New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-06-18

our children to the full enjoyment of impair
tial and equal privileges in the public schools
the brand of the traitor Judas, as deserving
politically a traitors doom, with whom we
will never, never join hands nor support, but
will regard as our public and private enemy,
more terrible to meet than savage beast,
more injurious than any catastrophe that
could befall us, or any calamity that could
be devised by any wicked unseen power That
could reap carnival of misery; but equal
and impartial rights will secure to posterty
their and true relations, order will come from
chaos, good will spring up where spite anu
hate exist, Ethiopia will in this far country
stretch forth her hands to God, peace will
bless you, and we will walk hand in hand.
Also the following:
Whereas il has been asserted without au-
thority and unwarrantably that the colored
citizens of Tennessee and the South do not
want civil rights, with impartial school priv
ileges to all the colored children in the South
in the public schools, and all the other priv
ileges demanded and allowed in civil laws
this convention Of colorcd citizens repel
Indignantly and with contempt the nissan
thrOpe who would seek to fasten and fettel
with prejudice our children and posterity
and we earnestly invoke the national Con.
gress to pass the civil rights bill, giving tc
our children impartial school privileges in
every public school, State and national
throughout the United States, and deny tc
any the privileges of invidious distinctions
against our race in any of the institutions o.
the country; and present our thanks to Gen
Benjamin f. Butler, of Massachusetts,, iol
his management of the bill in the House O
Representatives of the United States, 50 ably
indicated by the lamentcd Charles Sum
ner.
ask the passage of the civil rights bill
before we shall adjourn. We ask it as {
measure of justice to those people who have
been true to the nation and to the party il
power. We ask it at the hands of President
Grant an the Republican party. We ash
| it too, sir, as matter of sound public policy
| in the interest Of the Republican party ant
the country. TO say that the intelligent
colOred people are not desiring this measure
| is, sir, rel eat, adding ins ult to injury. We
ask it; we are not in a position to demand
it. We plead for it respectfully, but in NJ
uncertain voice, and confidently look for Its
early passage.
| Mr.. Speaker, the condition Of affairs il
South Carolina, Arkansas, louisiana, anC
elsewhere IN the South is Rugged into these
debates here and into the writing of news
paper articles as evidences of the unftness
of the negro for the franchise and for civi
| rights. Sir, that affairs in some of these
| States are not in satisfactory condition il
unfortunately true but, sir, these people
| have done as well under all the crcums lance:
as any other race similarly situated coul,
have done. They have made mistakes an,
are alive to the fact, and SO far as they arr
concerned are endeavoring to rectify them
They have been deceived in men whom the
elected to fill important positions, as the too
cOntiding cOlOred people Of portions Of Ten
pessce and Virginia and elsewhere hav,
been deceived and are being misrepresente,
| by some of those towards whose election
they contributed largely.
! AS to affairs in my own State, sir, | cCuli
wish that there were no grave constitutional
distractions in the way of an investigation
| into our affairs, as is asked for by portion
of our people. The masses of our people
white and black, would rather invite investi
CATION and thorough understanding Of on
affairs than shrink from it. None bnt thos
who may be guilty Of such practices rs ar
charged against them, and are or may b
directly responsible for the misuse Of tn
public moneys aud abuses in other directions
could reasonably object. But, sir, becaus
some officials in these States have abused tn
public confidence and prostituted their Office
is violence to be done to a great principle c
justice, and a whole race denied therei
equal rights in Government like ours?
cannot be, Mr.. Speaker. Let jus tice be don
though the heavens fall.