[3] This was to protect the small states, in whose interest the senate was organized.

The first ten amendments were proposed by congress at its first session in 1789, and they were ratified in 1791.

Two other amendments were proposed at the same time, but they were not ratified.  One of them was to regulate the number of representatives; the other, to prevent congressmen from increasing their own salaries.

The eleventh amendment was proposed in 1796, and ratified in 1798.

The twelfth amendment, a consequence of the disputed election of 1801, was proposed in 1803, and ratified in 1804.

An amendment prohibiting citizens of the United States from accepting any titles, pensions, presents, or other emoluments from any foreign power, on pain of loss of citizenship, was proposed in 1811, but it was not ratified.

An amendment making slavery perpetual was proposed in 1861, in the hope that this might avert the war, but it was not ratified.

The thirteenth and fourteenth amendments were proposed in 1865 and 1868 respectively, and they were ratified the same years.

The fifteenth amendment was proposed in 1869, and ratified in 1870.

The propositions of amendments have thus far been made by congress, and all ratifications have been made by the state legislatures.

Pertinent Questions.

State four ways in which the constitution may be amended.  What temporary limitation was placed upon the power to amend the constitution?  What permanent prohibition?  How is the English constitution amended?  In what case must congress call a convention to propose amendments?  Must the convention thus called propose any amendments?  Which is the better of the two ways of proposing amendments?  When an amendment is proposed by two-thirds of both houses of congress, is it necessary to secure the approval of the president?  Can a state withdraw its ratification of an amendment?  When is an amendment, once proposed, dead?  Did it take three-fourths of all the states or only three-fourths of the loyal states to ratify the thirteenth amendment?  How many of the disloyal states finally ratified it?  How is the ratification and consequent validity of any proposed amendment made known?

CHAPTER XXVII.

ARTICLE VI.—­MISCELLANEOUS.

Clause 1.—­Prior Debts and Engagements.

All debts contracted and engagements entered into before the adoption of this constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this constitution as under the confederation.

The debts were incurred and the engagements were entered into by the United States, and changing the form of government would not release the country from its obligations.  The insertion of this provision however, served as an explicit statement of the purpose of the government to live up to its engagements.