New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-15
A CIVIL RIGHTS CASE.

The case of the two cOlOred students in the
Connecticut Literary Institution at Suffeld,
which it was said cried aloud for the enforce
ment of Civil Rights bill in New England
turns out to be rather tame specimen Of
an outrage. SO far as the school officers were
concerned, the lads were afforded absolute
equality and no distinction was made between
them and the white students. 1t has been the
custom always for the students boarding with
the steward to select their own seats
at tho table. so as to choose their assO-
ciates and make everything pleasant
and agreeable When seven students at tae
table complained to the steward that the
presence of the two colored janitOrs was Of
fensive, it was not an objection raised to their
race or color, or. as the law has it, their
"prevous condition of servtude." The OBJ
lection related to something which the law
does not and cannot consider. 1t was mildly
stated to the steward. and the steward in as
delicate manner as possible suggested to
the janitors that he would pay them their
wages and let them get board elsewhere, or that
he would set them table by themselves, where
they and all who wished to JOIN them could
be served or he would take them-not to
second table, as they represented-but to the
table with his own family. When they re-
fused to accept any of these offers, but in
sisted on what they called their rights" the
steward, instead of locking them into his
room, simply locked the door from his office
to the dining-rOon,, so that they could not
90 in there otherwise, they were free to go
where they pleased.
Upon this state of things they appealed to
the public, and with something of the air OF
martyrs inquired if they had no rights to be
respected" 1t does not seem to be case
that calls for any large expenditure OF SYM
pathy. The seven white students might per-
hans, had their parents and the school officers
been agreed in it, have been compelled to
occupy seats at table with these two cOlored
lads There's just shadow of conflicting
rights in the matter, however, which would
have prevented that settlement OF the question
from being considered everywhere and by every
body a solution exactly and absolutely just 1t
occurs to 'us-and we hope no one will be
shocked by the suggestiOn-that the seven
white boys had about as clear right to select
their own company at table as the two jani-
tors had to force their company on them. The
line where personal liberty and nat
ural right are separated from tyranny
and wrong is trihe obscure to most
people, and it is not to be wondered at per-
hans that these two colOred lads, eager to
have and enjoy all the privileges to
which they are entitled, naturally sensi-
tive to sights, and suspicious Of any
thing that seems like neglect or unfairness,
should rise up in Indignation when the asser-
ton of other peoples rights seemed to touch
them. 1t did not occur to them that the
right of the other boys to choose their own
company was, perhaps, as clear as their own
to force themselves upon them. Doubtless
they thought they were really martyrs. Any
body else of any other race or color of whom
similar complaint should be made would no
doubt receive the same treatment, and though
it might be unpleasant, there would be no
talk about Civil Rights or any such absurd
nonsense in connection with it.
We have had something too much of this.
The idea of appealing to the public and pro-
pounding startling conundrums about equality
and civil rights, because half dozen board
ing-scboOl boys refuse to sit at table with two
colored janitOrs, is carrying the special politics
of the past twenty years almost to the point
of absurdity