Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-15

,rford and Bedford, directing the
Doorkeeper to set apart a portion
Of the gallery for the use of"color-
I'd persons" The resolution came
up on Monday, and after having
been adopted, was reconsidered,
and then a motion to lay it upon
the table was rejected by ayes 26,
noes 80. Mr.. Smith, of Washing
ton, opposed the resolution on the
ground that 'the platform on
which a great majority of the
House was elected was opposed to
discriminating in the matter"
Mr.. Fleming thought it inexpediS'
ent and unnecessary. Mr.. Tucker
supported the resolution, and Mr..
Enloe favored it on the ground
that distinctions were made in
schools and churches, and should
be made" in the House of Repres
sentatiyes. Mr.. Russell, the author
of the resolution, then withdrew it,
and the negro is privileged to oc-
cupy any part of the gallery. 1t is
strange that this question Of negro
equality should be continually fore
ing itself upon the people of the
Southern States. 1t is not so in
the Northern States. There the
negroes arc not urged by dema-
gogues to assert their social
equality with the whites, and to
occupy seats with them in
public places. A few days ago
some. negroes were induced
by these fellows to pur~
chase tickets and assert their right
to occupy seats among the white
audience in a Washington theater.
They were elected after they had
gained admission and taken seats,
and for this they have brought suit
against the managers under the
civil rights law. Elsewhere than
in Washington the question of the
right of negroes to occupy seats in
a theater or other public assem-
blage among the whites, or whether
they can only be admitted to q
part reserved for them, settles
itself without recourse to
law, which is much better for the
negroes and all concerned. The
New York Journal of Commerce
says: "Here in New York we dc
not hear of negroes being expelled
from theatres, because they choose
of their own accord to go to thai
part of the building which custom
has assigned to them. If there If
any feeling of caste in the case th'
eolored people have it as strongly
as the whites, and are as little dis
posed as the whites to mingle witt
them when personal contact can bt
avoided. The whole subject of cast
in color, like that of associations II
society, churches, clubs, etc, seen
to be self-adjusting, and all the Law
decisions in the world will not ma
terialIy change the present attitud
of the two races towards each othe
in this country, except as a legs
conflict may create excitement ant
deepen existing prejudices."
But it seems that our Legislature
is not to escape this question b,
the withdrawal by Mr.. Russell o
his resolution. There is a bill be
fore the House of Representative
to repeal The act Of March u, 1868
to infict penalties upon the com
mon carriers for making dlscrim
nations chased on color, race an
previous condition" This act wa
intended to throw open railroa,
cars, stages, steamboats,, and othe
public conveyances alike to black
and whites, and any refusal to d
so was to be punished by fine o
one hundred dollars, ''to be paid t
the person against whom said dis
elimination may be made" an
any conductor or other employe
who should he guilty of such dis
elimination, was to be fined enc
less than ten dollars nor more tina
| fifty" and be imprisoned in jail nc
exceeding thirty days. When thi
bill comes up, ii is likely this Who'll
question will be opened the Leg
islature should then meet the issu
boldly, for it will be forced upon u
IL
so long as demagogues can get tn
ear of the negro. 1t is a question
| whether, if this law should be re
pealed, common carriers would hay
the right TO set apart particula
fears or portions of steamboats, fo
the accommodation of negroes.
is held by many that the civil right
law Of Congress prohibits such &C
ton. That law provides "that a
persons born ia the United State
/ and not subject to any foreig
power, excluding Indians no. taxed
are hereby declared to be citizen
of the United States and such cit
zens of every race and color, will
out regard to any previous cond
ton of slavery or involuntary SCI
vitude, except as punishment fc
crime whereof the party shall hay
been duly convicted, shall have th