Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-04-12
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
The Proclamation OF Its Ratification by the
President Of the United States and the
Secretary OF state.


10 ~ % schem pss presents may cone, greeting:
Know ye, shat the Congress of the
United States, on or about the 9th
day of February, in the year 1869
passed resolution in the words and
figures following, to-wit 4
A RESOLUTION proposing an amend.
ment to tke Constitution of the
| United States.
RESOLVED, Isy the Senate and House OF
| Representatives Of the United States of Amer
| lea, in Congress assembled. two-thirds OF
! both houses coRcurring, That the following
articles be proposed to the Legislatures Of the
several States as an amendment &c the Consti-
tuition of the United States, which, when rati-
fed by ee-fourths OF said Legislatures, shall
be valid as part of the Constitution, namely
ARr. IS, SEC |. The rights Of citizens oil
the United States TO vote shall moi
be denied or abridged by the United States or
any state, on account of race, color or preyi-
Gus condition OF servitude.
SEC. l. Congress shall have power TO en-
force this article BY appropriate legislation.
Aud further. that it appears from
official documents on fife in this de-
partment, that the amendment to the
Constitution of the United States,
proposed IA aforesaid mas been rati-
fed by the legislatures of the States
of North Carolina, West Virginia,
Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maine,
Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Connect
cut. Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, New
York, New Hampshire, Nevada, Yer
mont, Missouri, Virginia, Alabama,
Kansas, Mississippi, Minnesota, Ohio,
Rhode island, Nebraska and Texas,
in all twenty-nine States and fur
Their that States whose Legislatures
have so ratified said proposed amend
ment consulate three-fourths of the
whole number of States in the United
States and further, that it appears
from an Official document on file in
this department, that the Legislature
of the State Of New York has since
passed 2 resolution claiming TO with
draw said ratification Of said amend
ment, which had been made by the
Legislature Of that State, and of
which offieia, notice had been fled in
this department, that the Legislature
of Georgia hss, by resolution, ratified
said proposed amendment,
Now, therefore, be it known, that
/, Hamilton Fish, Secretary
of State of tho United States,
by virtue And in pursuance of
the second saction of an act of Con-
gress, approved the goth day of
April, ia the year 1913, entitled an
act TO provida for the publication of
laws of tho United States, and for
other purposes, do certify that the
amendment aforesaid has become val
id to all inte.nts and purposes IA u
part ofthe Constitution of the United
States. In testimony whereof have
hercunto set. my hand and caused
the seal Of Tho Department of State
TO be atfixed.'
Done at tie city of Washington,
this 30th day of March, in the year
of our Lord 1870, and Of the indie
pendence Of ;tho United States the
ninety-fourth'
sigped)! HAMILTON FISH.
TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
10 Il, Senate on9 As,,..s cf Representatives:
II is unusual to notify the two
Houses Of Congress, by message, of
the promul gGtion by proclamation of
the Secretary of State, OF The ratiti-
cation of constitutional Amend
meut. In view, however, of the vast
importance OF the Fifteenth Amend
mcnt of the :Constitution, this day
declared a part of that reveed in
strument. | deem q departure from
usual custo M justifiable.
A measure which makes at once
100000 people voters, who were
heretofore DECLARED by the highest
tribunal in the land not citizens of
the United States, nor eligible to be-
come so, with the assertion that at
the time OF the Declaration of hide
pendence, the opinion was fixed and
universal in the civilized portion of
the white race and 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 measure of grander impor-
tauce than any one act of the kind
from the foundation of our free gov
eminent to the present time. In
situations like ours, in which all pow
er is derived directly from the peo-
pie, must depend mainly upon their
intelligence, patriotism and industry.
/ call the attention of the newly en-
franchised race to the Importance of
their striving, in every honorable
manner, tG make themselves worthy
of their new privilege. To the race
more favored, heretofore, by our
laws would say, withhold no legal
privilege Of advancement to these
new citizens.
The framess Of our Constitution
firmly believed that o republican
form of government could not endure
without intelligence and education
generally difjused among the people.
The Father of his Country. in his
farewell address, used this language
\ AolutCJ Lheus aS ldLlST VI pTl-
mary Importance, institutions for the
general diffusion Of knowledge. In
proportion az the structure of the
Government gives force to public
opinion, it is essential that public
opinion should be enlightened" In
his iirst annual message to Congress
the lsame views were forcibly pre-
scented, and are again urged in his
eighth message.
| repeat that the adoption of the
Fifteenth Amendment to the Consti-
tuition completes the greatest civil
change and constitutes the most inn
portant event that has occurred since
the nation came into life. This
change will be beneficial in proper
tion to the heed that is given to the
urgent recommendations of Washing
ton. Ifthesa recommendations were
important then, with population OF
but few millions, how much more
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