The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-09-10
The Civil Rights Bill and the Republican
Party 49,. -

the Republican party has had Il majority III
Congress, without single s~ssion Of Interrupt
ton. At every session of Congress since the
war, this Civil Rights Bill has been before that
body and it has never yet become law. tits,
therefore quite a stretch of historical fact for
the Conservative press to assert that the Civil
Rights Bill is Republican measure; or Il
measure witch the National Republican party
intends to enact into $ law.
1t is true that majority of the Republican
members of the present Congress, at the late
session, were found to be in favor OF passing
this (Sumner) Civil Rights Bill. This was be-
cause OF the impetus which the death OF that
strong Greeley man. Charles Summer, gave to
that measure. 1t was claimed that that Sena-
tor had left as sort Of legacy to his friends IN
and out of Congress, the passage OF that meas
ure; the one which his heart had been set up
on for eight years, and over which that heart
had grown sick from the long deferred hope OF
its passage. But the favor shown, under such
circumstances, to the measure. by majority
OF the Republican members of single Con
gress, does not make tide Civil Rights Bill Re
publican measure. The National Conventions
of the party alone are authorized TO announce
its national measures its State Conventions
alone are authorized to announce its State
measures. And we repeat that no National
Republican Convention, and no State Republi-
can Convention has ever proclaimed the Civil
Rights Bill to be part OF it's policy. 1,g-J
! OF course we have spoken in the foregoing
paragraphs Of the Sumner Civil Rights Bill, de-
signed to enforce social equality between the
races. We have not spoken of the Irumbnll
Civil Rights Bill which became a law in 1867,
and which only sought to establish an equality
| of legal and political rights between the RAJ
| ces. .ta' Etssf
The plainest mind can comprehend the dif
ference between a law designed to give the
same legal rights to the colored race as to the
white and a law, like Summers, de-
signed to force intercourse and social equality
! plifcation OF that difference in the two presi-
dental candidates of 1872 Gen. Grant was
then, as he is now, Simply in favor Of giving
the colored people the same legal and political
rights that were given to white people; that
i. to say the same right to vote and hold office
and the same right to hold property and to sue
and be sued in the courts. But Mr.. Greeley
was in favor OF going much farther. He was
i'll favor of mixed schools. He was in favor of
giving the negroes the s: me rights in hotels,
churches, theatres, railroad cars, and coaches
and he expressly declared that if negroes and
white individuals chose to marry each other,
4 third persons had no right to object and nc
right to make laws against such marriages. =
We could fill dozen issues of orr paper with
extracts from Horace Greeley's writingsin ex-
travagant advocacy of Summers Civil Rights
Bill, but it is needless to- do So as his opinions
are well known and will not be denied by any
intelligent man. Two very mild, brief and
moderate extracts will suffice to define his po-
sition. On May A. 1870, he said in the New
York Tribune: gQ@fGI isi5'o5 ~ ~
ssIn the Senate yesterday Mr. Simmer intro
,duced biz to secure equality OF rights re-
| gardless OF color, in cars. on steamboats,, in
schools, &C., &c. This is right. and we trust it
may prevail, =" &c, &c. 55tts ss ~
h. On April IL, 1872, Mr.. Greeley said in the
Tribune ,s N,r Ttf f-.js ...s,5
senator summer, Always IN aaVahee, as
cnailpioh or equal flSats' mas proposed tital
blacks shaii nave equal rlghss Win &c
an puDilc cohYe e noleis, ana PUBIC en-
| but it seems likely to prevail at the present
| session. And once enacted. it may. in some
instances De alsooeyeo, eat can nardiy oe re-
s $50, M 49,. ,,.....
= ~ 7 - ~ ,:l,'.n,
~ '"' oion-., '1'ls0 =. Naa
e''.'o' ~ 'l'e pNs.
'No' "u :, - ~.
:, 49, - -. - II, -,
~ = ~
- ~
tbe hse l. n ,y cannon 81 rights 70 ay nnhIc
conveyance, and in public meetings and insti-
tutions will be recohgized, as they were not
Q. oia, a11o as they are oa. laperIeccis recos
onr edueational institutions and selninarIes
will be open to men OF all races, with free
dom, with hospitality, which mas never yet
peen a,.,s oao vii aycnda hin, from, a.
1 church or any religious organization whatever.
So then, say with regard to our common
.va,ty't;ve ~ th;rtv famil;es # Is simnlv ina
| possible. where two or three OF these are color
ed, have separate schools; and, in those ca
ses' ~ say 'i..,s a' soau haov 81 y.
NOT haye-anv scl,s,ol wlateyer.,, I
| nv, 1910 -,