The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-03-31
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PROCLAMATION BY THE
PRESIDENT!
Ratification of the Fifteenth
Amendment !
COLORED MEN LEGAL VOTERS
WASHINGTON. March 80.


tives;
1t is unusual to notify the two
Houses of Congress, by message, of
the promulgation, by proclamation
OF the Secretary of State, Of the rati-
fcation of a constitutional anne
ment. In view. however, of the vast
importance of the Fifteenth Amend
ment of the Constitution. this day
declared a part of that revered in
strument, l deem a departure from
the usual customs justiiable. A
measure which makes, at once, four
millions of people voters who were
heretofore declared by the highest
tribunal in the land not citizens Of
the United States, nor eligible 20 be-
come so, with the assertion that at
the time Of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence the opinion was fixed and
universal in the civilized portion of
the white race, and regarded as an
axiom in morals as we'll as in poll
tics. that black men had no rights
which white men were bound to
respect-it is indeed a measure of
grander Importance than any other
act of the kind, from the foundation
of our free Government to the present
time. Institutions like ours, 10 which
all power is derived directly from the
people, must depend mainly upon
their intellige nee, patriotism and in
dustry. call the attention therefore,
of the newly enfranchised race to the
importance of their striving, in every
honorable manner, to make them
selves worthy of their new privilege.
To the race moro favored heretofore
by our laws, I would say, withhold.
no legal privilege of advancement to
the new citizens. The trainers Of o. dr
Constitution firmly believed thai
republican form of government CO uld
not endure, without intelligence and
education generally difhused among
the people. The Father of his
Country, in his farewell address
used this language: Promote then,
as matter of primary Importance.
institutions for the general difFusioa of
knowledge in proportion as the strue-
ture of the Government gives force
to public opinion. 1t is essential that
public opinion should be e.alight-
ened."
In his first annual message 10 Con-
gress the same views were forcibly
presented, and arc again urged in his
eighth message. l repeat that the
adoption OF tho Fifteenth Amend
meGt to the Constitution completes
the greatest civil change, and oonsti-
tutes the most important event that
has occurred since the nation came
into life. The change will be benefi-
cial in proportion to the heed that is
given to the urgent Recommendations
of Washington; and if these recon-
mendations were important then,
with q population of but few
millions, how much more i'm
portant now, with a population of
forty millions. increasing at rapid
rate. l would therefore call upon
Congress to take all means within
their constitutional power to promote
and encourage popular education
throughout the country, and upon the
people everywhere; to see to it that
all who possess and exercise political
rights, shall have an opportunity to
acquire knowledge, which will make
their share in the Governments bless
ing, and not a danger. By such
means only can benefits contemplated
by this amendment to the constitu-
ton be secured. u. S. GRANT.
Executive Mansion, March 80. 20.
By HAMILTON FISH, Sec'y of State
oc A. TTn;koE CtoRoo