Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-04-08
NO. 2.
THE XVIII AMENDMENT.
PROCLAAIATIONs BY THE PRE.S-
IDENT AND SECRETARY OF
STATE.
All Mem not only Created with Equal
Rights, but Equal as Citizens.
To 1Ae Senate and h1ouse Of Reb2rsen-

| kgfIUeS
It is unusual to notify the two Houses
of Congress by message of the promul-
CATION, by proclamation of the Secretary
Of State, of the ratification Of a Consti-
tutional Amendment In view, however
of the vast importance of the Fifteenth
Amendment Of the Constitution, this day
declared, a part Of that revered instru-
ment, deem a departure from the usual
custom iustihabIe. A measure which
makes at once four millions of people
voters who were heretofore declared by
the highest tribunal in the land not cit
liens of the United States, 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 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 a measure of grand
er importance than any other 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 mainly upon their intelli
gence, patriotism and industry. / call
the attention, therefore, Of the newly en-
franchised 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, I would say,
withhold no legal privilege Of advance
ment to the new citizens. The trainers
of our Constitution firmly believed that
a republican form of government could
not endure without intelligence and ed
ucation generally diffused among the
people. The father of this country in
his farewell address used this language /:
Promote, then, as matter OF primary
importance, institutions for the general
diffusion of knowledge. In proportion
as the structure of the government gives
force to public opinion, it IS essential
that public opinion should be enlighten-
ed" In his first annual message to
Congress the same views were fOrclbly
presented, and are again urged in his
eighth message. | repeat, that the
adoption Of the Fifteenth Amendment to
the Constitution completes the greatest
civil change and constitutes the most inn
portant event that has occurred since
the nation came into life. The change
will be beneficial in proportion to the
mendations of Washington. If these
recommendations were important then,
with a population of but few millions,
how much more important now with
of forty millions, and increas-
ing in rapid ratio.
I would, therefore, call upon Congress
to take all means within their consutu-
tional power to promote and encourage
education throughout the COun-
try, and upon the people everywhere to
see to it that all who possess and exercise
political rights, shall have the opportuni-
ty to acquire knowledge which will make
their share in the Government a blessing,
and not a danger. By such means only
can the benefits contemplated by this
to the Constitution be Sc
cured. U. S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, March 80, 1870.
Hl4Uli1t0H I7Ish, Secretary q STATE, of the
E5zited States, 10 'aH to zOh0NS these
presents may come, Greeting:
Know We, that the Congress Of the
United States, on or about the 27th day
of February, in the year 1869, passed a
resolution, in words and figures folfc~ p
ing, 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 COnCurTing), That
the following article be proposed to the
Legislatures of the several States as an
amendment to the Constitution Of the
United States, which, when ratified by
Of said Legislatures, shall
be valid as part Of the Constitution,
''ArticIe XV., Section /, 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 ac
count of race, color or previous cOndl-
ton of servitude.
"Section 2. Congress shall have pow
er to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation. -
And further, that it appears from Off
cial documents on file in this Depart
ment, that the Amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States, proposed
as aforesaid, has been ratified by the
Legislatures of the States of North Car
olina, West Virginia, Massachusetts,
Wisconsin, Maine, louisiana, Michigan,
South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arkansas,
Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, In
diana, New York, New Hampshire, Ne
vada, Vermont, Missouri, Virginia, Ala
bama, Kansas, Mississippi, Minnesota,
Ohio, Rhode Island, Nebraska and
Texas-in all tWenty-nine States; and,
further, that the States whose Leglsla-
lures have so ratified said proposed
Amendment constitute three-tourths Of
the whole number Of States IN the
United States and further, that 1t ap-
pears from an official document on hle
in this Department that the Legislature
of the State of New York has since
passed resolutions claiming to withdraw
said ratification of said Amendment,
which had been made by the Legislature
Of that State, and which official notice
had been filed in this Department and,
further. that it appears from an official
document on file in this Department
that the Legislature of Georgia has, by
resolution, ratified said proposed Amend
ment.
Now, therefore, be it known that /,
Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State Of
the United States, by virtue and in pur-
suance of the second section Of an act
of Congress, approved on the goth day
of April. in the year 1918, entitled "An
act to provide for the publication Of laws
of the United States, and for other Pur-
poses, do hereby certify that the
Amendment aforesaid has become valid,
to all intents and purposes, as a part of
the Constitution Of the United States.
In testimony whereof 1 have hereunto
set my hand, and caused the seal of the
Department of State to be affixed.
/ Done at the City of Washington, this
goth day of March, in the year Of our
Lord 1870, and of the Independence OF
the United States the ninety-fourth.
M. HAMILTON FISH.
Hon. Henry Wilson, in a late address,
said "Thcre was five times as IlluCl IlluCll