The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-05-01
IFrom the Baltimore Gazette.]
The Fruits Of the Civil Rights Bill

h1IC A01to VA thAC AAtIA AeA5 AAbc hShAht
The Civil Rights Bill is likely to be
productive of the fruits Of discord some
what sooner than we had anticipated. We
felt sure that an act which violates the
Constitution, infringes the rights Of the
States, and attempts to compel equality
between the white and black races, would
ultimately work mischief only. If it is
enforced by the Federal Government, it
is a germ from which centralized despot-
ism will be rapidly developed. If it is
not vigorously executed by the authori-
ties at Washington. it will inevitably be
the source of collision between the races,
if not of anarchy. The effort on the part
of The radical faction to compel the peo-
pie Of this State, and of others which are
not even permitted to have representatives
at the seat of government to %renounce the
right to discriminate in any way between
whites and blacks can only result in TO-
menting an antagonism between the two
races which has not heretofore existed,
and this feeling will be fearfully %intensi-
fed when the people more clearly perceive
that the object of the scheme is to place
the white man in political subordinatiou
to the negroes where the latter constitute
a majority of the population. That any
such usurpation on the part of Congress
was necessary for the protection of any
class or race is untrue. Before the alb
clifton of slavery the condition of the
slaves was above that Of the laboring pop
%ulation of any other country in the world.
Physically and morally they were better
off than the toiling millions who drag out
existence in the mines and factories of
England, or who YEARLY SOW and reap
the fields Of Ireland. Since the war has
ended, Virginia has passed admirable
laws for the protection Of freedmen. Her
Legislature has provided that "no contract
between a white person and a colored
person for the labor or service of the lat
ter for a longer period .han two months
shall be binding or the latter" unless
signed by the parties before certain pub
lie officers. who are required to read aloud
and explain the contract before it is exc
cuted. Every master to whom any ap-
prentice may, henceforth, be bound, is re-
CURED to have such apprentice taught
reading, writing, and common arithme-
tic, including the rule of three" Col
ored persons are also declared to be ad-
missable as witnesses in all proceedings
in law or in equity in which they may be
benefited o. injured by the result, and in
all criminal proceedings in which a col
ored person is a party, or which arises
out of an injury done, attempted, or
threatened to his or her person, property
or rights. Other provisions have been
also made, which are calculated to fur
Their protect and elevate the race. The
Legislature of Georgia has also enacted
that persons of color shall have the right
to make and enforce contracts, to be par
ties to suits, to give evidence, to Inherit
and to purchase property, and that they
shall not be subjec. to any other or diff.
ferent punishment or penalty for the
commission OF any act or offense thar
such as are prescribed for white persons
The evidence given mot only by Southern
gentlemen of position and intelligence
but by a majority of the federal officers
who have testified before tho Reconstruc.
ton Committee, shows cenclusively tina.
there is ne such disposition on the par
of the Southern people to prosecute the
negroes, as a few malignant and menda
eious correspondents of certain radica
Journals constantly represent to exist
On the contrary, it is manifest, from the
testimony now before the world, that the
people of the South are anxious only fol-
the return of something like order and
prosperity, and that, while securing, as
far as they can, their own rights, they are
willing to accord to the negroes every lie.
gal security that is necessary to AFFORD
them the amplest protection for theirfree.
dom, their persons and their property =
And nine out of ten of the Radicals II
Washington know that this is so. Blu
mere protection for the negro is moi
what they are seeking. This is but the
pretext. They want to use the blacks al
a political power. They cannot interpret
State laws to mean that the "rights O
person is a phrase which necessarily in
cludes the right of suffrage. But fede
raj judges may readily be found wht
would give this Interpretation to an &C
of Congress: and such Interpretation coulc
be then enforced by the federal sword
1t is for this reason that the attempt il
now made to place the negroes under The
exclusive jurisdiction of the federal gov
eminent.