ART. 2. The appointment of officers and the training of the Militia shall be regulated in such manner as may hereafter be deemed expedient by the Legislature; and all persons, who from scruples of conscience shall be averse to bearing arms, shall be excused on such conditions as shall hereafter be prescribed by law. The first of these resolutions is identical with the seventh resolution of the Committee. The second provides for the exercise by the Legislature of powers expressly reserved to the States over the appointment of officers and the training of the militia; and taking advantage of the Act of Congress which allows the States to determine who shall be exempted from military duty, it plants in the text of the Constitution a clause by which this immunity is secured to all persons who from scruples of conscience are averse to bearing arms. I believe we cannot go far beyond these without doing too much, while these seem to me enough. POWERS OF THE STATE OVER THE MILITIA: COLORED COMPANIES. SPEECH IN CONVENTION TO REVISE AND AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF MASSACHUSETTS, JUNE 22, 1853. On 22d June the following resolution was brought forward by Mr. Wilson:-- "_Resolved_, That no distinction shall ever be made, in the organization of the volunteer militia of this Commonwealth, on account of color or race." On this proposition Mr. Sumner spoke as follows. I HAVE a suggestion for my friend opposite [Mr. WILSON], in regard to the form of his proposition, which, if he accepts it, will, as it seems to me, absolutely remove his proposition from the criticism of my most eloquent friend before me [Mr. CHOATE], and from the criticism of other gentlemen who have addressed the Convention. I suggest to strike out the word "militia," and substitute the words "military companies," so that his proposition will read, "that in the organization of the volunteer military companies of the Commonwealth there shall be no distinction of color or race." MR. WILSON. I accept the suggestion, and will amend my proposition accordingly. MR. SUMNER. Now the proposition, as amended, I assert, is absolutely consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and, I believe, in conformity with the public sentiment of Massachusetts.