The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-05
The Amendments.

he was lew years "sV ts -
Editors Dispatch; You VIII greatly
oblice me, aud / am certain many others, !.
Won win give early Information on toe io'-
lowing points; a., ,o,o
amendments 10 the Federal cohs.'u'lon ~
Vircinia, and, II convenient, other sou'h'
ern states. c-.... -
y The date OF the passage by congress VI
the reconstruction measures.
4 Was the ratification OF those smeno
msn,, nv Ohio necessary. Aud was tna'
ra,inoa,ion Withdrawn And did Mr. sew
ard decline 10 recognize this withdrawn Dy
the Ohio Legislature, il indeed therc was
such withdrawal! a.
|. The thirteenth amendment was ,a''
lied by Virginia February Q, 1860. ibis
was done at Alexandra 10y the bogus LIE
oi>lature which sat there whist fEiRroiNi
claimed 10 be Governor Of Virginia; D!
ARMAND February 8; by West Virginia
February 3: by Louisiana February IL;
by Missouri February "a by 1enhess'e
April B; 10y Arkansas in April; by South
Carolina November 10; by North Caro'na
December 1; by Alabama December z;
and by Georgia December Gall IN 1900
This amendment was proposed by Congress
February |, 1865, and declared In force De
cemh,r Is OF the same year. IL was thus
"ra,i6ed" 10y states which were years
afterwards "admitted TO representation In
Congress, :" as the Republican constitution
breakers and constitution-mcnd phrased
il.
Tae fourteenth amendment was proposed
bv Congress June is, 1866, and declared
in force July %, 1868. II was declared
in force before Virginia was admitted 10
representation in Congress- and therefore
was :. ratified" without her vote; but sue
ratified il afterwards-in the ial' OF 1867.
Moth Carolina ratified it July 1, 1868 );
Florida ratified it prior TO its passage by
Congress. so il is stated in a proclamation
OF President JOHNsoN'S which was counter
signed by w. II. SEWARD, Secretary OF
Slare. We have not the dates OF the ratih-
cation OF thi, amendment by the other
southern States.
The fifteenth amendment was proposed
by Congress February 26. 1869, and de-
clared in force March 80. 1870. 1t was
ratified by Virginia October I; by Louis
lana March l. by West Virginia March 3
by North Carolina March 4; by South Car
DINA March II; by Arkansas March 10; by
Florida June II; and by Alabama NOYem-
Der l6-alI in 1869.
The date OF The first recon, truction act
was March ,, 1867 OF one modifying that
Act. March 23, 1867; and OF one modifying
both. March IL, 1855. An "omnibus act y
admitting North Carolina, South Carolina
Louisiana. Georgia. Alabama, and Florida
was dated June -, 1868. May ii, 1869,
General GRANT issued hi proclamation pro-
y,ding for an election in Virginia on the Oh
OF July. 1869. when q. {. WALKER was
elected Governor. Congress, by law passed
in the spring OF 1869, had authorized Gen
erai GRANT 10 do so.
=. The thirteenth amendment was nomi-
nally ratified (under durcss as to tue south
ern states) by thirty-tw0 out of :Sirty-siX
States. Ohios ratification was, the efore'
not needed. The fourteenth amendment
when j. was declared in force had been rati.
fed by twenty nine States out OF tbilty-seven
Gncluding, OF course, the southern States,
which were forced TO ratify iD. Ohio's ratif-
cation OF this amendment was, therefore,
INDISPENSABLE. subsequently four other
States ratified it. The fifteenth amendment
was nomiually ratified by thirty States out
of thirty.seven-tw more than were Deces.
sary. Ohio first rejected but afterwards
ratified the fifteenth amendment.
But .he facts as set forth in the official
proclamation of the Secretary OF State de.
claring the fourteenth amendment in force
show that il at least was never ratified IN
the manner prescribed In the Constitution.
Mr.. SEWARD set forth that it lad been rati-
fed in .wcnty-three States by their Legs
lures, and in six States "by newly-consti-
tuted and ewly-established bodies, avow-
ing themselves 10 be, aud acting as, the
Legislatures respectively OF the States OF
Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Louisi-
ana, South Carolina, and Alabama" Mr..
SEWARD adds that the States OF Ohio and
New jersey INCLUDED in the twenty
three first mentiOned) "baye since pass.
ed resolutions respectively Withdrawing
The consent Of each OF said States
10 the amendment aforesaid" and added
that there was no law giving him power to
decide whether such withdrawal would pre-
vent the ratification OF the said amendment
or not Their withdrawal left only - States
which had ratified the fourteenth amend.
ment, including those OF the southern States
which were named in the proclamation a'
having done so; but, as we have said, foul
other States, including Virginia, afterward:
ratified il.
We suspect that our correspondent wishes
these facts for his own use IN little contrO
yersy that he has on hand Tor something OF
tina. sort,) aud so we give them as fully a:
we conveniently can.
The New United States Senators.
The Legislatures of New York, Pennsyl
yanis, California, Nevada, Tennessee, aud
Arizona Territory met on Monday. In
New York Senator Combines candidate
was chosen Speaker of the House OF Dele
gates; in Pennsylvania Senator CAMERON
was equally successful; ia Tennessee Z
Greenbsck- Republican was elected Speaker;
and in California the Republicans con
iTolIed the organization. SO says the Balti-
more american.
The election OF General SHARPE TO be
Speaker Of The New York House OF Dele
gates Ia no sign that Mr.. CONKLING'S candi.