Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-08-04
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Passed ut the First Session Of the FOrty.SeC.
Ond Congress.
IPUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.
GENERAL NATURE-No. 10. |

GENERAL NATURE-NO. 10.
AN ACT to enforce the provisions of the
fourteenth amendment to the COnstitu-
ton of the United States, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted 6ythe Senate and House of
Representatives Of the United States of
Americd IN Congress assembled, That any
person who under color of any law, stat
ute, ordinance, regulation, custom or usage
of any State, shall subject, or cause to be
subjected, any person within the jurisdic-
ton of the United States to the depriva-
ton of any rights, privileges or immuni-
ties secured by the Constitution of the
United States, shall, any such law, statute
ordinance, regulation, custom or usage Of
the State to the contrary Notwithstanding,
be liable to the party injured in any action
at law suit in equity, or other proper pro-
ceeding for redress; such proceeding to be
prosecuted in the several district or circuit
courts of the United States, with and sub
ject to the same rights of appeal, review
upon error, and other remedies provided
in like cases in such courts, under the pro-
visions of the act of the ninth of April,
eighteen hundred and siXty-siX, entitled
IAN act to protect all persons in the Uni
ted States in their civil rights, and to fur
nish the means of their vindication;" and
the other remedial laws of the United
States which are in their nature applicable
in such cases.
SEC. 2. That if two or more persons
within any State or Territory of the United
States shall conspire together to overthrow
or to put down, or to destroy by force the
government of the United States, or to
levy war against the United States, or to
oppose by force the authority OF the gov
eminent of the United States, Or by force,
intimidation or threat to prevent, hinder,
or delay the execution of any law of the
United States, or by force to seize, take, or
possess any property of the United States
contrary to the authority thereof, or by
force, intimidation, or threat to prevent
any person from holding any office of trust
or place of confidence under the United
States, or from discharging the duties
thereof, or by force, intimidation, or threat
to induce any officer of the United States
to leave any State, district, or place where
his duties as such officer might lawfully be
performed, or to injure him in his person
or property on account of his lawful dis
charge of the duties of his office, or to in
jure his person while engaged in the law
full discharge of the duties of his office, or
to injure his property so as to modest, in
tearupt, hinder or impede him in the dis
charge of his official duty, or by force, in
timidatiOn, or threat to deter any party or
witness in any court of the United States
from attending such court, or from testify
ing in any matter pending in said court,
fully, freely and truthfully, or to injure
any such party or witness in his person or
property on account of his having so at
tended or testified, or by force, intimida-
ton or threat to influence the verdict, pre-
sentiment, or Indictment of any juror or
grand juror in any court of the United
States, or to in lure such juror in his person
or property on account of any verdict, pre-
sentiment, or Indictment lawfully assented
to by him, or on account of his being or
having been such juror, or shall cOnspire
together, or go in disguise upon the public
highway or upon the premises of another
for the purpose, either directly or indirect
ly, of depriving any person or any class
of persons of the equal protection of
the laws, or of equal privileges or
immunities under the laws, or for
the purpose of preventing or hindering
the constituted authorities ofany State from
giving or securing to all persons within
such State the equal protection of the laws,
or shall conspire together for the purpose
of in any manner impeding, hindering,
Obstructing, or defeating the due course of
justice in any State or Territory, with in
tent to deny to any citizen of the United
states The Que ana equal protection OF the
laws, or to injure any person in his person
or his property for lawfully enforcing the
right of any person or class of persons to
the equal protection of the laws, or by
force, intimidation, or threat to prevent
any citizen of the United States lawfully
entitled to vote from giving his support or
advocacy in lawful manner towards or
in favor of the election of any..awful quail
fed person as an electOr of President or
Vice-President of the United States, or as
a member of the Congress of the United
States, or to injure any such citizen in his
person or property on account of such sup |
port or advocacy, each and every person so
shall be deemed guilty of high |
crime, and, upon conviction thereof in any
district or circuit court of the United |
States or district or supreme court of any
Territory of the United States having
jurisdiction of similar offenses, shall be
punished by fine not less than five hun
dred nor more than five thousand dollars, |
or by Imprisonment, with or without hard |
labor. as the court may determine, for q |
period of not less than six months nor |
more than six years, as the court may de- |
or by both such fine and impris- |
onment as the court shall determine. And |