brave men now in the field are deprived of the privilege of voting; and

WHEREAS, The mode of amending the Constitution provided in the instrument itself is so slow and uncertain in its operations; and

WHEREAS, There are other amendments desirable, as indicated by former votes of the legislature of Indiana, but which have failed to be made, not because of popular opposition, but because of the inherent difficulties of the mode prescribed; therefore,

Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to prepare and report at an early day, a bill which shall provide, in substance, as follows:

The qualified voters of the State may, on the first Monday in April, 1865, elect one delegate in each senatorial district in the State to a convention for revising and amending the Constitution of the State.

2d. That delegates so elected shall meet at the capitol on the first Monday in May, 1865, and proceed to the work assigned them.

3d. The Constitution so amended shall be submitted to a special vote of the people on the first Monday in August, 1865.

4th. If a majority of the voters of the State shall agree to adopt it as the Constitution of the State, in lieu of the present Constitution, then the Governor shall issue proclamation to that effect on the first Monday in September, and it shall go immediately into operation as such.

230. Calling a Constitutional Convention (February 1, 1865).

On February 1, Mr. J. M. McVey, a Republican, introduced a bill to provide for the call of a constitutional convention. The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee who reported it back on March 6, without recommendation and it was laid on the table.

[House Journal, Forty-fourth Session, 249.]

House bill No. 96. A bill to provide for the call of a convention of the people of the State of Indiana, to revise, amend, or alter the Constitution of said State; to defray the expenses of said convention; to submit the Constitution, as amended, to a vote of the people, and all other things necessary to give force to the act.

231. Disfranchisement of Fugitives from Military Draft (January 19, 1865).

A quasi-constitutional question was involved in a proposal to deprive

persons of the right of suffrage who had fled the State to avoid the draft. Apparently, no recommendation was made.

[House Journal, Forty-fourth Session, 130.]

Resolved, That the Committee on Elections be instructed to inquire into the constitutionality and propriety of the passage of an act depriving from the rights of suffrage those persons who have fled, or may flee, to Canada, or any other foreign country, to evade the draft, and thus release themselves from the allegiance they are under to the laws and constitution of their own country. 232. Acknowledging God as the Source of all Authority (February 27, 1865).

During the stress of the war there was an undoubted revival of religious enthusiasm, rather effervescent and perfervid, but none the less genuine. This pious sentiment expressed itself in various ways and was almost invariably intolerant and reactionary. A curious example of this propaganda was supplied by a memorial presented to both houses of the General Assembly, signed by Calvin Fletcher, Sr., of Indianapolis, and 452 other persons, and recommending the adoption of a constitutional amendment acknowledging Almighty God as the source of all authority and power in civil government, the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler among nations, and his revealed will as of supreme authority. The Jewish citizens of the city of Indianapolis protested against the adoption of this proposed amendment. The House committee brought in a divided report; the majority of the committee recommended the adoption of the proposed resolution, and the minority, on the theory, fully sustained, that the incorporation of the proposed amendment in the Constitution would constitute religious discrimination, recommended that the memorial be laid on the table. The Senate committee brought in an adverse report. Both House reports were laid on the table and the Senate report was concurred in.

[House Journal, Forty-fourth Session, 640.]

Mr. Thomas W. Reese, from a select committee, made the following majority report:

The special Committee on Constitutional Amendments to whom was referred the petition of Clavin Fletcher, Sr., and four hundred and fifty-two other christian gentlemen, have had the same under consideration and a majority of said committee have directed me to introduce the accompanying resolution and amendment to the preamble to the Constitution of the State of Indiana and recommend the passage of the same.

We recommend these amendments, first, because they contain nothing but pure christian patriotism, are not sectarian, but like the Bible, are of universal application and will secure the

life and salvation of this nation, for it is written in the Holy Prophecies that "the nations that forget God shall be utterly wasted and perish from off the face of the earth." Secondly, it is in perfect harmony with our republican form of government, only proposing to acknowledge God's Divine authority in the affairs of men, and christianizing and making ours the model government of the earth, and what is required by God's moral ordinance to man for good, and what all nations of the earth must and will be in that good time coming, when all shall become christian Republics. The people under God being the source of all power in civil government, none other can have God's favor.

Thirdly, We recommend these amendments because they harmonize our form of government with christianity, State, national and over all the Divinely instituted governments of God from whom all power is derived. All despotisms must perish off the earth because of their transgression.

