New-York tribune., 1866-04-26
"CIyIL nIGMTsv In DIXIE.

n. ~.
mark in saying that the passage Of the Civil Rights
bill over the veto would have beneficial influence at
the South by convincing the white people down that
way of the purpose aud the power of Congress- What
"ny policy" has utterly failed to do the resoute
good sense Of Congress will eventually effect. The
South needs to be convinced that it is deieated-a
fact which il well understood when Lee surrendered,
but which Mr. johnson ha since done his best to per-
suade his new friends to forget. We do not believe
any Reconstruction possible which is based on the
assumption that white traitor is better than loyal
black or that political rights denied to the latter may
safely be conceded to the former Still less do we
believe in Reconstruction which would leave loyal
minority subject to legal persecution because of their
loyalty, and without protection for life, liberty or
property.
The President stated in a recent message that the
Southern Legislatures had enacted codes for the pro-
lection of the freedmen-hence the needessneSs of
any Freedmens Bureau or Civil Rights BILL Here is
a specimen lately come to light-beiug Section of an
act passed by the Mississippi Legislature just before
It's adounmcnt-to show what sort of protection they
think the freedmen require:
"Ben further enacted That all the penal and criminal laws
now in in this State defining oonse and prescribing
tic punishment for crimes aud misdemeanors com
hereby resnacd and declared to be In full force and
effect against freedmen free negroes and muStee except
far mode and OF trial and punishment have
been changed or altered by law
The mode and manner of trial and punishment"
have been in fact, very little change for the better
with respect to the freedmen by any State legislation.
There were but four acts passed concern
ing the freedmen, and some of those were so
outrageously wicked that even President John
son felt called upon to interpose aud direct
the officers of the Freedmen's Bureau to disregard
them totally But there were many acts ofwhich the
President took no notice. Distinctions in penalties
remained. If a white man committed crime, he had
one punishment; if black man committed crime,
he had another and punishment 1t is punish
able with death for negro to commit murder rape,
ars0n or robbery TO attempt to commit either of
them. Only of the crimes is capital when
white is the offender, and for the attempt the
white is never punishable with death. 1t has been
well said, that in Mississippi " the tchs murderer
almost universally escapes scot Free and is even ap
pauded for his display of chvalry while the negro is
hung if there is a reasonable suspicion that he at
tempted to commit murder, arson, rape, or robbery.
white rufian is at liberty TO ravsh as many colored
women as he can, with impunity."
Under the act the slave received twenty lashes
if absent from bis plantation without pass; thirty
nine lashes for buying or selling without permission;
is punished for cOngregatng at night or for holding
schools and has his ears cut off for false witness.
These penalties are all rcenacted against the freed
men. aud they stand to-day unrepealed on the statute
book OF Mississippi Was there no need for the Civil
Rights bill
Suppose we try Tennessee, the model State which
has produced Moses for the colored race. In case
not fortnight old we find a negro woman arrested
by X. W. Bond, justice of the peace in Shelby
County on the complaint Of Ben Boyd, who charges
her with an assault The chivalrous Ben testes that
Laura is in his employment; that on a certain day he
ordered her to go to work. that she refused on account
of illness, and started to find her husband. The rest,
Mr.. Ben Boyd shall tell in his own words:
started intercept her aud bring her back After few
hundred yards overlook her. took hold of her. She
struck two blows with her fist AT this time father
up and left her In his charge ana the fence to cut
limb fight with; returned ard told her II fighting her
hand wade and she would have white mans chance
She rfsed to fight and gave her sound thrash
49, .ae gs.S.ss- " t-e 4ssss s1 w w @