Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-04-08

The Fifteenth Amend
rncmt--A Fact.
The Presidents Message.

The Presidents Message.
To the s nate and House of Representatives:
II is usual to notify the two Houses
of Congress. 10y message, OF the pro.
mitigation by proclamation OF the
Secretary of State. of the ratification
Of IA Constitutional Amendment. III
view, however. of the vast imp0r
lance of the Fifteenth Amendment
of the Constitution, this day declared
a part of that revered instrument, |
deem departure from usual custom
| justifiable.
A measure which makes at once
4 ,O00. 900 people voters. who were
heretofore declared by the highest
tribunal in the land not citizens at
the United States. nor eligible to be
come SO, with the assertion that at
| the time of the Declaration of indie
pendenre, the opinion was fixed and
universal in the civilized portion of
the white race ana regarded IA an
axiom in morals AS well III in politics.
| that black men had m rights which
white men were bound to respect. Is
| indeed measure of grander import
ance than any one act o. the KIM
| from the foundation Of our free gov
eminent to the present time. lhsti-
tutions like ours, in which all power
| is derived directly from the people,
must depend mainly upon their IN
| telligencp, patriotism ami industry.
call the attention of the newly en-
fraurhi,ed race To the importance of
their striving, i'm every honorable
m.uner, to make themselves worthy
of their new privilege. To the race
more favored heretofore. by our laws,
| would say. withhold no legal priv
ilege of advancement to these new
citizens.
The framers of our Constitution
firmly believe that a republican form
of government could not endure
without intelligence and education
generally ditfns"d among the people.
| The Father of his Country, IN his
| farewell address, used this langua3e:
"Promnte, then, as - matter or pri'
mary i'm pnrtance, institutions for the
general diffusion of knowledge. j"
prornrtiou as the structure of the
Government gives force To public
npinioIl, IT il essential that pubic
0uinion should he enlightened. In
his tirst annual message tn Congress
the same views wert fnrcihly present
ed. and again urged in his eighth
message.
/ repeat that the adoption OF the
Fifteenth Amendment To. the ''on-u
tuition completes the greatest civil
change and constitutes the most i'm"
unrtant event that has occurred since
the nation came i,.to life. This
change will he beneficial in proper
ion to the heed that is given t" the
urgent recommendations of WASH
ington. If these recnInmendatirn n
were important then. with popula
ton of hut "A few millions. how much
more important now with popuia
ton of forty millions and increasing
in a rapid ratio. | wnu'd, therefore,
call upon congress t0 take all means.
within their constitutional power. t"
promote and encourage popular edu
cation throughout the country. AMI
upon the people everywhere. to set
to it that all who possess and eXrr
else political rights shall have the
to acquire that knowi
edge whici: will make their share in
the government blessing and not IA
danger. BY such means only cat
the benefits contemplateathi his amend
meut To tie Constitutions be secured. |
iSivuedl u. s GRANT
Executive Mansion, March b, 20. |