New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-15
Wendell Phillips Views GU the Civil
Rights Bill.

Wendell Phillips has ten column article
in the Chicago 4duanee on '.The Necessity
for the Civil Rights Bill" He says the
threatened surrender Of the supplement- ary
civil rights bill il both ''cowardly and un-
statesmanlike." 1.-The Southern whites defv
the administration" but ii they be met
promptly as the President met them at New
Orleans. they will skulk away. the bill is
the ''capstOne and completion of the wars
work" The objection that it is unconstitu-
tioual comes mainly from politicians and
those lawyers ''who were stepped to
the war our constitution recognizes
no difference between the negroes and
other men. and if the American people are
forced to arm q second time to defend this
priAciple ''they will sweep every obstacle
into the guilt Mr.. Phillips argues that the
slaughterhouse decision, which is most cited
against the BILL sustains the principles on
which it is founded. The constitutional
amendments guarantee to the colored peO-
pie all the privileges and immunities OF
citizens of the United States" and if .'rigbts
in juries. in inns, cars and schools belong to
the privileges and immunities OF United
States citizens, or are essential to the
equal protection of the laws Congress may
legislate to secure them.
such. from the jury box would consider
that it had or could have the equal protec.
ton of the laws No sane man would claim
that it had. Hence, refusing a race admiss
Sion to the jury box violates this amend.
ment. and Congress can forbid it by Law.
''SecOnd-Inns and cars. The Supreme
Court, in the SlaughterhOuse case. adIults
that it is one Of the privileges and immuni.
ties OF United States citizens TO travel for
different purposes. Ii, then, the law 80 ar.
ranges inns or cars that the cOloreG race is
debarred from such travel-travei in the
same honorable manner and with the same
comforts and advantages that other classes
and races enjoy; with the same pleasures
and chances of improvement and profit that
others have-then the amendment. is VIC.
lated. and such deprivation or insult Com
gress can forbid by law,
"Ihlrd-Public schools. If the supreme
advantages of education are SO curtaileG
and lnterfered with by any law OF separate
public schools, that other races enjoy priy;.
leges and advantages of which the negroes
are deprlved-as we have shown must ine
evitably be the case in all separate schools
then this fourteenth amendment is violated,
and Congress is authorized to secure them
the equal protection of the ]aws.''
i, If the civil rights bill of 1866. by which
the negro was granted the right to sue and
testify, in court lis constitutional. by tho
same logic mixed iuries. inns and schools
spring out of the fourteenth amendment"
There Is no fear that by insisting on mixed
schools the Southern whites vii! be pro-
Voked TO destroy the school syetem. They
are not strong enough. Besides. the ex.
pertinent has been tried IN Massachusetts.
ONO. Indiana and Louisiana, and No serious
results followed.
After the abolition Of slavery the white
man Of the South held to his land as ..
means OF 'regaining his supremacy and
keeping the freedmen in subiection." But
the carpet baggers have taxed the lands of
the Observation-Disclosures 50 heavily that
they were glad to surrender them rather
Than pay the taxes on them. So the negro
mas now got land--all he needed to secure
MS !ndependence-and he viii! see in time
1nat his rights ara preserved under the con.
sti,ution.
In conclusion. Mr.. Phillips Gays that IL
tho President will make known his in,en.
ton by act to ''enfOrcs the la WIS impartialIv.
remorselessly and at once,'' the South in
thirty days will be as calm and orderly az a
Vermont village. ii the President .a;ls tn
use his power ''our disgrace will b. ,ast;nn.
The Negroes suffering will soon cease. Re.
lore many years he will rule the south a.
York city to-day"