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 STATE OF ^DELAWARE, ^&Ty7^rS, 
 Executive Depaetwsk^ 
 ;lf4a-lf6 Cf(U— ^>.^ Dover, February 7, 1865. 
 
 lo the Senate and Bouse of Representatives of flit State of 
 Delaware, in General Assembly met : 
 
 The Congress of the United States, by the requisite 
 majority of both Houses, has submitted the following 
 Constitutional amendment to the Legislatures oi the 
 several States for ratification : 
 
 \rt XIII.— Sec. 1. Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude, ex- 
 ccpl as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly 
 convicted, shall exisl within the United States or any place subject to 
 their jurisdiction. . . 
 
 Sk« : . 2. Congress shall have p >wor to enforce this article by appropri- 
 ate legislation. 
 
 Having received official information of the vote cast 
 in Congress, I take the earliest opportunity to lay the 
 amendment before the General Assembly. _ In doing so, 
 I must express my hearty concurrence in its object, and 
 recommend most earnestly its immediate ratification. 
 
 A due regard to the claims of impartial justice; to 
 the unity, welfare, and purity of our Government ; to 
 the necessity of removing the cause of our present un- 
 happy civil strife ; to a re-union of our country upon a 
 sure basis; to a speedy return of permanent and honor- 
 able peace ; and to the cause of enlightened progre^ 
 commends this step to our warme st. sy mpathies. 
 opportunity is offered to men of iiiygfeo unite, wiu 
 devoted loyalty, upon ineasun that promise the most 
 salutary results ; and each one can nowjshare in the 
 honor of declaring that heiiceiolfl(P& forever the 
 Republic shall be Free. 
 
 Let us start upon a new career of liberty, happiness 
 and prosperity; let us build up %r posterity a pure and 
 free government; let us dignify the labor to which, id 
 the Providence of God, each one of us is called : let us 
 make the immortal Declaration a glorious and beneficent 
 tact- and let us render thanks and praises to God. 
 Whose service is perfect freedom, for the progress 
 that we are making, under His guidance and in obedi- 
 ence to His will, in consummating the highest and 
 noblest purpose of human government— universal reli- 
 gious, civil, and personal liberty. 
 
 WILLIAM CANNON. 
 
 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 013 760 383 4 f 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 013 760 383 4