Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-04-07
The Fifteenth Amendments.
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF ITS RATI-
FICATI0N.
Message from President Grant.


/ FICATIoN.
Message from President Grant,
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives 1t is unusual to notify the
two houses of Congress by message o.
the PRONUNCIATION by proclamation o.
the Secretary of State of the ratification
of constitutional amendment. In view
however, of the vast Importance of the
fifteenth amendment of the constitution
this day declared part of that revered
instrument, deem departure from the
usual custom justifable. A measure
which makes at once four millions of PEG.
pie voters, who were heretofore declared
by the highest tribunal in the land not
citizens of the United Statas, nor eligible
to become so, with the assertion that at
the time of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, the opinion was fixed and universal
in the civilized portion of the world, and
the white race regarded as an axiom in
morals, as well as in politics, that black
men had no rights which white men were
bound to respect indeed a measure OF
grander importance than any one act OF
the kind from the foundation of our free
government to the present time.
Institutions like ours, in which all
power is derived directly from the people,
must depend upon their intelligence and
industry. | call the attention, therefore,
of the newly enfranchised race to the i'm.
portance of their striving in every hon.
orable manner to make themselves worthy
of their new privileges. / would say
withhold no legal privilege of advance
ment from new citizens. The trainers of
the constitution firmly believed that a
republican form of government could not
endure without intelligence and educa-
ton, morally diffused among the people.
The father of his country, in his farwell
address, uses the language: Promote,
then, as matter of primary Importance
institutions for the general diffusion of
knowledge. In proportion as the struct-
ure of the government gives force to
public opinion, it is ESSENTIAL that public
opinion should be enlightened" In his
first annual message to Congress the same
views were forcibly presented, and are
again urged in his eighth message.
| repeat that the adoption of tho Eff
teenth amendment to the constitution
completes the greatest civil change and
has occurred since the nation came into
life. The change will be beneficial in
proportion to the heed that is given to
the urgent recommendations OF Washing
ton. If these recommendations were i'm
portant then, with a population OF but a
few millions, how much more important
now, with population of 40,0O0,0OO and
increasing in rapid ratio. L would
therefore call upon Congress to take all
the means within their constitutional
power to promote and encourage popular
education throughout the country, and
upon the people everywhere to see to 1t
that all who possess and exercise political
rights shall have an opportunity TO acquire
knowledge, which will make their share
in the government blessing and not a
danger. By such means only can the
benefits contemplated by this amendment
to the constitution be secured.
U. S. GRANT.
HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of State OF
the United States.
SECRETARY FIsH's PRONUNCIATION.
To all to whom these presents may
come, greeting; Know ye, that the Con-
gress of the United States, on or about
the 9th day of February, in the year
! 1869, passed a resolution in the words
and figures following, to wit -
A resolution proposing an amendment to the
constitution of the United States: Resolved, by
the Senate and House of Representatives 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 con-
fed by three-fourths of said Legislatures, shall be
! valid as a part of the constitution, namely:
/ ARTICLE XIV.
/ Section /. The rights of citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied abridged by
the United States, or by any State, on account OF
race, color or previous condition of servitude.
Section O. Congress shall have power to en-
force this article by appropriate legislation.
And, further, that it appears from
official documents on file in this depart
ment that the amendment to the eonstitu-
ton of the United States, proposed as
aforesaid, has been ratified by the Legis-
latures of the States of North Carolina,
West Virginia, Massachusetts,, Wisconsin,
Maine, Louisiana, Michigan, South Caro-
lima, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Connecti-
cut Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York,
New Hampshire, Nevada, Vermont, Vir-
ginia, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi,
Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Rhode
Island. Nebraska and Texas, in all
twenty-nine States; and further, that the
States whose Legislatures have so ratified
said proposed amendment constitute three.
fourths of the whole number of States in
the United States; and, further, that il
appears from official documents on file in
this department that the Legislature oil
the State of New York has since passed q
resolution claiming to withdraw said
ratification of the said amendment which
had been made by the Legislature of that
State, and of which official notice had
been fled in this department; and, fur.
ther, that it appears from official docu.
ments on file in this department that the
Legislature of Georgia has, by resolution
ratified said proposed amendment
Now, therefore, be it known that I
Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State of the
United States, by virtue and in pursuance
of the second section of an act of Con
gress, approved on the Goth day of April
in the year 1918, entitled, Gan act to pro
vide for the publication of the laws of the
. United States and for other purposes" d.
hereby certify that the amendment afore
said has become valid to all intents ahf
purposes as part Of the constitution o
J. the United States g
t In testimony whereof I have hereuntt
8 set my hand and caused the seal of tn,
9 Department of State to be affixed
Done at the city of Washington, thi
Both day of March, in the wear of on
: Lord 1870 and of the independence of tn,
: United States the Oath. M