Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-04-07
The 18th Amendment.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE AND SECRETARY
FIsH's PROCLAMATION.
TOfqcj0T

Elbd fhOOLhhAiloNs
[06iciol.]
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tues.
1t is unusual to notify the two Houses Of
Congress, by message, of the promulgation,
by proclamation of the Secretary of State,
OF the ratification of constitutional amend
ment. In view, however, of the vast i'm
portance of the Fifteenth Amendment of
the Constitution, this day declared part Of
that revered instrument, l deem departure
from the usual custom justifable. A
measure which makes at once four millions
Of people voters who were heretofore de-
clared, by the highest tribunal in the land,
not citizens of the United States, nor eligible
to become so, with the assertion that at
the time of the Declaration of Independence
the opinion was fixed and universal in the
Civilized portion of 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-is indeed a
measure OF grander importance than any
other act Of the kind from the formation of
our free Government to the present time.
Institutions like ours, in which all power is
derived directly from the people must de-
pend mainly upon their intelligence, patriot
ism and industry. l call the attention,
therefore, of the newly enfranchised race to
the importance of their striving in every
honorable manner to make themselves
worthy of their new privilege. To the race
more favored heretofore by our laws, l
would say withhold no legal privilege of
advancement to the new citizen. The franz
ers Of our Constitution firmly believed that
republican form of government could not
endure without intelligence and education
generally diffused among the people. The
Father of his Country. in his farewell ad-
dress, uses this language: "Promote, then,
as matter Of primary importance, institu-
tions for the general diffusion of knowledge.
In proportion as the structure OF govern
ment gives force to public opinion, it is
essential that public opinion should be en-
lightened." In his first annual message to
Congress the same views were forcibly pre-
sented, and again urged in his eighth mes
sage. l repeat, that the adoption Of the
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution
completes the greatest civil changes, and
constitutes the most important event that
has occurred since the nation came into life.
The change will be beneficial in proportion
| to the heed that is given to these urgent re-
Communications of Washington. If these
recommendations were important then, with
population of but few millions, how
much more important now, with popula-
tion of forty millions. and increasing in
rapid ratio. / would therefore call upon
Congress to take all the means within their
constitutional power TO promote and en-
courage popular education throughout the
country, and upon the people everywhere to
see to it that all who possess and exercise
political rights shall have the opportunity
to acquire the knowledge which will make
the share In the Government a blessing and
not danger. BY such means only can the
benefits contemplated by this amendment to
the Constitution be secured.
(Signed,) U. S. GRANT.
Executive Mansion, March so, 1870.
SECRETARY FIsH's PROCLAMATION.
Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State of the
United States, to all to whom these presents
may come, greeting:
Know ye, that the Congress of the United
States, on or about the 9th day Of February,
in the year one thousand eight hundred and
sixty mine, passed resolution in the words
and figures following, to wit:
ga Resolution proposing an amendment
to the Constitution of the United States.
''tesolved by the Senate and House OF
| Representatives of the United States OF
America, in Congress assembled, two-thirds
of both hotfses concurring, that the follow
ing article be proposed to the Legislatures of
the several States as an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, which,
when ratified by three-fourths of said Legis-
latures, shall be valid as part of the Consti-
tuition, viz; Article IL,
''Section l. The rights of citizens Of the
| United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States, or by any
State, on account of race, color, or previous
condition of servitnde.
s'Section 9. The Congress shall have pow
er to enforce this article by appropriate leg
islation."
And further, that it appears from official
documents on file in this department. that
the amendment to the Constitution Of the
United States, proposed as aforesaid, has been