New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-21
PLAIN TAX WITH THE coloaED PEOPLE
His Views Of Negro Rights and
Election Wrongs.
The McEnery Fraud and the Car'
penter Remedy.
Replies of Messrs. Burch, Ingra.
ham, Chester and Others.
a SPICY INTERVIEW


IN the HIPUBLiCAN, a reception was given
20 United States Senator Matt II. Carpen-
ter, of Wisconsin, at the residence Of Lieu.
tenant Governor Antoine. Those present
included leading representatives OF the col.
Ored racs from all parts of the State, and
An exceedingly frank and free discussion OF
the state OF affairs was entered upon.
Lieutenant Governor Antoine said few
distinguished strangers came to this city
and saw other than the worst features Of
the negro race. In few well chosen sen.
fences he placed before the Senator his
views OF The past and present trial. and
difficulties of the colOred people and their
future hope. saying the much-talked of war
of races could never occur by their instiga-
tion. AS a class they were iDotfensive.
While their masters were away fighting to
fasten the shackles firmer upon them, the
negroes stayed at home and pro-
tected and supported the wives and
families of the masters who were seeking
to keep them in slavery Beyond all ques-
1ion, the negroes were Republican. No man
who hai a drop of negro blood in his veins
could be anything else but Republican in
the Southern States. In Maine or Massa-
Chusetts he might be otherwise, because
there he had accorded to him all the rights
which the law gave him. but here it was
otherwise. The very fact that they had
been compelled TO ask Senator Carpenter
to call upon them when it was their part to
call upon him was significant. They would
have liked to have waited upon him at the
st. Louis Hotel, but could not because there
they would have been excluded.
Mr. Morris Chester was first introduced,
and after remarking that such meeting as
CHS twenty years ago would have subjected
q son of New England to imprisonment.
and the rest of those present to public
whipping. opened the ball by asking Sena'
hat in, hia Ua
meanc by the thirteenth amendment to the
constitution of the United States
Mr.. Carpenter-The thirteenth amend.
Nneut was undoubtedly intended to do just
what j. expresses on its face-tO make
slavery impossible throughout the United
States
Mr.. Chester-Nhat was intended to be
Che effect Of the fourteenth amendment
MI. Carpenter--The fourteenth amend.
anenc declares who are citizens Of the United
States After the decision in the Dred Scott
case there was always more or less questi0n
as to whether colOred men were citizens.
The fourteenth amendment reverses the
Dred Scott decision, and declares who are
citizens, ana the fifteenth amendment con.
fers the right to vote upon all citizens with.
out distinction of race. color o. previous
condition of servitude.
MEo Cnester-These amendments. with.
out some law to carry them into effect.
would BE simply declaratOry. We have. IN
edition 20 them, the enforcement law.
Mr.. Carpenter-There is no doubt what.
ever as to the power of Congress to pass
whatever law is necessary to give effect -
these provisions. Under the three amend.
ments to the constitution the power Of
, Congress is unlimited so long as it is exer'
cised to that end and exercised properly.
Congress can 60 on and pass all the appro.
pirate legislation, may punish any man who
violates these provisiOns-punish him in the
United States Courts-and may pass all
laws necessary to secure the .olored IN an
the immunities of citizen Of the
this question: What are the pri.
viIeges and immunities Of citizen
of the United States! The fourteenth
amendment. which declares that no State
shall make or enforce any laws to abridge
the privileges or immunities Ofcitizens, does
not stop with saying citizens, but adds the
qualifying words "of the United States"
What are the privileges of citizen of the
United States. most difficult question 20
answer. The decisions on the point have
all been very loose; every court has lodged
= the question as far as possible, and has done
and said no more on the subject than was
necessary to dispose Of the particular case
before it, The recent decision of the United
States Supreme Court in your Slaughter.
J-ouSt Case lids NtI HuCH AdlAoWCu "hdI
was always understood to be the scope and
effect OF the fourteenth amendment, and
virtually decides that only those privileges
and immunities which pertain to citizen
of the United States as such, and as contra.
distin gushed to the privileges which belong
to citizen of State, are covered by the
amendment, and given over to the keeping
OF the general government.
Mr. Chester-Was not the enforcement
Of in taplaS tn DrOfanf q RIGHTS ami
lmmunties as citizens!
Mr.. Carpenter-The enforcement act
was undoubtedly passed under the lmpre5
sion that the fourteenth amendment was
broader than the Supreme Court, in its re.
cent opinion, has expressed. ! think the
opinion of Congress was always that the
fourteenth amendment forbade State
from making any discrimination between
its citizens as to the privileges and
immunities OF it's citizens, and in
the light of the recent decision
of the Supreme Court the enforce
ment law is, in some of its provisions. un-
constitutional, as it goes beyond the con.
struction put on thefOurteenth amendment.
Mr. Chester-That has not been so de.
cided.
Mr.. Carpenter-No: but from the re.
marks aud arguments made Judge it will
be so constructed when the question direct.
iy arises.
Mr.. Chester-Are We not anticipating
sittle The Supreme Court has not yet
passed upon it, and must we not accept 1t
as the law of the land until it does
Mr.. Carpenter-Yes, of course. That is
the prudent course to take.
Mr. Chpster-We rest our case there. A
few years ago we were obliged to accept,
on the same authority, the doctrine that a
negro had no rights that white man was
bound to respect until the theory of the
government was changed. We colOred
men feel deeply and strongly our condition
here. We probably understand our posi-
ton as well as our white fellow citizens un-
derstand theirs, though we may not be able
to express it so intelligently. We feel that
in the case which was brought in the United
States Circuit Court that there never was
case brought with greater justice, and that
the decision was ght both in law and equl-
ty. Upon that decision our deares. hopes
rest. Every attack upon that decision is an
attack upon the cOlored people not only
of Louisiana but of the South, and however
honest and well.intentioned our friends in
Congress may have been in assuming that
that decision was outside of law and was
a gross usurpatiOn. we here, knowing all
the facts, and knowing little something Of
law, feel that nothing could have been wiser
or better, beth for ourselves, for the State.
and for the interests of civilization in the
South.
Mr.. Carpenter-I can tell you in very
few words what l Think on that subject.
In the first place, you cOlOred men are now
made citizens of the United States. You
do not want to proceed upon the theory
that you need any other means OF protec-
ton than any body che does. You are men.