The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-03-31
The --latest News.
PROCLAMATION OF THE XVTH
AMENDMENT.
The President Sends a Special MeS-
sagc 10 Congress. Het {
stThe Most Important Event In tho
History Of the NatiOn''...SenSi.
BILE Advice to the, People. ~

Il
History OF the NatiOn''--sSenSi. g
BILE Advice to the, People. -
.2g6l biWASHEqToN, March 30.
10 tho Senate aud House er Representatives.
1t is unusual to notify tho two Houses Of
Congress by message, Of the promulga.
tiop by proclamation Of the, Secretary Of
State, ,of thsfatiftatioD of q Constitution:
al amendment. In view, however, Of tho
vast Importance Of the XVIII Amendment
to the Constitution, this day declared q
part of that instrument, IdcCm a depart
ure from tho usual custom justiti0ble. A
measure which makes at once four mill.
Ions ofpeOple voters who were before de-
clarcd by tho highest Tribunal In the land,
not citizens Of the United States, nor eli.
gihle to become so, with the assertion that
Ut tie time of the Declaration Of indie
pendcncc the opinion was fixed and uni.
versal In tho civilized portion Of the white
raCe, and regarded Us an axiom In morals
as well US in politics, that the black men
had no rights which the white men were
bound TO respect Is indeed, a measure Of
grander importance than any other one
4ct of the kind from tho foundation OF
our Government to the present time T.
/, Institutions like ours In which all pow
er Is derived directly from the people,
must depend mainly upon their intelli.
gence, patriotism and industry. call the
attention, therefore, Of the newly enfran'
Chised race to the importance OF their
striving in every honorable manner to
make, themselves worthy Of their new
privilege. To tho race more favored
heretofore by our laws, / would say: {:
Withhold no legal privilege Of advance
ment to the new citizens. 4, iapi
The. trainers of our Constitution firmly
believed TINT a republican form Of gov
eminent could not endure without intelli:
gencc and education generally diitused
among the people. The father Of his
country in his Farewell Address uses this
language: tfaEtollpote, then, rs matter OF
primary Importance, institutions for, the
general diffusion, ,.of knowledge. In pro-
portion rs the structure Of government
gives force TO public opinion 1t Is essential
that public opinion should be Gnlight'
ened.Iii In his first annual message to
CohgtlSs the same views were presented,
and are agaih urged in his eighth message.
l repeat that tho adoption of the 18th
Amendment to the Constitution com.
pletes the greatest civil cEiahkc and con-
stitutes tho most important event that has
occurred since the Nation came into Iitc.
The change will be beneficial in proper
tion 10 the heed that Is given to the urgent
recommendations Of Washington. 1fthcse
recommendations were important then,
with q population Of but u few million,
how much more important are they now,
with n population Of forty millions and III
crcasing in Il rapid ratio. u
ImAdC, therefore, n call upon Congress
to take Gll means within their constitu-
tional power. to. promote and encourage
popular education throughout tho country,
and upon the e'pCople everywhere TO SEQ to
1t that all who possess and exercise pollt'
iCal rights shall have an opportunity TO
acquire the knowledge which will make
their share in the government u blessing,
not danger. By such means only can
the benefits contemplated by this amend
lnent 10 the Constitution be secured.
'"' fSignedl ,4D. U. S. GRANT.
|. HAMILTON FISH, iSec'y Of ,SatSqf U. S.
\ Etscuticc Mansion, March 80, 1870.
The President states that the amend.
mtnt has been ratified by tho Legislatures
Of the States Of North Carollna, West
Virginia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maine,
Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Connecticut,
Florida, Illinois, Iowa, lndianN, New
York, New Hampshire, Novatla, Yer
mont, Missouri, Virginia, Alabama, Kan
sas, Mississippi, Minnesota, Ohio, Rhode
Island,. Nebraska and Texas, In all 90
States. Further, that States whose Leg.
fslatdrcs f'have ratified said proposed
amendment constitute three-tourths of the
whole number Of States in the United
States; and further, that it appears from
an official document onflIe in this Depart.
nlent tllat the Legislature Of the State Of
New York has since passed u resolution
claininG TO withdraw snid ratification Of
the amendment which had been made by
the Legislature of that State, and Of which
official notice Ind been filed in this De-
partment; and further, that il appears
from an official document on file In this
Department that the Legislature OF Gcor.
gia has by resolution ratified said amend
ment, f,-........ s ....