The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-04-02
The Admission Of Texas, and the Pro.
mitigation of the Fifteenth Amendment.

The Admission Of Texas, and the Pro.
mitigation of the Fifteenth Amendment.
The Senate took the Texas bill from the
hands of the Judiciary Committee, where
it had been lingering, to the great dissatis-
faction of the country, and passed it, on
Tuesday last. 1t will, in all probability,
have pissed the House and been signed by
the President; and perhaps the Proclama-
ton of the President, declaring the Fiji
teenth Amendment adopted, will be issued
ere this weeks Wing is in the hands of our
readers. Then the sloughs ana quagmires
of slavery will have all been happily passed,
and the feet of the nation planted on firm
ground.
Immediately after the PRONUNCIATION of
this great edict Of freedom, bill will be
introduced to enforce the provisions of the
Amendment in such places as Cepperhead
Democracy may find itself strong enough to
attempt to ebstruct it's provisions. Ia the
mean time our Maryland Democracy seem
divided in counsel as to the best course to
pursue. Some advocate Cancellation, which
the advocates don't seem to have much
faith in, bat incline to choose it as a der
nier resort while other leaders declare eter-
nal war, in their impotent rage, on the
principle of universal suffrage. We can
see no chance for harmony in the happy fam
lily till they are overwhelmed by defeat !;
and having felt the power of the new
voters. they will be the more inclined to re-
spect it. Every Republican should be alert
and active IN assisting the celored men to
organize and acquire more thorough
knowledge Of the duties and responsible
ties imposed upon them by the new and
untried rights they are about assuming
The organization should he most thorough
and complete before the books for regis
tration are opened; for if the Copperhead
party of Maryland are suffered by Congress
to conduct the registration, no stone will
be left unturned to cheat the colored men
out Of their new rights and privileges
Registers under Governor Swann's infa-
nous decree to @ liberally construe the reg
istration law were known to carry their
books from place to place, at night, and
secretly register names; and such men
would not hesitate to omit from, or Change
names on the resister, in order to defraud
the colored voter of the rights guaranteed
him against their wishes. In view Of these
facts it will be seen how very important it
is that every man should give his full name,
so that no doubt can be raised by Demo
cratic Judges when he comes to the polls,
that will serve them as an excuse for reject
ing his vote.
RATIFICATION OF THE FIFTEENTH AMEND
MENT.
Since the above was i'll type, the follow
ing message of the President and rrocla-
nation of Secretary Fish, have been pub.
lished, notifying Congress and the people,
that the great work has been completed:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
March 80, 1870.
To the Senate and House Of Representatives,: :
1t is unusual to notify the two Houses of
Congress by message of the PRONUNCIATION,
by proclamation of the Secretary of State.
of the ratification of a Constitutional
Amendment. In view, however, Of the
vast importance of the Fifteenth Amend
ment of the Constitution, this day declared
a part of that revered instrument, deem
departure from the usual custom .iustifi-
able. A measure which makes ut once four
millions of people voters who were hereto
fore declared by the highest tribunal in the
land not citizens of the United States, nor
eligible to become so with the assertion
that s. at the time of the Declaration of
Independence the opinion was fixed univer-
sal in the civilized portion of the white
race, regarded as an axiom in morals as
we'll as in politics, that black men had no
rights which white men were bound to re-
SPECIFY is indeed measure of srander
Importance than any other one act of the
kind from the foundation of our free Gev-
eminent to the present time.
Institutions like ours, in which all power
is derived directly from the people. must
depend mainly upon their intelligence, pa
trietism and industry. Icall the attention,
therefore, of the WY enfranchised race
to thesimportance of their striving in every
honorable manner to make themselves wor-
thy of their new privilege. To the race
more favored heretofore by our laws would
say withhold no legal privilege of advance
ment to the new citizen. The trainers of
our Constitution firmly believed that re-
publican form Of government could not
endure without intelligence and education
generally diflused among the people. The
Father of his Country in his Farewell
Address, uses this language:
''Promete, then, as matter of primary
Importance, institutions for the general
diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as
the structure of Government gives force to
liz .,,,t4 t.a1 XI,,A u
opinion should be enlightened
In his first Annual Message to Congress
the same views were forcbly presented. and
are urged again in his eighth Message.
1repeat that the adoption of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution completes
the greatest civil change and constitutes
the most important event that has occurred
since the nation came into life. The change
will he beneficial in proportion to the heed
that is given to the urgent recommenda-
tons Of Washington. If these recommen-
datiSns were important then, with a popu-
lation of but 4 few millions, how much
more important now, with population of
forty millions, and increasing in rapid
ratio.
| would, therefore, call upon Congress to
take all the means within their constitu-
tional powers to promote and encourage
popular education throughout the country.
and upon the people everywhere to see to
it that all who possess and exercise politi-
cal rights shall have the opportunity to ac-
1uire tho knowledge which will make their
share III the Government blessin. and net
a danger. BY such means only can the
benefits contemplated by this Amendment
to the Constitution be secured.
L. s. GRANT.
PROCLAMATION OF THE SECRETARY OF
STATE.
The following is the Proclamation Of the
Secretary Of State referred to in the Mes
sage of the President:
HAMILTON FISH, SECRETARY OF STATE OF
THE UNITED STATES.
To all @hom these Presents mag conc, Greet.