The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-14
Republican view Of the Civil
Rights Act.


Rights Act.
From the n. Y. Evening Post, April loth.
This act, which Is to-day the law {
the land, secures to every person in th
country the right to make and enfoFc
contracts, to sue, to be sued, be partie
and give evidence, 70 inherit, purehase
lease, sell, hold and convey resi- an,
personal property; it guarantees to g.
alike the full and equal benefit Of al
laws and proceedings for the security 0
person and property and it Subjects al
alike to the same punishments. Furth
er, it subjects any one to penalty o
| fine and Imprisonment who for any
cause deprives any person Of any O
these equal rights.
The enforcement of this imDOrta nj
law is entrusted to the United States
District Courts, either separately, OF
concurrently with the United States
Circuit Courts to one Of which any
one threatened with such wrong as
this law seeks to prevent, may remove
his cause. In practice the Court win
iirst decide, We suppose, in such 4 case,
whether there is reason for the appeal.
1t is further made the duty Of the
Circuit Courts of the. United States 10
appoint from time to time additional
commissioners, who are officers before
whom persons charged with violatin 2
this law are to be brought for examin-
alton. The commissioner may discharge
from arrest, or he may commit for trial.
Marshals and deputy marshals are also
obliged to execute all warrants and
precepts issued under the provisions of
TINS act, and they may be fined for re-
nissness in duty. The commissioners
may appoint persons to execute their
warrants, and these are authorised, if
necessary, to call upon the bystanders.
and even upon the military and naval
forces, for help.
None of the officers created by this
law receive salaries; but only fees for
the services they are called upon to
perform. TheTA as Rsell as the mar
shals and other onited States officers.
are compelled to act if called upon.
and to resist them is made an offence
punishable by fine and imprisonment
The President is i.asthorized-but not
obliged-by the al if he thinks it
necessary or SdVissble, to direct the
Judge, marsh ar attorney of any
United States DA sFiet Court 10 attend
at particular place within the district,
for the more speedy arrest and trial of
offenders; and the President Is also au-
thOrized-but not obhged-to employ
the military forces for the vindieation
Of the law.
1t will be seen that the President has
very little to do with the execution of
the Civil Rights act; he appoints the
circuit and district Judges when the
places fall vacant; that is ell. Those
copperhead journals, therefore, which
have been for week past urging him
to defy Congress" and "refuse TO exc
cute the law if it should be passed over
his veto, only showed that they had
not read the bill, and that they were
and denouncing q measure to
which they had not given the most
cursory examination. fhe President
however, is not such q man as these
people take him to be. The Washing
ton correspondent of the Tribune tele-
graphs, no doubt, correctly:
Tonight the Democrats are out Of
humor st everybody, and are cursing
the President Justify, charging that he
could have protected the veto If he
would have done properly. They de-
clare that they are done with him
The President expresses himself as sat
isfied with the result, declaring that If
members conscientiously considered
that they ought to pass it, he would not
object, and would carry oat its provi-
ssons SO far as they dep3aded upon
him"
We have explained above the dry
details of the Civil Rights act, because
we think it important that they should
be generally understood Those who
believe with US that neither peace nor
prosperity can be permanent or solid,
unless all men are assured of equal
protection before the law, will thank !
the manly majority in Congress; which |
has stood firm, and has given so Just
and necessary a law TO the land. Now
that the law is passed, we may rejoice |
over the Presidents proclamation of |
peace, his restoration of the civil law, /
and withdrawal of military governs |
ment We have gained the great start. |
ing point, from which the social prob !
lem which distracts the Southern States |
may be safely left to work itself out, |
without interference by the general |
government If all men are equal be- |
fore the law, if all are amenable to
like punishments, and are assured the |
same rights. we shall need no eleemo- |
synaTy bureaus, no government chart |
tres, but can leave every man TO 'hoe !
his own row, to use a common phrase. |
If by reason OF the extraordinary |
of the South there is suf- |
fering there which the benevolent in
that section cannot relieve, there is
money and good will in the North to |
help; if there is ignorance there which |
ought to be extirpated, NortherR pri-
vate beneyolence will help in this good /
work; IN short, whatever remains to be
done, now that equal rights are secured
by an effective law, is not for the Presi.
dent, or for Congress, or for government !
in any shape to do, but for the people,
IN their private capacity, for voluntary |
associations, churches and other organ.
izations. We do not fear that these |
will fail, and we hail the passage Of the
Civil Rights act, therefore, as the be-
ginning Of true reconstruction.