ARTICLE XIII.-(Proposed by congress February 1, 1865; ratification announced by secretary of state, December 16, 1865.) Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

ARTICLE XIV.-(Proposed by congress June 16, 1866; ratification announced by secretary of state July 25, 1868.) Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Sec. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, including Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for president and vice-president of the United States, representatives in congress, and 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 male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.

Sec. 3. No person shall be a senator or representative in congress, or elector of president or vice-president, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath as 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.

(Note.-On June 7, 1898, President McKinley approved of an act of congress which declared that "the disabilities imposed by section 3, XIVth amendment of the constitution, heretofore incurred, are hereby removed.")

Sec. 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 the 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 the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

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

ARTICLE XV.-(Proposed by congress February 27, 1869; ratification announced by secretary of state, March 30, 1870.) Section 1. The right of the 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.

Sec. 2. The congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

LAW AS TO PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION.

The presidential succession is fixed by chapter 4 of the acts of the XLIXth congress, first session. In case of the removal, death, resignation or inability of both the president and vice-president, then the secretary of state shall act as president until the disability of the president or vice-president is removed or a president is elected. If there be no secretary of state, then the secretary

of the treasury will act; and the remainder of the order of succession is as follows: The secretary of war, attorney-general, postmaster general, secretary of the navy, secretary of the interior and secretary of agriculture. The acting president must, upon taking office, convene congress, if not at the time in session, in extraordinary session, giving twenty days' notice. This act applies only to such cabinet officers as shall have been appointed by the advice and consent of the senate, and are eligible under the constitution to the presidency.