New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-16
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1872.
CIVIL Rights.

In the days of slavery, when escaping
slaves narrated the horrors of the institution,
their listeners would quiet their consciences
by protesting not to believe the statements.
To-day, when colored ladies and gentlemen
are denied the rights that should be accorded
to their decency, intelligence, and respecta-
bility on railroads, steamboats,, in hotels,
places of amusement, and other public places,
we have Senator FERRY, of the State OF
Connecticut, not believing that such wrongs
exist, and that if they do exist, colOred people
have the same remedy in law that white
people have. We can assure Senator FERRY
that the denial of colored people by railroad
companies to participate in their accommoda-
tons ON railways is not occasional merely,
but general, statement we can prove
to be true by hundreds of witnesses. MIR.
FERRY says that colored men have the
same right to bring suit as white men
have. Suppose this were true, what does
it amount to with a particular custom JUS
tifying Entertainment of negroes and assented
to by those composing the courts? To the
courts this particular custom is common law
in all the Southern States, and is in perfect
accord with, and an outgrowth Of, slavery.
The sentiment and surroundings of judges
and prosecuting attorneys are such aS e
teach them to respect = l. , csnsto% os law that
hos olte:,esa-<-zap" ny
.. s.ass a5an1efi IN that section two hundred and
fifty years, and it is in vain colored people
appeal to the courts for redress. This is not
only true of the South, but it is true OF the
North. 1t is true of the District of Columbia.
We know of a case in Washington Of a col
ored man being elected from the cars Of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and, wishing
to prosecute the conductor for assault and
battery, had him indicted, and on a plea that
the conductor could not be found, the District
Attorney entered a aoue prOsequi The col
ored gentleman went before the next grand
Jury and another indictment was found, the
conductor arrested, and brought into court
the complainant, seeking an interview with
the prosecuting attorney in order to state
certain facts essential to be known by the
attorney, was rudely refused, and it was ne
cessary to employ a lawyer to assist the
attorney, it being evident from his actions
and expressions, that he was averse to prose-
cutting the case in the interest of the boy"
as he called the colored complainant, though
a full-grown man. The jury disagreed, one
Copperhead failing to agree with the eleven
other Jurors for conviction. That prose-
cutting attorney never called up the case again.
1t was evident from the beginning that the
custom by which negroes are allowed no
redress for ill-trcatmnt exerted powerful
influence over this prosecuting attorney in the
District of Columbia. This is fair sample
Of other portions of the country.
What is really needed is statute law
which will annul this particular custom of
discrimination against the rights of the black
man. This statute, which alone can set
aside custom so old as the custom of injus-
tice to the negro in this country, will have
been enacted when the Supplementary Civil
Rights Bill becomes law.
Senator FERRY says:
eff white man is wrongfully excluded
from railroad car and he feels himself in
jured thereby, he brings his civil action
against the corporation for damages, and if
he makes out the case he RECEIVERS his damages
W tuo tciuiSs VI d jury anu 10 coutcHt. DuI
if a black man is excluded from the cars, in
stead of betaking himself to the remedy which
you and possess, and to which the white
man betakes himself, he rushes to a news
paper Office and makes a statement of it for
publication, and then sits down and writes
letter to the Senator from Massachusetts"
The colored man applies to the newspa-
pers because he recognizes them as instru-
ments for instructing the people, and through
their columns he hopes to show the injustice
and cruelty Of a custom recognized as law by
which his rights are denied. He writes to
the Hon. CHARLES SUMNER because he is a
true, earnest, and Jealous friend of the rights
of humanity, and because he feels that the
noble Senator will do all in his power to null
lily the custom amounting to law, by urging
and securing the enactment of law giving
redress for outrages perpetrated in accord
ance with a barbarous CUSTOM