Weekly Trinity journal., 1868-07-25
The Great Amendm MT.

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the United States may now be considered
an integral part of the organic law. To make
1t such, 1t must be ratified by three fourths Of
all the States, that is, by not less than twenty
eight. The amendment is as follows:
ARTICLE XIV, SECTION 1-A persons or naturalzed
the United States and subject to the Jurisdiction thereof
are czens the United States and Of the
they reside No State shall mike enforce law which
United States shall any State deprive any Of m
liberty property without due of law deny
within its Jurisdiction the equal protection OF the
laws.
SECTION 2Representatives shall be appointed among the
several States according to their
taxed But when the right to vote at election
for the choice Of Electors for OF the United
in Congress- the executive and judicial off,
of State the members Of the Legislature thereof is
denied any Of the male Of such State being
twenyone and citizens of the United States
in abridged except for participation in rebellion or
other crime the basis of therein shall be re-
duced in the proportion which the number Of such male ct
shall be the whole number of male citizens twenty
one years Of age In such State
in Congress- Eector of President vicePresdent
hold any Office civil military under the United States
who having previously taken oath O membpr Of Con-
gress member Of any State Legislature,
utve judicial officer Of any State to support the Consttu
tion of the United shall have engaged i'm direction
rebellion against the same given aid and comfort to the
enemies thereof But Congress by vote of twothrds
Of each House, remove such disability.
SECTION 4The validity Of the public debt Of the United
States authorized by law including debts incurred in
ment Of pensions and bountes for services in suppressng
surrection and rebellion shall not be questioned But ne
ther the United States any State shall
debt obligation incurred in aid of insurrecen rebel
lion against the United States claim for the loss
emancipation of save but all such debts obligations
claims shall be held illegal and void.
SECTION 5Congress shall have to enforce by
propriate legislation, the provisions of this article
Both Houses of the Alabama Legislature hsv-
ing perfected organization, and ratified the
Fourteenth Amendment, makes, up to this time,
thirty ratifying States. There seems to be no
room for doubt that Georgia will very soon imi-
She has already adopted the new Constitution,
and that being done, there can be little doubt
that she will ratify the Fourteenth Amendment,
and choose Senators to represent her in the Fed
eral Congress. Military rule has also been with
drawn from Florida and Louisiana. Thus, Ar
kansas, Alabama Florida, Louisiana, North Car
olina, South Carolina and Tennessee, are entitled
TO he classed as " reconstructed States" so that
the Republican plan of reconstruction may fair
ly be considered in the light of an accomplished
fact. The States that have already ratified the
Fourteenth Amendment are Maine New Hamp-
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylva-
MIA, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon-
SIM Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennes-
see, Nevada, Oregon, West Virginia, Arkansas,
Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Maryland Missouri and Alabama. Conse-
quently, the Fourteenth Amendment, the most
important of all that have been proposed to the
organic law, has now become part of the Con-
sttution of the United States.-Oakland Ners.