Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-06
CONGRESSIONAL.
Sumner versus Carpenter.
SENATE. aE0

d. AO2N, IcD. Os-1Do CrcQcQllRi
oI Mr' Ransom, Senator elect from Mort
Carolina, we're referred. TrETr1 s. 4 =
Mr.. Chandler presented memorial ffon
tne michigan lumber men against th
Chicago relief bill. $50 1ll
MT. Kellogg presented a petition Of tn
leaolng men of the rice interest ia Iouisi
ana against the abolition of the tax on rice
1t being received by telegraph its reference
was objected TO by Mr.. Pomeroy.
Mr.. Morton offered resolution In rela
tlon TO the manufacture of Bessemer steel
and said he would cali it up at an early day
and submit REMARKS on the superiority q
Indlana making steel and the Importance
OF improving the harbor of Michigan City
ind., so as to bring the iron mines of Lake
superior into more direct communication
with the coal fields of Indiana.
Amnesty,
Amnesty cohihg up, Mr.. Robertson movet
70 table the pending bill, and take the last
amnesty bill passed by the House. Lost
2O yeas; 80 nays. ga rr~ra -r0r-E
Carpenter offered a substitute for Sum
ner's pending amendment on the suuple.
mentary Civil Rights bill, providing tfat h
any common carriers or keepers of public
places make any distinctions in their accom-.
modatlons in respect to any citizen on &C.
count Of his race or color, tbey shall be
lined not less than five hundred. nor more
than i've Thousand dollars for each offense
Mr.. Carpenter said the difference between
this and Mr.. Summers bill was in two
| points: first the substitute omitted all
reference to churches, and second it based
the right Of Federal interference upon the
TACT that the institutions were supported at
The publlcs expense and not as Mr.. Sum-
ners bill did; upon the mere fact of incor-
! poration.
Mr.. Norwood, of Georgia, argued against
MI. Summers amendment as unconstitu-
tlonal, and calculated to nullify the laws of
several OF the States prohibiting the
IntermarriaEe OF Blacks and whites.
He thought Mr.. Carpenters substitute
also unconstitutional, and said he would
base his vote against both amendments on
that ground.
MIR. Wilson said he would vote for Mr..
Summers amendment Just because it went
so far and in the most positive manner made
ali distinctions on account of color illegal in
the United States. The question of inter
marriage raised by Mr.. Norwood had been
settled in Massachusetts thirty years ago;
that State had repealed her law on the sub
ject at that time and all the predictions of
the dreadful results that were to follow had
signally failed. A great deal had been heard
for years about the superiority of the white
race and the marked distinction between
whites and blacks, but everywhere abund-
ant evidence was to be seen that those dis
tlnctions had often been disregarded. He
wished to see all laws based on difference
OF race abolished as unehristian, inhuman
and undemocratic.
Mr.. Pomeroy thought the people of Geor-
gla and other States could be trusted TO
choose their wives and husbands without
the interference of any law. He objected
to the phrase used by Mr.. Wilson-''the
different races ofmen." He knew of but
one race-the human race.
Mr.. Anthony hoped Mr.. Sumner would
accept Mr.. Carpenters amendment exempt
ing churches from the bill. lie would vote
to give the cOlored people all civil rights,
but he would not vote for bill comforting
or denying or in any way interfering with
religious rights.
Mr.. Sumner advocated his own bill, and
called Mr.. Carpenters substitute
An "EmaScuIated Synonym
feeble where the original was strong, and in
complete where the original was complete.
He objected especially to the omission from
the substitute Of the provision enforcing the
admission Of colored citizens to the jury
box. Senator Carpenter had attempted to
distinguish between the right to testify and
the right to sit as juror. He (Sumner)
cared not whether the right to sit as juror
was apOlitical or civil right. 1t was enough
for him to know that it was a right to
which all men were entitled by the law of
nature and by the Constitution of the Uni
ted States interpreted by the Declaration of
Independence. He saw that
Mr. Carpenter Smiled.
He always smiled when the Declaration |
was mentioned.
Mr.. Carpenter-It was smile of appro- |
baton. [Laughter.l
Mr.. Sumner-Very well. But not con-
tent with striking at the colored citizen in |
the temple Of justice, the Senator sets up a |
distinction in the church-a distinction, |
however, in which he is not original, for he |
has been anticipated by the
Rev. Petroleum v. Nasty,
who reports his congregation to have sung
0n a certain occasion this hymn:
"Shall niggers black this land possess
And mix with us up here Z?
oh, no, my friends, we rather guess,
Wen never stand that 'ere."
Laughter on the floor and in the galleries.
Sir, ask you if that is not the Senators
speech. do not know that need saw any
more.
Mr.. Carpenter-Oh yes, go right on.
Mr.. Sumner-I will, as the Senator in
7ites me. He himself sets himself up here
IS representative of the cause of the
Christian church, and while espousing that
,ause, pleads the Constitution of the United
States, but sir, think can point out the
)rigin Of the Senator's error. l hesitate to
'efer to it, but the Senator has introduced
t. The Senator has never had an ade-
Iuate idea of the Declaration of Indepen-
lence. Laughter, especially by Mr.. Car
'enter.
Mr.. Sumner-The Senator smiles. Very
veil. l have been long enough in this
Chamber to witness the vicissitudes of
opinion on that great Magma Charter. l
lave seen it derided by others more than it
,ver was by the Senator from Wisconsin.
Mr.. Carpenter-I wish the Senator would
tate when 1 ever derided the Declaration of
MI OuunST-4 dLu coming 10 LlaG. Mr, |
Sumner then quoted remarks made by
calhoun, ChOafe and Andrew johnson,
IN the subject, and said that in a speech in
April, 1870, Mr.. Carpenter had spoken of
be principles set forth in the Declaration
s ''the generalities of that
Revolutionary PrOnunc1amentO.'
1e referred to this with great reluctance.
Mr.. Carpenter-I hope the reluctance is
ot on my account. [Laughter.l
Mr.. Sumner-When the Senator spoke
ast upon this subject, however, it was no
,nger a revolutionary pronunciamento.
Mr.. Carpenter-Oh, yes, it is. stand by
hat. glory in that revolutionary pronun-
iamento, and in all that revolutionary his
Dry of ours.
Mr.. Edmunds-Then you ought to give
Ome effect to it.
Mr.. Sumner-The Senator says he glories
l it, then let him give it some effect.
Mr.. Carpenter said he had just heard
imself ridiculed, reviled, and misrepre-
ented because he had been unable to agree
18th the Senator from Massachusetts
to the merits Of his bill, and |
ad stated two points in which its constitu-
onality seemed doubtful. He was In favor
f the substance of the bill, and had embod-
ID in his substitute of it all that was |
early constitutional, but the Senator from