Fourthly, By adopting these amendments we will propitiate the favor of Him who chastiseth nations for national sins, and when all nations recognize the authority and government of God, and practice the precept taught by His Son, then wars shall cease and the millenium begin, and all the people shall dwell together in peace and harmony.

Mr. Charles B. Lasselle, from the same committee, made the following minority report:

The undersigned, members of the select Committee on Constitutional Amendments, to whom were referred the petitions of various citizens, praying that an amendment be proposed to the preamble of the constitution of the State, "acknowledging Almighty God as the source of all authority and power in civil government; the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler among nations, and His revealed will as of Supreme authority," have had the same under consideration, and beg leave to submit the following as a minority report of the matters therein referred to:

The proposed amendment is prayed for by gentlemen of the christian faith. The present Constitution of the State fully acknowledges the existence and supremacy of Almighty God, according to the christian faith in the orthodox acceptation. The Lord Jesus Christ is God. The constitution, therefore, according to the belief of the petitioners themselves, already sufficiently acknowledges the supremacy of the Savior, Lord

Jesus Christ, and any further amendment of the Constitution, in this respect, can not be necessary to them.

The State of Indiana is not a theocracy, nor a hierarchy, but a civil or political organization, instituted by the people of the State, under the sanctions of the Constitution, "to the end that justice be established, public order maintained, and liberty perpetuated." To secure these objects, certain inherent rights are defined, and equally guaranteed to every citizen. Among these rights stands pre-eminent the right to the enjoyment of religious opinions. Thus, the constitution opens with the following guaranties:

Sec. 2. All men shall be secured in their natural right to worship Almighty God, according to the dictates of their own. consciences.

Sec. 3. No law shall, in any case whatever, control the free exercise and enjoyment of religious opinions, or interfere with the rights of conscience.

Sec. 4. No preference shall be given by law, to any creed, religious society, or mode of worship; and no man shall be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent.

Sec. 5 No religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office of trust or profit.

Sec. 6. No money shall be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any religious or theological institution.

Sec. 7. No person shall be rendered incompetent as a witness in consequence of his opinions on matters of religion.

From the above provisions of our matchless Constitution, there is no mistaking the sentiment of the people of Indiana on the question of the right to the full and unrestricted enjoyment of religious opinions. Notwithstanding their own predilections, they fully accord to each other, however diversant, the undisputed possession of this natural right, having learned enough of the bigotries, persecutions and miseries that have oppressed other nations by an abandonment of this policy. They seem to be immovably settled upon this principle.

Among the people of Indiana there are many citizens, religionists and non-religionists, who do not coincide with the petitioners in their creed, as to the character of the Lord Jesus Christ; whether wrong or not, is of no consequence to the remaining portion of the people of Indiana as citizens of a State. They may deem them wrong in a religious point of view, yet grant them

the same right of opinion as they themselves enjoy, as citizens under the Constitution of the State. Simply acknowledging the supremacy and beneficence of an Almighty God, about which there can be no controversy among the nations of the earth, the people of Indiana leave all questions, affording any grounds for differences of religious opinions, to the sole determination of each individual.

Governed by this principle of equal, exact justice, they have grown prosperous, united and happy. Any innovation in this respect, however trivial or necessary it may seem to some, might eventually precipitate us into those religious strifes and oppressions, that have disturbed the peace and liberties of other nations. We are, therefore, satisfied that the adoption of the proposed amendment would be destructive of natural right, hostile to the true policy and intents of the State, and that the same is not desired by the people.

In addition to the foregoing considerations, there is another objection to the adoption of the proposed amendment, which, to the undersigned, appears insurmountable. It declares the "Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler among the nations, and His revealed will as of supreme authority."

This proposition is intended to fix a standard of government for the people paramount to all temporal enactments, constitutional or legislative, and to introduce into this State that "higher law" doctrine, by which each citizen is to be governed by the sanctions of his own conscience, or by his own construction of the "revealed will."

The Constitution of this State, as it now stands, is simple in its terms, easily understood by all, and universally agreed to as interpreted by the people, or as expounded by the Supreme Court. On this point there seems to be no diversity of sentiment. But for many ages past there have been wide differences of opinion among christian nations, and communities themselves, as to what the "revealed will" was upon many vital questions. And there appears to be no diminution of this diversity of opinion. Under the proposed standard of "supreme authority" the inevitable result would be collisions of greater or less extent among christian communities themselves, eventuating in the supremacy of one party over all the others. Under these circumstances it would be extremely perilous, if not certainly futile to the people of Indiana, to surrender their present form of government, so plain

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