Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-05-28
DISQUALIFICATION OF COLOR

On last Wednesday, the 2lst, the Senate
bill, removing all disqualihcations OF color in
carrying the mails, being before the House OF
Representatives at Washington, was, on mo-
tion of Mr.. Colfax, (Republcan,) laid on the
table, (Which is equivalent to killing it, by a
vote OF yeas 83, nays 43. Mr. Patton, the
member from this district, voted to lay the bill
on the table. In reporting back the bill, Mr..
Colfax, the Chairman of the Committee, made
some remarks, setting forth the reasons which
actuated the Committee in recommending that
esting facts, we transfer them 10 our columns !:
NJ. Colfax. ] am instructed by the Com
mittee on the Post Office and Post Roads TO re-
port back act IS. No. 237) to remove all
disqualification Of color in carrying the mails,
with recommendation that it do not pass.
The committee, by large majority, concur in
that report. / will state very briefly the rea-
sons which impelled me to come to that con-
clusion, without stating, of course, the rea-
sons that controlled the action of other mem
bers of the committee.
In 1925, some thirty seven years ago, Con-
g:ess passed law declaring that no other than
tree white persons shall be employed in con-
veying the mails, and that any contractor who
shall employ or permit any other than a free
white person to be employed in that work
shall, for every such ofense incur penalty of
ten dollars. That law has been on the statute
book Tor more than a third of a century. A
mong all the petitions presented during that
time to this House and the Senate, from peo-
pie in all sections of the country, there has
not been, so far as | have been able to discoy-
er, single petition from any person, white or
black, male or female, asking for a repeal or
modification of this law. 1t has remained
there by common consent until the present
timc and therefore think it unwise and mex
pedient to pass the bill at the present time,
not being demanded by public opinion.
In the second place, the repeal of this bill
does not affect exclusively the blacks OF the
country, as generally supposed. 1t will throw
open the business Of mail contracting and of
thus becoming officers of tie Post Office De-
partment, not only TO blacks. but also to the
Indian tribes, civilized and uncivlized and
TO the Chinese, who have come in such large
numbers to the Pacific coast. These last are
not recognized there as entitled to the rights
and privileges of free white persons but the
effect of this bill would be, as say to make
ofncers OF Government, as mall carriers of all
these classes of persons who obtain contracts
OF the Department.
In the third place, it is nece ssary--and that
is one reason evidently which induced the pas
sage OF the original law-it is necessary to
have testimony by which you can convict mail
depredators. Now, in some of the States of
this Union--I do not say where they are, for
they are not confined exclusively to one sec
tion-in some of the States Indians and ne
groes, and in California and Oregon the Chi
nese also, are not allowed by the statutes of
the State to give testimony in the courts a.
gainst white persons. Gentlemen may say
that such laws ale unjust and improper, but
the Congress of the United States cannot
change them IL we would. They are upon
the statute books of the States and In the |
Y nited States courts, sitting in the various !
States. the rules Of evidence of those States |
are regarded as the rules of evidence for the !