East Saginaw courier., 1866-05-09
The Fruits of the Civil Rights Bill
From the baltimore Gazeite.

somewhat sooner than we had antici-
pated. We felt sure that an act which
violates the Constitution, infringes the
rights of the States, and attempts to
compel equality between the white
and black races, would ultimately
work mischief only. Ii it is enforced
by the Federal Government, it is a
germ from which acentralized dsspot-
ism will be rapidly developed. Ii it
is not vigorously executed by the au-
thorities at Washington, it will inev-
itably be the source of collision be-
tween the races, if not of general
anarchy. The effort on the partfof
the radical faction to compel the peo-
pie of this State, and of others which
are not even permitted to have repre-
sentatives at-the seat of Government,
TO renounce the right to discriminate
in any way between whites and blacks,
can only result in fomenting an an
tagonism between the races which has
not heretofore existed, and this feeling
will he fearfully intensified when the
people more clearly perceive that the
object of the scheme is to place the
white man in political subordination
to the negroes where the latter con-
stitute majority Of the population
That any such usurpation on the part
of Congress was necessary for the pro-
lection of any class or race is untrue.
Before the abolition of slavery the
condition of the slaves was above that
of the laboring population Of any other
country in the world. Physically and
morally they were better off than the
toiling millions who drag out existence
in the mines and factories of England,
or who wearily SOW and reap the fields
of Ireland Since the war has ended,
Virginia has passed admirable laws
for the protection of freedmen. Her
Legislature has provided that "no
contract between a white person and
IA colored person for the labor or ser
vice of the latter for longer period
than two months shall be binding on
the latter" unless signed by the par
ties before certain public officers, who
are required to read aloud and explain
the contents before it is executed
Every master to whom any apprentice
may, henceforth, be bound, is required
to have such apprentice taught 'read-
ing, writing, and common arithmetic,
including the rule Of three" Colored
persons arc also declared to be admis-
sible as witnesses in all proceedings in
law or equity in which they may be
benefited or injured by the result, and
IN all criminal proceedings in which a
eolored person is a party, or which
arises out of an injury done, attempted,
or threatened to his or her person,
property, or rights. Other provisions
have been also made which are cal
culated to further protect and elevate
the race The Legislature OF Georgia
has also enacted that persons Of color
shall have the right to make and en-
force contracts, TO be parties to suits,
! to, give evidence, TO inherit and to pur-
chase property, and that they shall
not be subject to any other or different
punishment or penalty for the com
mission of any act or ofiense than such
as are prescribed for white persons
The evidence given, not only by South
ern gentlemen of position and intelli-
gence, but by a amajority of the Fed.
eral officers who have testified before
the Reconstruction Committee, shows
conclusively that there is no such dis
position on the part of the Southern
people to persecuto the negroes, rs q
few malicious and mendacious CORES.
pondents of certain radical Journals
constantly represent to exist. On the
contrary, it is manifest, from the ties.
timony now before the world, that the
people of the South are anxious only
for the return Of something like order
and prosperity, and that while secur'
ing, as far as they can, their owl
rights, they are willing to accord tc
the negroes every legal security tha'
is necessary to afford them the amples
protection for their freedom, their per
sons, and their property. And nine
out of ten Of the radicals in Washing
ton know that this is 80. But ,mer,
protection for the negro is not wha
they are seeking. This is but thu
pretext. They want to use the black
as a political power. They cannot in
terpret State laws to mean that tn,
''rights of person" is phrase which
necessarily includes the right Of suf
frage. But Federal judges may read
lily be found who would give this in
terpretation to an act Of Congress
and such Interpretation could he thel
enforced by the Federal sword. 1t i
for this reason that the. attempt i
now made TO place the negroes unde
the exclusive jurisdiction of the Fed
eral Government. OF the intention o
the advocates of the Civil Rights bill
10 claim for the blacks, social, if no
political equality, we have alread.
seen significant indications, even il
this oity, On Friday colored MAJ
took his seatin one of the street car
which ply between this city and Tow
sontown, and, when compelled 10 leay
it by the conductor, he noted the mum
Der of tho car and went away. o.
the same night another cplored maj
insisted that no had right to pun
chase d ticket Of admission to any par
of the Holiday Street. Theater. An
on Saturday still another claimed tha,
rs citizen, he was entitled to b
served at the bar of any public house
That the colored people of this cit
have been inspired by the passage 9
the Civil Rights bill to come forwar
voluntarily and make points like thes
no one who knows them will believs
The knaves and demagogues VIII
wish TO turn the negro to their ow
account have9eyidently 1instigatetl hir
to make this new issue. The insie