Page:Constitution of the Confederate States of America.djvu/21

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.

21

3. This Constitution, and the laws of the Confederate States, made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the Confederate States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.

4. The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the Confederate 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 Confederate States.

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

6. The powers not delegated to the Confederate States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, respectively, or to the people thereof.


ARTICLE VII.

1. The ratification of the conventions of five states shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the states so ratifying the same.

2. When five states shall have ratified this Constitution, in the manner before specified, the Congress under the Provisional Constitution, shall prescribe the time for holding the election of President and Vice President; and, for the meeting of the Electoral College; and, for counting the votes, and inaugurating the President. They shall, also, prescribe the time for holding the first election of members of Congress under this Constitution, and the time for assembling the same. Until the assembling of such Congress, the Congress under the Provisional Constitution shall continue to exercise the legislative powers granted them; not extending beyond the time limited by the Constitution of the Provisional Government.