New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-02

stood alooffrom the colored people then, and
now, when this last act Of justice is to be
done, we find them voting soldly against
them. / admit, sir, they have the right to
do this they must vote as their conscences
dictate, but after steadily opposing every
measure proposed, either here on, by their
State governments, for the advancement of
the cOored people, they should at least
have more pride than to stand up here and
complain of colored people because they
elect local officers in the Southern States and
members here to seats on this floor whS will
vote to grant them what is Justly due them
the full rights of citizenship of our country.
And this is the most unfortunate feature
connected with the Southern States, that the
white people, natives there, have persistent
" opposed every move to improve the con-
ditiOn and advance the interests of the col
ored people. They endeavored after the
close of the war to reduce them to a condi-
ton of serfdOm in some States by what were
called black laws. They opposed their
enfranchisement and their education, and
now they oppose granting to them equal
civil rights, and they threaten in some of
those States where they are in power that
if it is done they will refused to appropriate
money to continue the public schools. l say
that this is the most unfortunate feature
connected with the various troubles in the
Southern States for how can there be good
feeling, peace, and prosperity when one por-
ton OF the people array themselves solidly
against granting to the other portion rights
that they are entitled to. Where will be
the end to contention and bad feeling should
this continue? For the longer the colored
people are denied these rights the stronger
will be their feeling against these who deny
them. 1t is only by true unification of all
the people Of the South that those States
will again become prosperous. You have
granted to the late slaves in those States
equal political rights with their former mas.
tiers. You must now grant them equal civil
rights. You cannot make man part free.
All shackles must be removed. Far better
would it be if this were to be freely and gen.
erOusly done by the white citizens of those
States if these rights were to be generously
guaranteed in the manner proposed by the
| resolutions l have quoted from. Then, in
deed, would the cOlored people, always re-
| tanning their respect and love for their old
owners, give them back the confidence they
have lost by their denial of other rights to
them.
But if this is not done-and from the SEN
timents expressed here by the special repre-
sentatives of the white people of the South it
is not likely to be done soon-then the Gen
Ciui "oNCiuihChI tuiouSh SOhsoiCoo
act promptly and pass this bill. There is no
reason whatever in my opinion for further
delay. The law will rarely need to be en-
forced by the courts /; the passage of it alone
will go far to make the enforcement of it I'M
necessary. 1t will be acqusced in, and very
soon, by all. AS to the threat in regard to
the school clause that we will detroy the
schools of some of the States, have only to
say that it is rather late in the day to be
making threats of any kind, and we are all
tired Of these continual threats of what will
be done if we do not quit legislating to pro-
tect our citizens in their rights. But there
is no danger whatever that these threats
will ever be carried into effect, or If they are,
if the Legislature of Virginia or of Ten
nessee should fail to appropriate for one
year, they would find their people were
wiser than they were, and it would not be
repeated. But should the worst come,
should the schools fall, let them fall, but
let justice be done.