The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-04-24
Tle nron-elad Negro Law.

By the infamous Civil Rights law the
Negro is clothed with so many privileges
and immnnities denied to the white man
that he is almost pnassailable-fairly
iron clad. The following extract from the
Address of the johnson Club, published
in the National lateHigencer shows some
of the iniquities of this corrupt and
atrocious law:
aThe Civil Rights Bill is a scion Of
this more formidable predecessor. 1t
purports to grantcivilrights to the blacks
to place them as citizens On a perfect
equality with the whites. Its dictum is
that there shall be no discrimination be-
tween the races in regard to civil rights,
aud yet the very first step in the code
takes from the State courts their indepen-
dence as judicial tribunals, and breaks
down the authority of the people who
create them.
IF the Judges of the State courts decide
against any of the grants or immunities
conferred upon the freedmen by the Civil
Rights Bill, the Judge is to be fined or
imprisoned for it, no matter how consci-
e%ntious his decision, or whether it be foun-
ded on his views Of the Constitution, or
the laws of Congress, or the Constitution
or the laws of the State which he is
sworn to administer. There is no such
penalty affixed in case of a Judgment
against a white man, whose person or
property may be involved in the judges
decision. In case a white citizen of a
State sues another he is confined to seek
Justice in a State Court. The negro is
privileged to prosecute in the State Court,
the District Court of the United States,
or the Circuit Court of the United States.
SO he may drag a white man through all
the tribunals of the country. Isiuot this
discrimination?
"But there is another of still more
practical Importance. The bill requires
that commissioners be appointed through
out the States to become prosecutors of
suits for freedmen litigants. This new
tribe of p~ursuivants of litigation are to
receive a premium from the Treasury of
ten dollars for every suit they can induce
the freedmen to permit to be brought in
his name, and Ave dollars additional is to
be paid on the warrant when issued. For
similar services a State justice receives
twenty five cents.
"a poor white man nowhere in the
world has such assistance in asserting his
rights or redressing his wrongs. He has
to pay the tax and fees when he appeals
to the courts for justice, and the lawyers
as counsel; but for the freedmen there is
a host of commissioners provided, to in
stigate and prosecute suits, prompted by
fees in advance, which alone would make
tia lucrative pursuit, to say nothing Of
what might be obtained from the plaintiff
or extorted from the defendant.
@There appears to be some discrimina-
ton of races, where We find the purse of
the nation opened to one race and stimu-
huntsmen to hunt the other as a
sort of prey. This must be meant as a
retaliation on the whites (although parcel
ed and promised peace at their own homes)
for the cruelties of Senator Mason's Flu
giti7e- slave Bill. The latter, however,
only reached a few individuals. The hired
of the Civil Rights Bill will hunt
the white man down at his home,or drive
him from it, and he is commissioned to
drag State judges from their courts to trial
before United States Courts, and thence
to the punishments they adjudge, for err
ror Of opinion"