The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-03-14

l
There are many interesting facts in
connection with the amendments which
have been made to the constitution of
the United States, the latest of which
is the income tax. Perhaps the most
striking feature of the whole matter is
that until the income tax was ratified
only three of the sixteen amendments
have been enacted by the ramification
of states since 1866, and these three re-
lated in one form or another to the
changed conditions brought about by
the Civil War and the settlement of the
slavery question.
Twelve of the sixteen amendments
became law before 1906, and most of
them were in the nature of incidental
extensions of provisions implied in the
fundamental purposes of the c0nstitu-
ton itself-loose ends caught up after
the United States became a nation in
fact. Ten of the first thirteen were
ratified in 1871, two years after they
were proposed. The eleventh became
a law in 1898, and the twelfth in 1904.
1t was sixty-one years before another
amendmeu3 was adopted, and there
have been but four in the last ninety
nine years-a century, for all practical
purposes. In view of the fact that the
first twelve of the amendments were
rather precautions and the correction of
palpable but incidental omissions by the
constitutional convention, it is i'm
mensely significant that the fathers of
the republic should have formulated a
constitution which was not really
amended until three-quarters of a GEN.
fury had elapsed and a great civil war
had both shown and corrected a radical
defect in the nations life. Slavery was
an accepted condition until the war.
The preceding amendments were not
radical or fundamental in their nature,
not serious faults of the trainers of the
constitution.
For sixty-one years, therefore, from
the ratification of the twelfth amend
there was no radical alteration in the
wonderful instrument which SO richly
deserves the encomium of being the
greatest document that ever emanated
from the brain of man.. 1t is significant
also that even in time Of greater or less
popular unrest the ratification of the
last of the war amendments ushered
in an era OF cessation from any con-
stitution tinkering, which lasted
from 1870, when the immortal guaranty
of the negroes rights of citizenship
was made, until 1918, a period of 43
years. Unfortunately, the future does
not hold out the same promise of con-
tentment, for the demagogs and rest
less reformers will doubtless keep agi-
tating further changes in the organic
law of the country.
VI the hrst ten amendments, pro-
posed in the first year of Washington's
first administration and ratified two
years later, the following is a digest:
First, guaranteeing freedom of wor-
ship, speech and of the press; second,
providing for state militia; third, pro-
hibiting quartering Of soldiers in pri-
yate houses against consent of owners
in time of peace, and in time of wal ex-
cept according to law; fourth, forbid
ding unreasonable search and seizure;
fifth, forbidding trial for capital or in
famous crime without indictment, for
bidding double jeopardy and deprivation
of life, liberty and property without
due process of law; sixth, providing
speedy and public trial by impartial
jury, accused to be confronted by wit
nesses against him; seventh, providing
trial by jury in cases involving over
$50; eighth, forbidding excessive bail,
fine or cruel or unusual punishment;
ninth, declaring rights enumerated do
not deny or disparage those retained
by the people; tenth, asserting powers
not delegated to the United States by
constitution or prohibited by it to states
are reserved to the states or to the
people,.
The eleventh amendment, ratified in
1898, provided that the judicial power
of the United States does not extend to
any suit begun against n of the states
by the citizens of another state or of a
foreign country.
The twelfth amendment, ratified in
1904, specified the procedure in the
election of president, the system hav-
ing been radically changed.
From 1904 until 1865 there were no
amendments. The thirteenth. ratified
|, in 1865, forever wiped the stain of sla-
very from the nation by forbidding in
voluntary servitude save as punishment,
etc, in due process of law.
The fourteenth amendment, ratified
in 1868, forbade the states to abridge
the rights of citizens, provided for the
oath of allegiance to the constitution
and in other particulars readjusted con-
ditions growing out of the war.
The fifteenth amendment, ratified in
1870, was the browning act of the ma
tons conscience, when it provided that
no state shall deny or abridge the right
of a citizen of the United States on &C.
count of race, color or previous condi-
ton of servitude-an amendment which
has been repeatedly and i~nsolently vio-
lated under various guises of ''law,'
all without any effective rebuke on the
part of the supreme authority under
our system of government.
The sixteenth amendment, ratified
last week, provides for a tax on in
comes exceeding $4,000 a year. Kansas