, 1866-03-27
TUESDAY, MARCH p, 1885.
REASONS OF THE YETn.

Of course the Presidents assault upon the
Civil Rights Bill will be based upon Its alleged
unconstttutionality. No measure Tor the pro-
lection Of the freedmen eau be devised which
will not be unconstitutional when subjected
to the dexterurs sophistry and bald uptruths
which were raincd down apon the Frcedmen's
Bureau bill, and that will agsain descend upon.
the unoGendlns Civil Rights Bill. The simple
facts orc that constitutional amendment
was recently passed aboltshine slavery in the
Cnitcd States. The second clause In this
amendment declares that Congress shall hare
all the needtul powers to carry the foregoing
amendment into elect.
Congress is therefore 1ndisputably clothed
with all power necdfnt 10 insure the total
abolition Of slavery. The act means all that
the baltimore platform means when II pledges
the Republican party generally and Andrew
johnson as n candidate specially, to the
"totnl extirpation Of slavery from American
soil" It wns hnmcd 10 fnlt7l that pledge,
and it cmpowc1s Congress to pass all acts
nccdiul to lts complete fuldlnent-
The Civil Rights Lill, now about to be We
tocd, does not confer the right Of suffrage as
i, ought to do; It does not allow colored men
to sit on iuries as 1t ought to do; but simply
cnacts that no State shall pass or enforce
any laws which give the negro my
Ices or fewer rights OF person or property
than lc would be entitled to II he were white.
or subject him to any seycrer penalties than
whites would be subject to for the same Of.
fcEccs.
Na State Inv should be passed tbat no col
ored u,nn shall own real estate or personal
Fl H.
Hut il we couccde that Southern State can
clact that colorcd man shall not own real
estate, we concedc Its power to prevent him
from ewnins anything, or to re-enslave him.
So ifa etatc law shall enact TINT white man
shah be punished Tor larceny hy one years I'm
rrisonmcnt, but that blaek man shall be
punished for the same offence by two yea.s'
imprisonment. the Civil Rights Bill would en-
nul such law. But If such law wcrc not
annullcd, the State Legislature could ut the
next session extend the punishment of 1arce-
nv by d negro, making it for len years o. for
life, and instead of confinip. the negro In q
prison, could sell him Us slave. Again, II q
sstnte which allows white man 10 contract
for lls labor when, where, for what, and
whom he pleases, should enact that negro
should only coutrac1 during the first week in
January, for one year, ~ = domestic or field
servant, at a,,ecided sum Der month. this
Civil Rights Bill would annul such
lzw. But the State that
can pass such law ean enslaye the
negro. Mississippi, South Carclina and
Louisiana hare passed such laws. Thcy still
remain unrepealed on their statute books.
though their enforcement Is Temporarily and
lrregula1)y suspended bv military orders.
Hence there Is direct necessity for The pas-
sage Of such bill 10 prevent the re eustaye,
mcnt OF freedmen. Congress is authorized
by tho constitutional Amendment to pass al
laws necessary 10 maintain the freedom o,
the cmancipated race- Hence they hare the
clear right to pass this l1ll.
But no law for such pur72ose would be valid
or ellectual without penalty. Hence Con.
gross aflixcs the penai.y nj one vcar,s m
prisonmcnt and fine OF 81 900 for yio1at1np
lhss law.
The parties upon whom such n oens1.v
would be visited, If al all, would be the men. !.
lcrs OF legislatures, aud officers of the courts.
OF the several states, which should pass or