The evening Argus., 1866-04-30
SCivil Rights.o

The black lady "down souf' who applied
at the proper office for desirable article of
household furniture, innocently supposing
that the duty OF that new tangled arrange
ment, called the the freedmen's bureau, was
really to supply bureau to every dark
skinned housekeeper, represents the notion
current among her class. Their notion of the
effect of the civil zig hts act is, that it entities
every body, black and white, to any article or
enjoyment, ,op which is fixed price that they
are willing to pay. Under this view of it, a
negro, or "any other man" Though some of
the negrophlilists would probably deny it as
to the Aatter), has a right to sit In any seat
which has price fixed on it, provided be
tenders the entrance fee, This, of course, in-
cludes the right to enter into any public con-
yeyance or place of public entertainment, and
to claim the beet vacant place in either, pro-
vided he has paid the price for it, A vilely,
dirtily dressed citizen, black or white, his
breath reeking villainously of garlic and
whisky, and his cuticle exuding odors not
from Araby the blsst, may, under this rule,
lawfully beat down all resistance which
would keep him out OF the best box at the
opera. The proprietors of such houses as the
Southern, Barnum's or the Lindell Hotel, in
this city, may think it too great a stretch of
what is regarded as accommodating" in all
gentlemen of their calling, to admit such an
Individual to their sun.ptuous and elegant ta-
bles bat what are their opinions or decls-
ions weighed againt the construction of the
civil rights act? That rule of our railroads
which bars out of thu ''ladies' car" all but an
excepted class must give way to this con-
struction. As to omnibuses and street cars
there can of course be no longer moments
doubt, We expect to see Barnum entering
suit against Bennett for the exclusion of the
formers advertisement from the New York
Herald. This exclusion was no doubt uncly-
il on the part of Bennett, and, under the con-
struction contended for, Barnum, even though
he is not a black man, may get an order from
chanceYy for the future insertions of his an
nou uncements In the Herald, or a. least may
recover. through some court, damages for the
denial of a common right. ANY punishment
by any state law of intermarriage between
black and white, or any prohibition OF such
mongrel mixtures, Is equally out of the ques-
| tion. Not only Othello, the noble, Roman
nosed, stralght-haired Moor, MAY elope with
! the daughter OF q full-blooded C9d oaslan rad
| ical a5ohtlonist. but the male party to that
performance may be an .'eooe-shInned,
| ''blubber Tipped" 'fat-nosed," )" "woolly pat
ed" monkeyfed and odoriferous negro, while
the paternaI parent, if be attempts to prose
cute "the fellow" will find his case only an
| other of that class in which people 60 out to
gather aoool, aud come: home shorn them
| selves.
How can the negro ssright to sit on grand
and petit juries be contested Respectable
white men are summoned on such Jurles;why
not respectable blacks?
| In fact it would be difficult to say what
construction may not be put upon this act
| difficult to say what may not be contended
| for as civil rights under it. The act, go far
as any act of congress 10 competent to do it,
confers citizenship on negroes. We already
know what is the opinion of ono mem Der oi
| the United States senate as to the effect OF
| that clause We know that Mr.. Yates, Of
Illinois, contends that it grants to negroes
the right of voting and of being voted for
| We have no doubt whatever that under it a
I claim to vote will be set up in some of the
| states. --~Es ..
| We trust all the questions will be speedily
settled. Let the claims-all claims thst car
be imagined TO be authorized by this act
/ be made ct once, or as fast as possible. The
sooner they are settled by the courts or BY
custom, the better. If our people in large
sections of the country are to become mon
grel mixtures of hybrids, or if large sections
| OF the country are to be surrendered to the
/ exclusive occupancy of ths negroes-results
whi,h such Legislation as the civil rights ac
are no doubt well calculated to bring a about-
the sooner the people of this country know il
the better.--6. Louis Republican,