Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1870 — Proclamation Announcing the Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment. [ARTICLE]

Proclamation Announcing the Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment.

It ta unnsnal to notify the two housM State o 5 the retifioatton ot a constitutional amendment. la view, however, o< the van importance of the Fifteenth Amend meat to the Constitution, thia day declared a part of that revered instrument, 1 deem a departure from the usual custom justifiable. A measure which makes at once four millions of people voters, who were heretofore dedarod by the highest tri bunal in the land net dtiaens of the United States, nor eligible to become so, with the assertion that at the time of the declaration of independence the opinion was fixed and universal in the civilized portion of the white race, and regarded SMS*' 01 " r’L tire, That th*'biAck men bad no rights whwh white men were bound tn respect.

hutadeada measure of grander importance thnh any other one act of the kind from tbe foundation of our free government to the present lima Institutions like ours. In which all power is derived directly from the people, must depend mainly hpon their mmiligance, patriotism, and industry. ; call the attention, therefore, of the newly enfranchised race to the im portance of (torir striving in every honorable manner to make themselves worthy of their new privilege. To the race more fovored heretofore by our laws, I would fry; Withhold no legal privilege of advssic Mount to the new citizens. The framers of our constitution firmly believed that a republican form of government eotdd not endure without Intelligence and education generally diffused among the people. The Father of his Country, in his Farewell Address, used this language: Promote, then, as a matter of primary importance,institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion M «m structure of the government gives forco to public opinion, it is essential that puUfo opinion should be enlightened.” In his first annual message to Congress, the same views were forcibly presented, and wen again urged in his eighth uses F^ , asJe , :tfo£ o «ti t o h n e completed the greatest civil change, and constitutes the most important event that hy occurred since the nation came into The change will be beneficial in properTfon tb the heed given to the urgent . £*9° mmcn dations or Washington. Ifthes* Jteriomtnendatiffita were important then, *itb P°P oljU ion of but a' few millions, •bow much more important now, with a population of forty millions, and increas»‘nß in » rapid ratio. I would, therefore, *»« . n P° n Congress to take all means Within their constitutional power to promote and encourage popular education throughout the country, and upon the people everywhere to see to it that al! P? aJe * and ,lerciße political rights . snail have the opportunity to acquire .Jtaowiedge which will make their share ■ in the government a blessing and not a • ““ger. By such means only can the ben efite contemplated by this amendment be secured. (Signed) U.SGbant. Executive Mansion, March 3», 1870. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State of the United fitgtea THE PROCLAMATION. Zb A ****** praentt may come. Know ye that the Congress of the fXnited States, on or about the 27th day of ''February, in the year 1869, passed a rose .. tow* S# - * WOf< “ and fl ß ure * following,

* A ’tesoi'VTiON proposing an amendment to tbo Constitution of the United States. , Mtnttod, Bribe Senate and Honse ot Repre rtWsdroe Sf the United States us America, in Coogrom awembleC twothlrds of both Honse. coneurrinf.ttat tie following article be proposed letee Lexislatures of Ike several States as an lb * Oomtttstton ot the United Bt X e T’ ,ch - wheD ratified by three-fourths of r V<lid “ pirt ° rth '’ con Tote * hs " l “o’ *» denied ot hy the Un.sea States, or any State, on ac- «>■<*, or previous condition of ser..s^,?■ Congress shall have power to enforce i Jhisaft'cle by appropriate legislation. That it appears, from official documenta on file in this department, that the amendment to the Constitution of the United States, proposed as aforesaicL tarn been ratified by the Legis--latares of the' States of North Carolina, , Virginia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maine,-Louisisn«, Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Connectim, Florida, Illinois, lowa, Indiana, New Tork, New Hampshire, Nevada, VerMissouri, V irginia, Alabama, Kan - ms. Mississippi, Minnesota Ohio, Rhode Wand, Nebraska, and Texas, in all . A*enty-nine States further, that the 'States whose Legislatures have so ratified raid mpendment constitute three-fourths of the whole number of States in the United , And, further, that it appears from San official document on file in this department, that the Legislature of the State of 'New York has since passed resolutions claiming to withdraw said ratification of tMrtaUMp&nent, which had been made by the legislature of that State, and of which official notice had been filed in this department; and further, that it ap- . pears from an official document on file in this department, that the Legislature es Georgia has, by resolution, ratified said proposed amendment;

-tr ,?* xAer Cf < be H known, that I, TTarnffiton Fish, Secretary of State of the United States, by virtue and in pursuance the second section of- the act of Congress approved on the 20th day of April, in the yen 1818, entitled “ An act to pro vide for the publication of the laws of the L sited States, and for other purposes,” do hereby certify that the amendment aforesaid* has become valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution of the United State* In testitfiony whereof I have hereunto Kfc-rnjrhand, and caused the seal of the Department of State to be affixed. Doneat the city-of Washington, this 30th day of March, in the year of otir Lord ttirwifcynd sight Muwflmd &A(i S€T* . sPfy'k»d of ths independence of the • United States the ninety fourth. (Signed) . Hamilton Fish.