American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-04-26

trial and conviction of the owners,
in violation of the express terms OF
the Constitution. 1t established
tribunals and created municipal
code, multitudes of judicial and ex.
ecutive officers to execute it, in der
ogation of the rights of the States,
and for the benefit of a whole people,
to whom the courts of the States
were open, but which were curtailed
in their rightful jurisdiction by the
Intervention of Congress, which the
army was to be called ON to carry
into effect by forcing submission to
the Judgment of the head of each bu-
reau-a judgment from which there
was no appeal. The law was simply
an agrarian law to plant the black
race, to supplant the whole, and
make a new government, with an
army to enforce it over the PROSTATE
States. How much wiser and better
would it be to provide homes and a
country and a refuge on the vacant
domain OF the Government for the
inferior race, where they might en-
JOY an actual equality among them
Selves-establish government for
themselves, under the instruction
and protectien of our great republic /;
where they might assert substantial
independence, and be stimulated by
the highest motives to cultivate the
nObler faculties of men, The vacu-
UNI left by these transplantations
would, as Mr.. Jefferson contemplated
OH this event, be supplied from the
North and from our northern kindred
nations. No part of the earth is
more inviting to the white race than
the sunny South. All its products
are golden, and of cheaper acquisi-
ton than gold itself in the richest
mines, and nothing has prevented
this rich region from being filled with
population, but the protection which
has been extended to the black race
while held as slaves by the strong
arm of the white race. Such an eX-
change of population, while advan-
tageous to both races, would make
our Government homogeneous and
secure in peace, by peaceful methods.
This result is inevitable. Radical
policy may hasten it by causing it to
force itself on by that inbnman pro-
cess which delivered the n0n-civilizcd
portion of our continent from the bar
barian tribes, its original posSessorS,
But it is altogether better that the
wiser course pointed out by Mr. JET
ferson should be adopted.
The civil rights bill is scion of
this more formidable predecessor, 1t
purports to grant civil rights to the
blacks to place them as citizens on
perfect equality with the whites. Its
dictum is that there shall be no dis
elimination between the races il re-
gard to civil rights, and yet the very
first step in the code takes from the
state courts their independence as
judicial tribunals, and breaks down
the authority of the people who ere
ate 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 conscientious
his decision, or whether it be founded
on his views Of the Constitution, or
the laws of Congress-, or the Consti-
tuition or the laws of the State which
he is sworn to administer. There is
no such penalty affixed in case of
Judgment against 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,
Of the circuit court of the United
States. So he may drag the white
man through all the tribunals of the
country. Is not this discrimination!
But there is another of still more
practical Importance. The bill re-
quires that commissioners be appoint
ed throughout the states 10 become
prosecutors of suit for freedmen liti-
giants. This new tribe of purSuivantS
of litigation are to receive premium
from the Treasury of ten dollars for
every suit they can induce the freed
man to permit to be brought i'll his
name, and five dollars additional is
to be paid on the warrant when
issued. For similar service a State .
Justice receives twenty-five cents. .
A poor white man nowhere i'll the
world has such assistance in assert
ing 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 coun-
sci but for the freedmen there is a
host of commissioners provided, to
instigate and prosecute suits, prompt /
ed by fees in advance, which alone
would make it lucrative pursuit, to
say nothing of what might he OBJ
tanned from the plaintiff or eXtorted
from the defendant. There seems to
be some discrimination of races
where we find the purse Of the nation
opened to one race and stimulating
huntsmen to hunt the other as a sort
of prey. This must be meant as re- |
t;.,iation on the whites (although pa
rolled and promised peace at their
own hOmes) for the cruelties of Sen
ator Mason's fugitive slave bill. The
latter, however, only reached a few