[Amerigomag]

And because of this new influx of federalism, the Southern States, now composed only of Federalist representatives, were finally forced to ratify the 14th Amendment

This would lead a resonable person to assume that the amendment had the requesit 3/4 of the states before approval by the senate.

Not true. Just before submission to the senate New Jersy withdrew it's ratification in protest to the high handed tactics of the Republicans.

The 14th then stands alone as the only extraconsitiutional amendment approved by the senate.

It comes as no surprise to anyone that this amendment has changed the face of our democratic republic. This amendment has singlehandedly reshaped our government into the centralized institution that it is today.

[H.Akston]

The second step in the "ratification" process was bad enough, but the first was even more blatant. When the Yankee congress voted with a "2/3rds majority" to send this amendment to the states, no Southern state had suffrage in the Senate.

And of course Article V says "..No state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate".

[cartoonistx]

Spill't Milk, I say...not worth cryin' over now. Does anyone truly believe that if the 14th amendment were to be overturned on these grounds that it would not be overwhelmingly reinstituted? Move on. Much ado about nothing here!