St. Mary's gazette., 1866-04-26
(From the Baltimore Gazette
TIE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL IN MD.

/ TIE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL IN MD.
! The Civil Rights bill is likely to be pro-
dnctiyc of the fruits of liscori somewhat
sooner than we had anticipated We fel,
| sure that Al, act which violates the Copsti-
tuition. infringes the rights Of The States
and attempts to compel equality between
! the white and black races, would ultimate
ly work mischief only If it is enforced
hy the Federal Government, it is the germ
/ from which centralized despotism vii! be
rapidly developed. If it is not vigorously
executed by the 'Nthorities at Washington,
it will inevitably be the source of collision
between the races, if not of general anarchy.
The effort on the part of the radical fac
ton to compel the people of this State and
of others which are not even permitted to
lave representatives at the seat of tGovcrn-
ment, to rcnouncc the tight to discriminate
III any way between whites and blacks can
only result in fomcntine an an agoniSm be-
| tween the races which has not heretofore
existed, and this feeling will be fearfully
intensified when the people more clearly
perceive that he-objcct of the scheme is to
place the white man in political slhordlna-
ton to the negroes where the latter con-
sti ute majority Of the population. That
any such usurpatlon on the part OF Con
grcss was necessary for the protection of
any class or race is untrue. Before the
abolition of slavery the condition of the
slaves was above that of the laboring pop
ulation of any ohcr country, i'll the world.
Physically and morally they were better
of 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 en-
dcl. Virginia has passed admirable laws
for the protection of the freedmen. Her
Legislature has provided that "no contract
between a white person and col"rcd per
son for the labor or service of the latter
for longer period than two months shall
| be binding on the latter unless signed by
the parties before ccrtain public officers,
who are required to read aloud and explain
the con ract before ii is executed. Every
master to whom any apprentice may.
hencefortll, DO bound is required to have
such apprentice taught ''rcading, writing
and senl,non arithmetic, including the rule
of three Col"red persons are also de
cared to be admissible as witnesses III all
proceedings in law or in c1uitv in which
they may be benefited or injured hy the re-
suit. and in all criminal proceedings in
which 4 colo-cd person is party, or whlcl
arise ont of an injury done, attempted or
threatened to his or her person, property OF
rights Other provisions have been alSo
made which are calculatcdto further protect
andelcvatc the race The Legislature of Gr"l
sia has also enacted that persons otcnlar shall
have the right to make and enforce con-
tracts. to hc parties to suits, to give evl-
dcncc. to iuherit and to purchase proper
ty, and that they shall not be subject to
any other or different punishment or pen
atty for til" commission of any act or OF
fence than such rs are prescribed tor white
persons The evidence given. net only by
Southern gentlemen of position and mtel-
lccncc, but bv \ majority of the Fedora
officers who have testified before the Re
construction Committee shows conclusive
" that there is no such disposition on III,
part Of the Southern people to pcrsccnt,
the negroes, a> few malignant and men
,laciou< correspondents of certain radica
Journals constantly represent to exist On
the contrary, II is manifest, from the tc>-
timouy uow before the world. that the pco-
llr ofthc South ar" anxious only for the
return of something. like order and pros
peritv, and that while securing, as far a>
they can their own rights. they are will
ling tn accord to the negroes every lcga
security that is necessary to afford them
the ampr>t protection for their freedom
their persons and their property. Anc
unc out OF ten Of the radicals III Washing
ton know that this is 50. But mere protection
for the negro i not what they are seeking
This Is but the pretcNt They want It
ne the blacks rs a political power They
cannot interpret the State laws to mean
that the rights of person is a phras,
which necessarily includes the right of sut,
fra1c But Federal judges may rcadil.
be found who would give this intcrprcta-
ton. to IN act Of Congress and such in
t,rprotation could be then enforced by
the Federal sword 1t is for this reason
that the attempt is now made to place The
negroes under the exclusive jurisdiction Q
the Federal Government OF the inten
lion of the advocates Of the Civil Right,
bill To claim for the blacks social, If no,
political equality, we have already >eel
significant indications, even in this city
On FRIDAY I colorel man took his seat il
one of the carS which plv between this cit,
and TowS,ntown. and. when compelled t,
: leave it t> tie conductor, he noted til,
number Of the car and went away. Or
the same night another colorcd man insis
ted that hr had right to purchase a tick
ct at admission IL amy part OF the li"ih
dav Street ThcAtrc. And on Saturda,
still another clained that aS citizen. h,
WIS entitled to demand 10 be served at th,
bar Of any ptthli, house lhat the color
ID p>opl, Of tins city have teon lu>pi7ec
ty tic l~s~.s, Of the ti,ll IL ehts b.! I