New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-03
EQUAL RIGHTS.

\ EQUAL RIGHTS.
\ 1t is little curious that Philadelphia should
Hbe slower to abandon her prcjudices against
scolor than New-York, and that while we have
months since acknowledged the right Of negroes
70 be carried in all public conyeyances, the City
sof Brotherly Love should still be struggling
Eagainst law and gospel, resortng not UNI
Frequently TO violence, and compelling the
sblacks to seek the Courts for redress. The best
Efeaturc of the case is that to come extent the
Courts of that city dispense justice as well as
slaw. Very recently an action was tried and
decided upon facts and principles which ought to
settle the question for the company concerned, ii
Enot for all companies A cOlored woman en-
stered car and took her seat without objection,
fher face being covered with vail When her
color was discovered, some less respectable pas
sengers asked the conductor to remove her, and
he betook himself first to a request. which being
epropery refused, was followed by ayiolent ejec-
ton Of the woman. She thcrcupon brought an
faction, and the case coming to trial on the law
and the fact, got q verdict OF fifty dollars dam
iages against the company. The sum is small,
being reduced, we presume, by negro-hatlng
| iurors, who nevertheless found themselves IN
able to refuse giving some substantial verdict.
They made it as little as they could, but by that
livery act declared more emphatically than other
wise the impossibility Of denying the liability OF
the company.
! We do not learn what action if any has been
Itaken in consequence of this legal decision.
There is a variance in the charters Of the COM
panies; one or more containing the express pro-
vision that there shall be no exclusion from cars
on account of color; but We do not regard the
final settlement of the question, if it goes to the
shigher Courts, a. likely to depend Oh tie exis-
tcncc or non.cxislence in any charter OF such
Stimulation. II will be found there as here that
,unc-s the charter contains an express permits
sion to exclude colored passengers, the right to
Iexcludc cannot be legally inferred nor practi-
scally exercised-and OF course no charter Goes
lcontain any such clause. But why should II
.not. If that is TO be the meaning aud effect OF
emitting i'll Why, unless that it would be
sputiiug into the statute a too plain admission
and too revolving declaration Of that barharism
(which tie companies have been seeking covert
b. aud without law 70 enforce against an un-
lpopular class
4 Il Is urged in Philadelphia as il was urged
here that public opinion demanded or at least
lsupportcd the exclusion Of the blacks. Were
that true, so much the greater disgrace to both
sci,ies. for il would transfer the odium Of mean
act from q few companies 20 the people az large,
and the character IT two cities instead of few
Corporations would suffer. But 10 is not true.
The burden Of proof lies on the party making
that allegation, and tie proof is not forth
coming. True, there Was a sham hustings IN
thc cars, trauspagenily fraudulent and ridicu.
lous prctcnsc Of voting on this question by
passengers at the instigation OF the companies,
but those who were concerned in 10 were only
too glad to have it forgotten-much less is it
now offered in evidence OF public opinion.
But Philadelphia and all other cities ought to
meet this question on much broader grounds.
In New-York there was good prospect Of n
struggle that should last for years, yet when the
iquestion was agitaed when II was pressed upon
| the people and almostn terms referred to thema-
urity OF voices to decide it was decided in three
;months--and decided forever. IL is impossible
| there should be any community where greater
proportion Of citizens hate their black fellow
lcitizens than Ncw-York, but even in New-York
this blind prejudice could make no resistance to
! the conviction OF the majority that the negroes
HAD the same right as the whitcs-no more and
10 less, to those facilities Of conveyance which
were provided by a law that in terms drew no
idistinction of color. Irrational, bigoted and in
veterate as is the antiplthy Of one class To
another, let Us be thankful that the principle OF
Democracy of equal rights before the law, is
planted still deeper in the popular heart. Fight
ing for four years to maintain that principle all
sovcr the continent, what ludicrous inconSis-
tency il is to deny it at our own doors-to per-
nit an ignorant faction or a subscryient corpo-
ration TO offer the same insult to humanity
which we have resented by arms when thirteen
States attempted it. Let Philadelphia and every
other city take the lesson to heart.
sx....sr~=..sss<s-s-<.~~
| The Uorh is quito wrong in saying that THE
lTRIBUSB undertook defense" Of Gov. Fen
1 toms veto on tho Central fare bill. We did
nothing of the kind. Gov. Fenton's veto mes