The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-03-02

Ifcam Party"
At the moment whep the mongrel ma
jority in the lower House of the Missis-
sippi Legislature was passing the bill to
compel hotel keepers to entertain guests
without reference to color, an important
measure founded upon the same radical
idea Of ignoring distinctions of race was
being considered in the United States
Senate. 1t came up pending a bill to
establish public schools in the District of
Columbia. The bill contained the fol-
lowing clause which it was proposed to
strike out:
And no distinction on account of race.
color or previous condition Of servitude
shall be made in the admission of pupils 70
any of the schools under the control OF the
Board of Education, or In the mode Of edn-
cation or treatment of such schools.
1t was explained by the author of the
motion to strike out that if it prevailed,
the Boards would be left untrammeled
to regulate the matter of the admission Of
pupils for themselves. The bill as it
stood was warmly supported by the lead
ers of the Republican party. 1t was
championed by Sumner and Wilson of
Massachusetts, Carpenter of Wisconsin,
Harris, (carpet-bagger) of Louisiana,
Sawyer, (carpet-bagger) of South Caro-
lima, and last but not least, Revels of
Mississippi. Summer was unusually We
hement. He declared that if the ''mix-
ed" clause was stricken out, compelling
white and black children to occupy the
same benches, and to recite in the same
classes, he would oppose the entire meas
ure and thus doom both races to entire
ignorance rather than to observe the ir-
radicable distinctions which the Almighty
had created. "If it should be thus pas
sed," quoth the great Republican leader,
(shorn of its mongrel features) cit will
bring disgrace upon Congress. In re-
ply to the statement that the measure
would still provide educational facilities
for the blacks, he said
A great protection to the colored child
and great assurance of his education will
be that he is educated on the same benches and
by the same teachers I0ith the 1ctite children.
You may give him an equivGlent in another
school, but this not equality. His right is to
EQUALITY, not EQUIvALITY. He has equality
only l1lten he comes into your common school
and finds no exclusion there on account Of his
skin.
Sawyer (of carpet-bag fame) spoke in
a similar strain;
Strike out this clause (said he) and we
stand before the country as reversing the
action which has been the chief glory Of the
republican party. 10 DO
it here and now in a bill which is to provide
for the education of the youth of this Dis
trict, would be betrayal of our trust, a
gross sacrifice of principle, an unnecessary
and impolitic concession to prejudice hav-
ing its origin in slavery.
Wilson of Massachusetts, was equally
emphatic. Hedenounced the observance
of the distinctions of race in the schools
as violation of the Republican creed,
and barbarism
All this, Separate schools) he exclaimed,
is done to crafty the pride of the race that
assumes to be dominant, the superior race.
Are not the rights, the interests, the Sensi-
bilities of the colored man invaded, (by hav-
ing seperate schOols.) Are not the rights of
the black subordinated to the prejudices OF
the white man?
And much more of this sort of talk did
the Senator indulge. His logic was that
the rights of the colored population would
be invaded, not by reason of their being
denied school accommodations equally as
good as those provided for the wites, but
because white children are not compelled
to attend the same school with theml
And Revels, (carpet-bag negro) anoth-
shining light of his party, spoke earnest
ly in faver, (nOt of giving to the negro
children in the District of Columbia
school privileges, because they already
possess them, butt Of &c abOlishing the sepa-
rate cOlorcd schools" so that the mingling
of races might be promiscuous. He de-
precated the prejudice" of race, and
feared it is "on the increase" If the
fact be true as stated, the cause is attri-
butable to the course of the fanatics and
domagogues who have set at defiance the
laws of nature and aroused an antagonism
ofrace by an attempt at forced mingling
by such determinations as the very meas
ure which his partizan leaders are advo-
eating.