Wednesday, February 19, 2014

What Happened to the Original Thirteenth Amendment?

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
Constitution / Bill of Rights
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What? There's another 13th Amendment? So the 13th is actually the 14th Amendment? Hold the phone. 
Amendment XIII
Passed by Congress May 1, 1810 - Ratified December 9, 1812.

"If any citizen of the United States shall accept, claim, receive, or retain any title of nobility or honour, or shall without the consent of Congress, accept and retain any present, pension, office, or emolument of any kind whatever, from any emperor, king, prince, or foreign power, such person shall cease to be a citizen of the united States, and shall be incapable of holding any office of trust or profit under them, or either of them."
Here's a table that outlines the Ratification process for this amendment. 

1 Maryland December 25, 1810Ratified
2 Kentucky January 31, 1811 Ratified
3 Ohio January 31, 1811 Ratified
4 Delaware February 2, 1811 Ratified
5 Pennsylvania February 6, 1811 Ratified
6 New Jersey February 13,1811 Ratified
7 Vermont October 24, 1811 Ratified
8 Tennessee November 21, 1811 Ratified
9 Georgia November 22, 1811Ratified
10 North Carolina December 23, 1811 Ratified
11 Virginia February 7, 1812 Ratified
(Date when Publication of Virginia Laws was approved)
12 Massachusetts February 27, 1812 Ratified
13 New York March 12, 1812 Did not Ratify
14 New Hampshire December 9, 1812 Ratified
15 Connecticut May 13, 1814 Did not Ratify
16 Rhode Island September 15, 1814 Did not Ratify
17 South Carolina December 21, 1814 Tabled the Motion without any action

So why isn't this amendment reflected in our national documents?

There are some excuses and explanations as to why this amendment disappeared after forty years of use. Is there a conspiracy? At this point, who really knows?

The amendment did such:
This Amendment was for the specific purpose of banning participation in government operations by attorneys and bankers who claimed the Title of Nobility of ‘Esquire.’ These people had joined the International Bar Association or the International Bankers Association and owed their allegiance to the King of England.
So make up your own mind. Should Congress reinstate the original Thirteen Amendment? Or should it be cataloged for future reference?

Source: NewsWeek, Constitutional Concepts Foundation,