Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-05-04

| hO 10 IA LAO PCASo~ 49,
mentioned, "by reason of race, or color
or previous condition of servitude," b
shall have his redress in the courts Of th
United; States, through the process men
toned in this section. Now, sir, thi
means that when mans house is burnet
because he is black, or he is whipped TO
like reason, he may bring his suit TO
damages in the United States courts tina
when man is killed because he is .
Chinaman, his murder shall be an offens,
of which the United States courts shall
have jurisdiction. But no man is guaran
teed by the Constitution, on account Of
his race, color or previous condition OIL
servitude, the enjoyment of any more
rights than every citizen has by that in.
strument the guarantee Of
The Constitution holds over no man
any additional shield on account of his
birthplace, or parentage, or previous con-
dition. We have provided by the IF
teenth amendment that the right to vote
shall not be denied or abridged on &C.
coun of race, color, or previous condition
of servitude but we do not by reason of
that give person any redress in our
courts, except when there is denial of
Just what the Constitution declares he il
entitled to. The instrument gives him as
citizen no right which it does not give to
me or any other man. It gives him as citi-
zen no rights which are not'given to white
aud black alike. Alike they are entitled to
the equal protection of the laws, and
when that protection is denied to them
we have already provided for them some
measure of redress. The Constitution
now calls the oitizeRs, and gives to all
the protection which it gives to any citi-
zen; and 1T Is the most patent inequality
and injustice to give Irishmen or China
men or colored men remedy against a
county, and in the United States courts.
when white native citizen can only
have his remedy against individuals and
in the State courts.
1t is true that person NAV suffer this
damage by reason of his previous condi-
ton of servitude. His old master NAV
have some feeling against him because
he sees him free man and voter; and
for that reason he may infiiot some injury
upon his person or his property but ev-
cry offense has something peculiar in it's
character, and which constitutes the mo-
tive for its commission against that par
ticuiar individual. But the life of col |
ored person, the house of colored per-
son are no more under the peculiar pro-
lection of the United States than the life
and property of citizens of different COM
plexi0n, and where the guarantee is the
same it is clear that the remedy must be
the same. When we have just got rid,
"a we hoped, by the amendment to the
Constitution. of the inequality, both in
rights and remedies, which mede the
Government practically deny what our
fathers asserted in the Declaration of In
dependence, the equality of all men, let
us not now begin TO go over to the other
side and give greater rights and more ef-
fectual remedies to one man than to an
other, to one class of men thsn to another,
to one race of men than to another. OF
course [ deny that we have any constitu-
tional power to do this, but [ do not here
urge the point, as | purposed at the out
act to oOnfiue my remarks mainly to the
consideration of the justice of the legis-
alton proposed by this amendment. I
believe black man is just az good as q
white man. 1 believe that the freed
lave il as good as the free-born citizen,
md while l would give to him the same (
lights and ike same protection as would {
rive to any one, would not give him
my greater rights or any higher remedies !
han are allowed to other citizens We
AVE made him, as God made him, our
quail as members of the political CON-
nuuity, and it is better for him, as we'll
8 for u, that we should leave him there,
nd not attenpt to still keep up the idea
hat be il so far inferior to US after all .
hat we must make him an exceptional
nj favored class In the administration of
ur laws