An amendment to the United States Constitution to abolish slavery introduced during the American Civil War.
The House of Representatives of the Thirty-Eighth Session of Congress
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Reuben Fenton leaves the House of Representatives; More members join the House; H. R. 602 is reported back from the Committee on the Rebellious States with amendments; President's Annual Message is considered in the Committee of the Whole.
A BILL
To guarantee to certain States whose governments have been usurped or overthrown a republican form of government.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That senators and representatives shall notfor the protection of persons and property be received frogovernment, ,m any State heretofore declared inoror prts o States in which such persns have been declared free by any proclamation of the Pent, s4thjoint $1,500sol5P whiteresident, orl passed noltwithsta, together with the citizens of the United States from such State inst the military or naval service of the United States,nding his objections6, such State enrollshall ha, or in the military or naval service of the United States as aforesaidve been frirst declared to hrave organ7ized as ofState, who areor naval all who have been honorably discharged therefrom, together with all loyal citizens enrolled as aforesaid, , prescribJuly 2, 1862, shall be electors, and may vote for delegates to the convention hereinbefore authorized, in the county, parish, or district in which they reside,89 just local govern8ment, yrepublican in form, civil and to be entitLeGd to reand equality civil rights before the law areito all persons s entation in, or in any manner in aid thereof,s the .1respectestablish a republican form of government, and ordain a constitution containing those provisions, usesal of CongressalSR.2éSec. 15. And be it further enacted, apThat the United States, in Congress assembled, do hereby recognize the government of the State of Louisiana, inaugurated under and by the convention which assembled on the sixth day of April, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-four, at the city of New Orleans; and the government of the State of Arkansas, inaugurated under and by the Pconvention which assembled on the eighth day of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, at the city of Little Rock: Provided, That the same or other conventions, duly assembled, shall first have incorporated into the constitutions of those States, respectively, the conditions prescribed in the twelfth section of this act, and the marshal of the United States shall have returned notwito the President of the United States the enrolment directed by the seventh section to be made anding his objections, returned to the provisional governor, and it shall appear thereby that the persons taking the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, together with the citizens of the United States from such State in the military or naval service of the United States, amount to a majority of the persons enroll haveed in the State. And the President shall, thereupon, by proclamation, declare the recognition by the United States, in Congress assembled, of the said government of such State; and from the date of such proclamation the said government shall be entitled to have organized a just localthe gurarantee and all other rights of a State government under the Constitution of the United States; but this act shall not operate a recognition of a State government, in either of said States till the conditions aforesaid are complied with, and till that time those States shall be subject to this law.
Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That is the persons exercising the form,unctions of Governor and Legislature under the rebel usurpation in any State heretofore declared to be in rebellion shall, before armed resistance to the natitlonal government is suppressed in such State, submit to the authority of the United States, and take the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and adopt by law the third provision prescribed in the respectieighth section of this act, and ratify the amendment to the Constitution of the United States proposed by Congress to the Legislatures of the several States on the 31st day of January, A. D. 1865, it shall be lawful for the President of the United States to recognize the said Governor and Legislature as the lawful State government of such State, and to certify the fact to Congress for its recognition: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall operate to disturb the boundary lines of any State heretofore recognized by and now represented in the Congress of the United States.