The New Orleans crescent., 1868-07-23
The rouRrEENrH AMENDMENT.


ten States under congressional rule, and ex
elusive Of Ohio and New Jersey whose ratif
cation Of the amendment was subsequently
rescinded, it was ratified Dy twent zone States
namely: Connecticut, Tennessee, Oregon
Vermont, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri
Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Wis
consin, Pennsylvania. Rhode Island, Michi
gan, Nevada, New Hampshire. Massaehu
setts, Nebraska, Maine, Iowa. The amend
ment was never ratified by California, Ken
tueky, Maryland or Delaware. IL was neees
saiy that SIX more States should ratify it Il
make np the requisite thfee-fourths, Con.
gress was not TO be baifisd by slight diff
euties especially when it had ten Southern
States under its absolute dominion, and when
the spurious legislatures af at least siK OF those
htates were eager 60 do its bidding la due
Time the amendment received tho forms OF
fa1ineation IA Arkansas, Florida, North Oar
LENA South Carolina, Alabama aud Louisiana,
aud nov Congress looks upon the fuidllnent
OF its work and pronounees il good, and pro-
claims that 1t shall stand-as long as il may
SAT- the purposes OF the usurping faction
which holds the government The occasion
Sih Justify she publication here of tho text
though eiten befere published in the Cars
etNh 90 this simulated amendment of the
federal Constitution, and No therefore sub
join il
sEcrloS l. All persons born or naturallzea in
The United States. and subject TO the jarlsdlction
uereof are citizens OF the United States and of
the state wherein they reside. No State shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities OF citizens of the United
states nor shall any State deprive any citizen of
NE, hberty or property without due process of
law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdc.
uon the equal protection of its laws.
sEC. 4 Representatives shall be appOrtioned
among the several States according to their re
spective numbers, counting the whole number of
persons IN each State, excluding indians not
faxed. But when the right to vote at any elec.
tlon Tor the choice of electors for president and
vice-president of the United States, representa-.
yves IN Congress, executive Judicial officers of
State, or the members of the legislature thereof
Is denied 10 any of the male Inhabitants of sncb
State, being twenty-One years of age and citizens
oI the Ohlleo states, or In any way abridged ex.
eept for participation in rebellion or other crime
the basis OF representation therein shall be re.
dueed IN the proportion which the number of
snch male citizens shall bear to the whole number
OF male citlzeDs twenty-one years of age in such
State. O-
Sec. 8. No person shall be senator or repre
sentative IN Congress, or elector of president and
Yicepresident. or hold any office civil or mIitarv
under the United States or under any State who |
having previously taken an oath as a member of |
Congress or as an officer of the United States or
as member OF any State legislature or as an /
executive or judicial officer of any State, to sun.
port the C0nsutution Of the United States, shall /
nave engaged In insurrection or rebellion against
the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies
thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two /
thirds OF each House, remove such disability.
- sec; 4. The validity of the public debt of the
United States authorized by law, including debts
incurred Tor payment of pensions aud bOunties
Tor services in suppressing insurrection or rebel-
non shall not be questioned. But neither the
nlted States nor any State shall assume TO pay auy
1ebt or obligation incurred in aid Of insurrection
Dr rebellion against the United States or anv
claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave;
but all such debts, obligations and claims shall he
leld illegal and void.
Sec. s. The Congress shall have power TO en-.
04fee, oy appropriate legislation, the provisions
If this article.
The New York Times, exultinr in this
chevement of violence and fraud, says, in
weakly sarcastic way: "This fourteenth
mendment to the Constitution of the United
'tates has been ratified and is now a part of
he organic law-to which we invite the atten-
ION OF Democrats, who profess so obsequious
n observance of the Constitution and the
AVIS" The sycophants of congressional
over need have no fear that this fagitious
ontrivance for forcing upon the country a
lateral change of its organic law will not
scelve abundant attention from all who hate
surpatlon, and who love the principle of
in its application to the
Mon OF States and to the States separately.
o constitutional lawyer will say, with refer
ice to the fourteenth amendment that the
onstltutlon has been constitutionally
nended. The Legislatures which completed
tlhcatlon by the requisite three-fourths
ere, as already remarked, unconstitutionally
eated by Congress for this very purpose.
he event is, therefore, as much the work !
e unconstitutional work, of Congress as l
ould have been an enactment by that BODY
the same purport, without submitting an
lendment to the Legislatures referred to-
le so-called amendment is, in short, an e
famous sham which, in that guise, the
ling faction chooses to put upon the coun-
: Nevertheless, it will go into force, and I
Il remain in force as long as this faction c
keep In its hands the machinery of gov
purse and the sword of the :,
ton. The fall of this faction will be the il
nal for purging the Constitution of spu- Q
us interpretations, and for amending it. if
endment be demanded, by just and legiti- n
tie processes. An anti-radical majority of n
'-thirds in each house of Congress could
ify the disfranchising section of the o
without repudiating its validity. Al
should the conservatives obtain control
the State governments in the South, they y,
Id regulate suffrage at their discretion, L.
Ter section two; and they would be au- u .
rzed by that section to confine suffrage
lusively to the whites, if they chose to pt
the consequence of proportionate cur m ~
ment Of congressional representation.
is the overthrow of radical power, central WI
local, would defeat the more malignant mi
pernicious purposes of the amendment. po
4 though it should be permitted to remain w, Ul
'art Of the Constitution. an