to vote at any election for the choice of electors for president and vice-president of the United States, representatives in congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state."

SECTION 3. "No person shall be a senator or representative in congress, or elector of president and vice-president, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United ·States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath as a member of congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability."

SECTION 4. "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and

void."

SECTION 5. "The congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article."

This amendment was proposed by congress in 1866, and was declared to be a part of the constitution in July, 1868. It need not be further discussed here.

ARTICLE XV., SECTION I. "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."

The object of this article was to secure suffrage to the colored race, especially to the freedmen of the South. It specifies three points in respect to which the right of citizens of the United States to vote, shall not be denied or abridged, either by the national or state governments:

(1) On account of race.

(2) On account of color.

(3) On account of previous condition of servitude.

It was at first proposed to add two other points, nativity and religion, but these were stricken out before the proposed amendment was sanctioned by congress.

This amendment was proposed by congress in 1869, and was declared to be ratified in 1870.

- In

PUTTING THE CONSTITUTION INTO OPERATION. July, 1788, a committee was appointed by the congress to report an act for putting the constitution into operation. This committee reported an act which was adopted on the 13th of September, as follows:

RESOLVED, that the first Wednesday in January next be the day of appointing electors in the several states,

which, before the said day shall have ratified the said constitution; that the first Wednesday in February next be the day for the electors to assemble in their respective states, and vote for a president; and that the first Wednesday in March next be the time, and the present seat of congress the place, for commencing proceedings under the said constitution."

The first Wednesday in March, 1789, happened to be the fourth day of the month, and as one presidential term and two congresses occupied, by the constitution, exactly four years, it follows that the inauguration of the president is to take place on the fourth day of March every fourth year, beginning with 1789.

Washington was elected president by unanimous vote. John Adams was declared elected vice-president, and the new government went into operation quietly and with the general sanction of the people of the country. It is not a little remarkable that the first president should have been elected unanimously, and re-elected unanimously. No president since his day has received a unanimous vote of all the electors.

PART III.

CHAPTER I.

THE GOVERNMENT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION: ITS HISTORY AND PRACTICAL OPERATION.

THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.- We have seen that the government is practically divided into three departments. Of these the legislative department is in some respects of primary importance. This department is organized in two houses, the senate and house of representatives.

The representatives are elected by the people of their several districts for the term of two years.

The state is divided into as many districts as it is entitled to representatives in congress. Each of these is termed a congressional district. The people of that district elect one member to congress. The senators are elected by the state legislatures, and hold their office for six years. No state elects its two senators at the same time. One senator is elected within the year preceding the beginning of his term, and the other senator from that state is elected either two or four years later.

We have seen that the compensation of members of congress and senators is the same, five thousand dollars a year; with mileage at the rate of twenty cents a mile, in going and returning.