Politically Incorrect Guide To The Constitution (Politically Incorrect Guides) (42 page)

The Senators and Representatives
before mentioned, and the Members of
the several State Legislatures, and all
executive and judicial Officers, both
of the United States and of the several
States, shall be bound by Oath or
Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be
required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the
United States.

Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and

to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient
for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying
the Same.

The Word, "the," being interlined
between the seventh and eighth Lines
of the first Page, the Word "Thirty"
being partly written on an Erazure in
the fifteenth Line of the first Page, The
Words "is tried" being interlined
between the thirty second and thirty
third Lines of the first Page and the
Word "the" being interlined between
the forty third and forty fourth Lines
of the second Page.

Attest William Jackson Secretary

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the
Seventeenth Day of September in the
Year of our Lord one thousand seven
hundred and Eighty seven and of the
Independence of the United States of
America the Twelfth In witness
whereof We have hereunto subscribed
our Names,

G°. Washington

Presidt and deputy from Virginia

Geo: Read

Gunning Bedford jun

John Dickinson

Richard Bassett

Jaco: Broom

James McHenry

Dan of St Thos. Jenifer

Danl. Carroll

John Blair

James Madison Jr.

Wm. Blount

Richd. Dobbs Spaight

Hu Williamson

J. Rutledge

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney

Charles Pinckney

Pierce Butler

William Few

Abr Baldwin

John Langdon

Nicholas Gilman

Nathaniel Gorham

Rufus King

Wm. Saml. Johnson

Roger Sherman

Alexander Hamilton

Wil: Livingston

David Brearley

Wm. Paterson

Jona: Dayton

B Franklin

Thomas Mifflin

Robt. Morris

Geo. Clymer

Thos. FitzSimons

Jared Ingersoll

James Wilson

Gouv Morris

A well regulated Militia, being
necessary to the security of a free
State, the right of the people to keep
and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace
be quartered in any house, without the
consent of the Owner, nor in time of
war, but in a manner to be prescribed
by law.

The right of the people to be
secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not
be violated, and no Warrants shall
issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and
particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to
be seized.

No person shall be held to answer
for a capital, or otherwise infamous
crime, unless on a presentment or
indictment of a Grand Jury, except in
cases arising in the land or naval
forces, or in the Militia, when in
actual service in time of War or public
danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice
put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor
shall be compelled in any criminal
case to be a witness against himself,
nor be deprived of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of law;
nor shall private property be taken for
public use, without just compensation.

In all criminal prosecutions, the
accused shall enjoy the right to a
speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been
committed, which district shall have
been previously ascertained by law,
and to be informed of the nature and
cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against
him; to have compulsory process for
obtaining witnesses in his favor, and
to have the Assistance of Counsel for
his defence.

In Suits at common law, where the
value in controversy shall exceed
twenty dollars, the right of trial by
jury shall be preserved, and no fact
tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United
States, than according to the rules of
the common law.

Excessive bail shall not be
required, nor excessive fines imposed,
nor cruel and unusual punishments
inflicted.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others
retained by the people.

The powers not delegated to the
United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively, or
to the people.

Passed by Congress March 4, 1794.
Ratified February 7, 1795.

The Judicial power of the United
States shall not be construed to extend
to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of
the United States by Citizens of
another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

Passed by Congress December 9,
1803. Ratified June 15, 1804.

The Electors shall meet in their
respective states and vote by ballot for
President and Vice-President, one of
whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots
the person voted for as President, and
in distinct ballots the person voted for
as Vice-President, and they shall make
distinct lists of all persons voted for as
President, and of all persons voted for
as Vice-President, and of the number
of votes for each, which lists they
shall sign and certify, and transmit
sealed to the seat of the government of
the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;-the President of
the Senate shall, in the presence of the
Senate and House of Representatives,
open all the certificates and the votes
shall then be counted;-The person
having the greatest number of votes
for President, shall be the President, if
such number be a majority of the
whole number of Electors appointed;
and if no person have such majority,
then from the persons having the
highest numbers not exceeding three
on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives
shall choose immediately, by ballot,
the President. But in choosing the
President, the votes shall be taken by
states, the representation from each
state having one vote; a quorum for
this purpose shall consist of a member
or members from two-thirds of the
states, and a majority of all the states
shall be necessary to a choice. [And if
the House of Representatives shall not
choose a President whenever the right
of choice shall devolve upon them,
before the fourth day of March next
following, then the Vice-President
shall act as President, as in case of the
death or other constitutional disability
of the President.] The person having
the greatest number of votes as VicePresident, shall be the Vice-President,

if such number be a majority of the
whole number of Electors appointed,
and if no person have a majority, then
from the two highest numbers on the
list, the Senate shall choose the VicePresident; a quorum for the purpose
shall consist of two-thirds of the
whole number of Senators, and a
majority of the whole number shall be
necessary to a choice. But no person
constitutionally ineligible to the office
of President shall be eligible to that of
Vice-President of the United States.

Passed by Congress January 31,
1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.

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.

Congress shall have power to
enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Passed by Congress June 13, 1866.
Ratified July 9, 1868.

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.

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States
according to their respective numbers,
counting the whole number of persons
in each State, excluding 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, 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.

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

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

Passed by Congress February 26,
1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

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.

The Congress shall have the power
to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.

Passed by Congress July 2, 1909.
Ratified February 3, 1913.

The Congress shall have power to
lay and collect taxes on incomes, from
whatever source derived, without
apportionment among the several
States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

Passed by Congress May 13, 1912.
Ratified April 8, 1913.

The Senate of the United States
shall be composed of two Senators
from each State, elected by the people
thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in
each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch of the State legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the
representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such
State shall issue writs of election to
fill such vacancies: Provided, That the
legislature of any State may empower
the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill
the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so
construed as to affect the election or
term of any Senator chosen before it
becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

Passed by Congress December 18,
1917. Ratified January 16, 1919.

After one year from the ratification
of this article the manufacture, sale, or
transportation of intoxicating liquors
within, the importation thereof into,
or the exportation thereof from the
United States and all territory subject
to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage
purposes is hereby prohibited.

The Congress and the several
States shall have concurrent power to
enforce this article by appropriate legislation.