White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-12


This" says Mr.. Charles A. Dana,
in his book-Recollections of the
Civil War-"was not only a change
In our national policy; 1t was also a
most important military measure.
1t was intended not merely as a
means of affecting the judgment and
the feelings of those In rebellion. 1t
was believed that such an amend
ment t. the constitution would be
equivalent to new armies in the field;
that 1t would be worth at least a
million men; that it would be an in
tellectual army that would tend to
paralyZe the enemy and break the
continuity of his ideas"
To thus amend the constitution
required that the proposed amend
ment be ratified by three-fourths of
the states. When that question
came to be considered, the admins
aration found that, of the states 1t
could rely upon, 1t was one short of
the necessary number. The genius
of President Lincoln solved the
problem. He would create a state out
of the Territory of Nevada for the
purpose, and rely on the patriotism
of her people to ratify the amend
ment. In March, 1864, the question
of allowing Nevada to form a state
government came up in the house of
representatives. There was oppo-
sition to 1t, but Mr.. Lincoln threw
into the breach the potent force of the
carried. Mr.. Dana, then assistant
secretary af war and one of the presi-
dents confidential advisers, quotes
Mr.. Lincoln as saying, shortly before
the vote was taken: Here is the al
terntive-that we carry this vote. or
be compelled to raise another mil
lion, and l don't know how many
more men, n fight no one knows
how long"
When great political questions are
in the balance. sometimes events fol-
low each other with remarkable rap
idity. On the 21st day of March.
1864. the enabling act for Nevada
passed congress and was approved
by President Lincoln. The act pro-
yided for an election to be held on
the first Monday of June following,
for delegates to a constitutional con-
vention to be held Just one month
later. The convention met on the
4th day of July, 1864, adopted a pro-
posed constitution, which, by the
terms of the enabling act, was voted
upon and approved by the people ON
the first Wednesday of the follow
ing September. As soon as the vote
could be e%anyassed, a copy of the
constitution was transmitted to the
president by telegram, at a cost of
more than thirty-four hundred dol
lars for the IN dispatch. 1--WE may
observe here in passing that there
has been material progress in the
reduction of telegraph tariffs since
that time. By the terms of the en-
abiing act the approval of the consti-
tuition was placed exclusively with
the president. On the 31st day of
October, President Lincoln issued his
proclamation declaring Nevada ad-
fooing with the original states.
Eight days later an election for state
and county officers was held and the
newly elected officials assumed their
duties on the first Monday in Deem
Der. On the 1st day of February
1865, congress submitted to the sew
eral states the Thirteenth Amend
ment, and two weeks later 1t was
ratified by the legislature of the new
State of Nevada. Well may Nevada
be called the Battle-Born State and
this the Battle-Born University, for,
had not any one of our three great
est wars been fought. the occasion
for this magnificent assemblage
would not have existed.
1t is interesting and instructive to
note the body of men who composed
the convention that formed our state
constitution. OF the thirty-flye dele
gates all but two cameS to Nevada
from California, and all but three
had come to California, before 1860.
The number eleven seems to have
been a number to conjure with In
that convention. There were eleven
"Forty-Niners;" eleven lawyers;
eleven natives of the state of New
York; eleven counties We're represen-