Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-05-24

Communicable question Of amnesty
.nd civil rights being under discuriioa in the
Senate on tic lO.h inst, Senator Frank Blair
offered the following Amendment to the pending
bills.
Pr0ridsd, hoireuer, That the people Of every
city, county, or State shall decide for themselves
at an election to be held for that purpose, the
question Of mixed or separate tca00s for the
Ehite or black people.
This he sustained in zone remarks in which
he appealed to the old Southern prsjuiices Of
race and color, saying that Congress vas deny
Ing to the Southern States the right OF tho,e who
establish and psy for schools to control them, and
that the associations of their children were to he
dictated BY csntrsl olgaschy reated here in
Washington.
Mr.. Eimunds replied AZ fjllosa;
Mr. Edmunds Mr. President, I SIN very
sorry to occupy five minutes of the time Of the
Senate. but with TO sly as to political plat
forms thst the Cincinnati platform, 60 called, in
respect to amnesty is merely stolen from the
platform Of the President Of the United States.
who has been recommending what is called
Y.
session after session. Therefore 20 much is
stolen property, SO that DO not think the
people Of the United States will desert their
President upon the ground that body of very
respectable people and 80 on st Cincinnati have
chosen to adopt one of his doctrines. You might
az well reject 81. Paul on the ground thst the
Gentilez finally came 20 believe in his preach
inrs So much fer thst Now for the oligsrchy
which my friend from Missouri is so much
frightened At
Mr.. Blair | am not frightened at all
Mr.. Eimunis. | beg my friends pardon
know he is not frightened at anything. As to
the oligarchy that my friend from Missouri is so
mnch displeased ST, if you call ii an oligsrchy it is
an oligsrchy which for the first time in human
history has devoted itself to the extension of hu
man rights instead Of to the diminution Of
them. Il has devoted itself TO making every
citizen in this land equsl in rights. 1t has not
quite succeeded, | am sorry to say, but
hope it will, and | think it will. The
iies Of fear Of centralized government
which only devotes itself to occurring to
the citizens in every State equal rights as be-
tween themselves and the citizens Of s common
nationality ia one that honest people are not
afrsid of, and are 10, greatly displeased at when
when they come to understand it.
So much for oigarchies. Now, az to schools
The simple question ia just here: if color is a
distinction which is fit to be left to the States and
TO the communities to decide upon "a the test Of
rights, absolutely equal and common right, then
we ought not to interfere; we ought to leave
il to every State to say, aud if we do leave
it to every State to say, then you must leave
il to every State to say whether color
shall be test or not as to the right to
hold land, as to the right to sue in a common
court, .s to the right to travel in common car,
to 20 upon 3 common highway, to vote at E CON-
mon ballot-boI, to meet at a common assembly.
There is no distinction that can be made. If
color lie test which you may submit ss 3 dis
tinctive mark between the rights Of citizens or
the methods By which they are to redress their
rights, then it il universal; and if you agree
that it is, you have gone back to the old slave
doctrine, and that is just wis, is the matter.
Mr.. President. if color is test so Ia race,
and therefore you must remit it to every COM
munity 10 ssy that ~ between American citizens