ary 26th 1867; the legislature of Indiana ratified it January 29th 1867; the legislature of Minnesota ratified it February 1st 1867; the legislature of Rhode Island ratified it February 7th 1867; the legislature of Delaware rejected it February 7th 1867; the legislature of Wisconsin ratified it February 13th 1867; the legislature of Pennsylvania ratified it February 13th 1867; the legislature of Michigan ratified it February 15th 1867; the legislature of Massachusetts ratified it March 20th 1867; the legislature of Maryland rejected it March 23 1867; the legislature of Nebraska ratified it June 15th 1867; the legislature of Iowa ratified it April 3a 1868; the legislature of Arkansas ratified it April 6th 1868; the legislature of Florida ratified it June 9th 1868; the legislature of Louisiana ratified it July 9th 1868; and the legislature of Alabama ratified it July 13th 1868:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, in execution of the aforesaid act, and of the aforesaid concurrent resolution of the 21st of July, 1868, and in conformance thereto, do hereby direct the said proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States to be published in the newspapers authorized to promulgate the laws of the United States, and I do hereby certify that the said proposed amendment has been adopted, by the States specified in the said concurrent resolution, namely, the States of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Tennessee, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont New York, Ohio, Illinois, West Virginia, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama and also by the legislature of the State of Georgia;

in the manner hereinbefore mentioned,

the States thus specified being more than three fourths of the States of the United States.

And I do further certify that the said amendment 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 twenty eighth

day of July in the year of our Lord, one thousand

[SEAL.] eight hundred and sixty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the

ninety-third.

WILLIAM H SEWARD,

Secretary of State.

Fortieth Congress of the United States of America;

At the third Session,

Begun and held at the city of Washington, on Monday, the seventh day of December, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.

A RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to 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 as part of the Constitution, namely:

Article XV.

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

SCHUYLER COLFAX

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

B. F. WADE

President of the Senate pro tempore.

Attest:

EDWD MCPHERSON

Clerk of House of Representatives.

GEO. C. GORHAM

Secy of Senate U. S.

Hon. Hamilton Fish,

State of Nevada.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Secretary of State, U. S. A.

Washington City, D. C.

Dear Sir,

Carson City, Sept 23rd 1869.

I am requested by His Excellency, H. G. Blasdel, Governor of Nevada, to forward to you, by U. S. Mail, a certified copy of a Joint Resolution of the Legislature of Nevada, ratifying the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

Hoping you may receive the same in due course of mail,
I am, most sincerely, your ob' serv1

THOMAS Wells.

Private Secretary.

Joint Resolution.

Resolved By the Senate and Assembly conjointly that the Legislature of Nevada hereby ratifies and confirms the amendment to the Constitution of the United States, proposed by Congress, which adds thereto, an Article in terms as follows:

Article Fifteen

Section One. The right of Citizens of the United States, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States,