Joint Resolution, ratifying the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Whereas, On the 1st day of February 1865. an amendment to the Constitution of the United States was approved and which is as follows. "A Resolution submitting to the Legislatures of the Several States a proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States." Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two thirds of both Houses concurring) That the following Article be proposed to the Legislatures of the Several States, as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States which when ratified by three fourths of said Legislatures shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the Said Constitution, namely:— Article 13. Section I. Neither slavery nor involuntary Servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section II. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate Legislation. and Whereas, This amendment was declared a part of the Constitution of the United States on the 18th day of December 1865. and is Submitted to the Legislature of the State of Texas for ratification, be it Resolved I. That the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Texas. (the Senate concurring) do ratify said 13th Article of the Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Resolved II. That a copy of this preamble and resolutions be transmitted to the Secretary of State, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States. Head Quarters Fifth Military District Office of Civil Affairs Austin Texas, February 25. 1870 I hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of the Joint Resolution adopted by the Legislature of Texas on the 18th day of February 1870 as appears from the Journals of the two Houses. J. J. REYNOLDS Commanding William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, To all to whom these presents may come, Greeting: Know Ye, that, whereas the Congress of the United States, on the 1st of February, last, passed a Resolution which is in the words following, namely: "A Resolution submitting to the Legislatures of the several States a Proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States. "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, (two thirds of both Houses concurring,) That the following Article be proposed to the legislatures of the several states as an amendment to the constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three fourths of said legislatures, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the said constitution, namely:— "Article XIII. "Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. "Section 2. Congress shall have authority to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." And, whereas it appears, from official documents on file in this Department, that the amendment to the Constitution of the United States proposed, as aforesaid, has been ratified by the legislatures of the States of Illinois, Rhode Island, Michigan, Maryland, New York, West Virginia, Maine, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Nevada, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Vermont, Tennessee, Arkansas, Connecticut, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia; in all twenty-seven States: And, whereas the whole number of States in the United States is thirty-six; and whereas the before specially named States, whose legislatures have ratified the said proposed amendment, constitute three-fourths of the whole number of States in the United States: Now, therefore, be it known that I, William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, by virtue and in pursuance of the second section of the Act of Congress, approved the twentieth of April, eighteen hundred and eighteen, entitled "An Act to provide for the publication of the laws of the United 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 States. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Department of State to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the ninetieth. [SEAL.] Approved ANDREW JOHNSON Decr 18, 1865 WILLIAM H. SEWARD Secretary of State. |