The Portland daily press., 1866-10-29

Monday Morning, October 20, 1866.
The Civil Rights Lnw..
PORTLAND.

There is a single passage in Secretary
Browning's long letter to his Illinois 'rienu''
which at the present moment is OF espe.'"'
terest to the public II is not his eiapora'o
review of tho nendinG Constitutional amend
ment. That had been too thoroughly uiscuss-
cd hafore II is not his declaration that me.
GRO eutIraoe is the only real and substantial
ground of controversy between the executive
and legislative branches of the government.
everybody knows better. 1t is not the threat
of civil war That has been heard from Mont
gomery Blair and has lost its novelty. But
here is something for which the nation has
been anxiously waiting: "Ours," says Mr.
Browning, lis a republican government where
THE MAJORITY HAS RIGHT TO RULE.
Minorities cannot, without subverting the
government, and when, according to the forms
prescribed, the will of the majority is express
ed in the Constitution or the law, IT is THE
DUTY OF ALL TO SUBMIT TO IT, until it can
be fairly and coustitutionally changed. SUCH
IKNow TO BE THE PRESIDENTS INTENTIONS,
and such know he wishes to be the rule Of
conduct for his friends and supporters"
This assertion derives its chief importance
from the fact that Mr.. Browning is under
stood to have submitted his letter to the Pres
ident, who approved it as correct exposition
of his present intentions and desired il to be
published. For the present, therefore, we are
assured that Mr.. johnson intends to submit
to the will of the majority as expressed in the
Constitution and the laws. This has been all
along looked for. 1t has been expected that
the President would yield without provoking
a serious struggle. The threat of civil war,
which some of his followers have used so law
ishly, has been a mere partisan trick When
the President fund that the North was
ready to accept that gage also, if it were
deliberately thrown down, he paused. He
yields, and he does well and honorably to
yield. The uncertainty which has ex-
isted, arose from the fact that back of the
President were and are dangerous men, con-
tinually urging him to desperate measures.
AS in spite of their urging, he has declared
almost over his own signature, that he will ex-
ecute the laws under the Constitution, with
out reference to his private opinions, there is
perhaps some reason to hope that the civil
rights law may not much longer remain a
dead letter. 1t may as well be understood
that there is not a single Southern State in
which that law is of any practical account. In
Louisiana, according TO Gen. Sheridans re-
port, it would be a farce to try white man
for the murder of a negro. In Mississippi,
it is true, white man has been convicted of
manslaughteI ON the testimony of negro,
and was sentenced to--ore years imprison-
ment! In Alabama the crops are seriously
damaged and the planters are trying to turn
an honest penny by de(iauding their labores.
The contracts made under the supervision OF
the Ere linens Bureau are generally fulfilled
by both parties; most other contracts are
making trouble. liz Georgia, Gen. Tillson
who is claimed by the Conservatives his
been OBLIGED to inform the people that since
their courts will not protect the colored
people, United States troops shall. In
some districts of South Carolina beat
ings and shootings are of almost daily oc-
curTence, and the recent wise legislation is
entirely ignored. In Nashville, Tenn, ne
groes are collected into the work house, under
the pretence that they are Migrants, and are
then sent South nominally with their own
consent, to work on plantations. Southern
papers ridicule the law, Southern courts ig-
more it. The Nation suggests that some of
the various Freedmens Aid Associations will
be doing good work by looking up these cas-
es and bringing them plainly before the Pres
ident.