is fast settling by emigrants from all the states & Europe. Stone coal is plenty in all the bluffs of the Des Moines & probably in all the high land in the neighbourhood

[Monday, August the Seventeenth]

17 Marched 16 miles 76

[Tuesday, August the Eighteenth]

18 Made 15 miles

[Wednesday, August the Nineteenth]

19 Came 20 miles to the Fort. Arrived there about 2 P. M. having been absent almost 3 months. Sickness and all Disease has been a stranger to the camp & all have enjoyed good spirits except that stupidity caused by the want of food & upon the whole I can say we have had a pleasant Campaign

L

76 The return trail of the Dragoons as shown on Lieutenant Lea's map stops with this date when they crossed their outward trail.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES PROPOSED IN THE STATE

LEGISLATURE OF IOWA 1846-1909

A very elaborate and extensive monograph has been devoted to the enumeration and discussion of proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution. Its scope, however, is limited to propositions which were brought to the official notice of Congress either by its members, the State legislatures, or the Presidents, from the time of the adoption of the Constitution by the conventions in the different States to the end of the Fiftieth Congress, March 4, 1889. During this period upward of 1300 distinct resolutions, containing over 1800 proposed amendments, were offered in Congress. While it is true that these propositions had some influence in effecting actual changes within the Constitution, their real significance lies in the fact that "they are indices of the movements to effect a change, and to a large degree show the waves of popular feeling and reflect the political theories of the time." Furthermore, there can be little doubt that a study of the efforts to amend the Constitution of the United States will contribute to a fuller and clearer understanding of our State and National history, both constitutional and political.1

Whether these congressional proposals were offered by Senators and Representatives on their own initiative, or whether they were merely introduced in response to the instructions and requests of State legislatures are questions which may possibly be determined by an investigation and

1 Annual Report of the American Historical Association, 1896, Vol. II, p. 25. This volume contains a prize essay prepared by Professor Herman V. Ames.

comparison of congressional records and State legislative documents. The members of State legislatures have by no means been deterred from proposing constitutional reforms of national concern. To show what activity has been exerted in this direction in a single State is the purpose of this paper. It will be necessary, therefore, to recount the resolutions and memorials introduced by members of the various General Assemblies of Iowa. Resolutions are treated in the following order: first, those concerned with the last three amendments to the United States Constitution; secondly, those on miscellaneous subjects; thirdly and fourthly, those dealing with the election of President and Senators.

THIRTEENTH, FOURTEENTH, AND FIFTEENTH AMENDMENTS

Since the admission of Iowa into the Union in 1846 only the last three of the fifteen amendments to the Constitution of the United States have been adopted. In 1864, contemporaneous with the consideration of the proposed thirteenth amendment by Congress occurred its discussion in the House of Representatives of the State of Iowa. In a lengthy preamble it was declared that "there is no attribute of Almighty God that can take part with American Slavery," an institution which "has alienated the affections of the American people from each other, precipitated upon the nation all the calamities of civil war, and has sought to prostrate forever the grandest and most sublime effort made by man for his own government and political happiness." The remainder of this remarkable preamble reads: "The foes of our national existence at home and abroad, in the South and in the northern sections of our beloved country, are clutching at the throat of our national existence, impelled thereto, and instigated to the awful crime, by the interests and influence of the institutions of Slavery."

In language peculiar to resolutions of the General Assembly, the Representatives in Congress from Iowa were "requested" and the Senators were "instructed to use every influence in their power to abolish slavery within the entire jurisdiction of the United States." Mr. McNutt moved its adoption. Mr. Stiles unsuccessfully moved that the resolution be referred to the standing committee on Federal Relations. Mr. Davis failed to obtain consent to his motion that the resolution be made a special order for Tuesday evening next at 7:30 o'clock in Committee of the Whole; and Mr. Knox's motion to table the whole matter was lost by a vote of 19 to 67. Mr. Oliver then offered, as an addition to the resolution, that "the President of the United States be, and is hereby memorialized to use the power vested in him as Commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, in every legitimate manner, for the same purpose." Upon meeting pursuant to adjournment at 2 o'clock, on motion of Mr. Finkbine the House resolved itself into committee of the whole. The committee rose, reported progress, and asked leave to sit again at 7 o'clock, which was granted. At the conclusion of the evening session it was agreed to postpone the matter until the following Tuesday. Once more the Committee of the Whole rose and reported progress, which proved to be the final consideration of this resolution.2

Within a few days, however, there was introduced into the State Senate a resolution favoring an alteration of the Constitution which should confer on Congress the power to abolish and prohibit slavery in the United States. Slavery was denounced as incompatible with a republican form of government, endangering its peace and prosperity and retarding the nation's progress. It was resolved, therefore, that members of Congress from Iowa should "use their 2 House Journal, 1864, pp. 307-309, 310, 346.

utmost endeavors to procure the adoption by Congress of the initiatory measures whereby the Constitution of the United States might be so amended as to forever prohibit slavery in the United States or any portion of the same, and so as to authorize Congress, by appropriate legislation, to carry into effect the provisions of such amendments."

This memorial or resolution underwent two readings and after the failure of a motion to lay it on the table was referred to the Committee on Federal Relations which reported a substitute resolution for adoption. Subsequently the Senate accepted the measure by a vote of 34 to 4, and the House of Representatives concurred by a vote of 63 to 6, though twenty-two members were absent or not voting.3 Congress did not propose the thirteenth amendment until February 1, 1865. When in December, 1865, the United States Secretary of State declared the amendment duly ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, the General Assembly of the State of Iowa had not yet taken definite action. Not until January 24, 1866, did the resolution of ratification receive Governor Stone's signature of approval.1

In regard to the fourteenth and the fifteenth amendments it is necessary to state not only that both were ratified by the legislature of Iowa, but also that prior to ratification abortive attempts had been made to bring certain of their provisions to an issue. In the State Senate in 1866 a resolution was offered urging members of Congress from Iowa to support an amendment to make suffrage uniform, "basing it upon loyalty and intelligence alone." It provided besides that representation in the lower house should be based

3 Senate Journal, 1864, pp. 352, 527, 570, 580; and House Journal, 1864, p. 649.

4 Shambaugh's Documentary History of Iowa, Vol. I, p. 284. For the dates of the ratification of amendments, see Iowa Official Register under Constitution of the United States.