As Congress passed these propositions by the necessary two-thirds majority they were not submitted to the President at all, it being considered that his disapproval, if given, would avail nothing against such a majority. This has been the custom from the first in Congressional propositions of amendment, and it is now too late to dispute its regularity. But it is easy to see that the President might support a veto of such propositions by such reasoning as to make it at least possible that sufficient votes might be changed from affirmative to negative upon them, to finally defeat them; and it is certainly true that the Constitution requires that every bill, order, resolution, or vote to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of adjournment) shall be presented to the President and is subject to his approval or veto, no matter by what majority it may have been passed.
However, President Johnson had no opportunity to express himself officially or make himself officially felt in regard to this Amendment.
The President's attitude
toward the proposed
amendment.
Mr. Seward issued his notification of the passage of the amendment by Congress to the "State" legislatures for their ratificatory action on
Mr. Seward's
acts in regard to
ratification.
On the other hand, the Reconstruction Committee of Congress had reported a bill along with the Article of Amendment, which virtually