states
mace on the subJec, of secession
sac. All oh~v amendments that may b. fnafr by this
conyeutoD sha be subat'd " the people Tire
eTsi election the fourth Monday June > for trf
acceptance or feJecion and sccptcd by them shs be
com. part OF said constitution aud not Otherwise The
amendments admitted tho people shall present
oonst.su tiYn 40 proposed TO be amended.
Now these last two lines read worry smoothly. and at
the nrst glance would appear IN thai m. people
should vote upon the ratification Of the -four
IN rection ono But these four ordinances made
hnsi by tbs convention and included 'is whole
constitution" They wrre already organic law Thsy
were not proposed ny tho convention. bot
adopted as part Of the constitution and not sntec 20
rejection ny the people The only amendments PRO.
posed were those 'a other amsndments = You have
shown how nearly they 10 being rejected BY
people II was the result Of this which GoYefnof
Ihrockmoron's proclamation announced.
fear that your declaration that prope Of Tfsas
ar. prepared 10 act IN good faith towards th.
and Ia their srceptapcs Of tho consequences " their
beion, cannot be borne out by tho facts
the rsbeous portion ~ the people contnmscioux
ever. Ard so long they believe thst they have
powerful leader ip the President Just "a long viii they
obsiips,e aud rebciionA think, bosever that
the victories of the Union party this fall viii have
tendency Ia cause tho most unreasonable ~ the
rebels " pause and reflect Not few of them ask
ins thetn elves ~ this moment, where Their ana
ticif leaders ''poi,ey' may lead them
GEOEGE W. PASGHAI. Jr