New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-27
Hon. A. X. Browne on Civil Rights
in the Legislative Council.

Mr.. PRESIDENT: / have listened with
some surprise to some remarks Of Republic
can member of this body on this bill. / had
hoped that after the terrible arguments with
which during the last twelve years God him.
self has driven this people to renounce the
wrongs which for two and half centuries
they had heaped upon defenseless portion
of the people, we should not hear from Re-
publican lips any plea or excuse for any of
the effects or corolaries of those wrongs.
had hoped that no vestige of the preudices
born of that robbery inclusive of all rob-
beries-hunan slayery--would intrude itself
here but have been mistaken, and there
fore desire TO uttermy earnest protest against
any and every Kind or degree of legal dis
tinctiOn between classes of American citi-
zens, and in so doing speak not in behalf OF
the African race any more than of my own,
for know that there is no security for the
rights of any class of citizens except in their
concession of the same rights to every other
citizen. know that the world has made no
progress in civil or religious liberty through
the assertion of rights for class that were
not asserted for all men. Into what ridicu-
lous nothingness would the great Declaration
have dwindled had but a single word been
added, and it had read, call white men are
created equal.'
The sturdy barons who at Runnymede ex-
torted from reluctant king that Magma
Charta" that has descended to us with that
priceless heritage" the English common
law, demanded rights not only for them
selves, but for all men beneath the English
flag. The kings relatives and the humblest
peasant, lord and commoner, master and
servant, the English subject and the stranger
and sojourner in the land--ali of every race
and condition participated in that benefac-
ton. And it Is this universally that has
made that great charter a legal power where.
ever the English language is spoken.
The counselor from the First District who
introduced and is pressing this bill, has by SC
doing made himself not merely the benefoctor
of his own race, but also of that which until
recentlyrobbedt the men of his race of the COM
monest right of humanity-the right to pos.
sess and enjoy the fruits of their own labor
and cheerfully follow his lead.
And now, sir, what is this bill? 1t is par
ticularly bill to prevent the evasion Of thai
which had been the law in this jurisdiction
from the time when Englishmen first tool
possession of the soil Of Maryland until now
The judicial definition of an inn, public
house, a hotel, is the following, viz "A house
where the traveller is furnished with every
thing for which he has occasion ON his way
And the law which thus defines an inn, the
law which calls il public has never made
any distinction i'm the classes Of travellers
who NAV find shelter and rest within it
walls, but has always required OF the publ
can that his doors should not be CLOSED
against any well-behaved traveller, except
when for reasons attaching not to a class but
TO an individual, the presence of that ind
yidual would be dangerous to the health Oh
comfort of other travellers lodged in thai
house. This is the sum OF the law relating
to the admission of travellers to hotels as i
~:<.f 81 <.ls, NH IN
throughout nearly if not quite all the terri
tory of the United States. Inherited will
the great body of the common law, 1t ha'
stood for hundreds of years upon good AM
sufficient reasons; the inn, the public, TN
tavern, the hostelry, the hotel has been ONT
of the conycniences of the civilized world
the publican who has kept it has continued
In the endowment of privileges and lmmuni
ties and there has never been time wheI
by any direct enactment this law could d.
changed. If we had here instead OF this,
bill directly permitting class distinctions II
hotels. not one of the councillors who ART
now opposing this bill would dare for yer.
shame to vote for that one.
But If such be the existing law, why Thu
enactment? More than two centuries ag'
the shadow of great wrong fell upon Thu
land. The cupidity of men the greed O
power and gain tine same selfish implement
that makes men--in the glorious light of to
days Republicanism, when thrones are shak
ing and privileged aristocracies are falling
deny to other men the rights they claim TO
themselves, fastened upon our country sys
TEN of labor whose essential element wa
crime-African slavery. Beginning and con
tipuinc in robbery, all the vices and all tn,
crimes followed in its train. At war will
the laws of God, with human reason, AM