The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-06-04
The Civil Rights Bill Party Measure.

The Washington correspondent of the New
York Herald thus describes the scene in the
United States Senate on the passage of the
Civil Rights bill, and comments upon the
probable effect of this measure upon the future
interests of political parties:
From eleven a. m. on Friday, till night, and
then through all the night till seven o'clock
Yesterday morning, the Senate had what may
be called wake on the Civil Rights bill-the
republicans having resolved in the morning to
continue in session till they passed the BILL
They have no previous question in the Senate,
whereby they can bring the chamber at once
to the main question, and so, to push bill
through, the majority have to agree to sit it
out. By this process of exhausting the minor
ity the record of the Senate will show that q
large proportion of the acts of Congress which
serve as historical landmarks were passed
such as the Oregon Territorial bill, the Texas
Annexation bill and some of the compromise
measures of 1850. And so the Civil Rights
bill, Charles Summers legacy to the Senate,
has been passed, and passed as party meas
ure.
The colored balance of power in the popular
vote of the South and of the Union demanded
this Civil Rights bill, and the Rpubican party
in Congress were compelled to meet the requi-
sition The bill passed 20 to 1S-a partisan
division, excepting three republicans in the
negative, Boreman, of West Virginia, Lewis,
of Virginia, and Carpenter, of Wisconsin, who,
on this Civil Rights question, as on the Lou
isiana controversy, has taken his own course,
regardless of party caucuses or party necessi-
ties for Senatorial republican party caucus
some two weeks ago had put this bill upon
their programme of measures which must be
passed. As an indignant democrat remarked
yesterday morning: Now, the only thing that
remains to be done for our enfranchised fellow
citizens of African descent by Congress, is to
provide by law for securing to every freedman
among them that long promised forty acres of
land with that aforesaid mule"
The bill now goes to the House, and, as a
party measure will doubtless pass that body,
though as political make-weight, there is
some talk of tacking on to the bill in the
House, Horace Greeleys grand idea of uni
versal amnesty to the parties concerned in the
late rebellion. Here, however, the implacable
Jefferson Davis, who does not recognize the
new order of things, who asks no fayors and
who still adheres to the "lost cause" is a
stumbling block to many republicans, who still
believe that justice called for the hanging Of
Davis "on Il sour apple tree" In fact, If a
will be mainly on account of the unreconstruc-
ted and intractable Jeff Davis. And so we
apprehend that this Civil Rights bill will be
finally passed without the equivalent to the
Southern whites of universal amnesty, the
wisest measure in behalf of the reconciliation
of the South to the Union as it is that could
be adopted.
But, as this Civil Rights bill may be consid-
cred henceforward law of the land, what will
be the consequences of the enforcement of its
provisions? 1t will not be long before the
hotel keepers, theatrical and operate manag-
ers and other parties concerned in the city OF
New York, will be put to the test of the equal
ity of all races and col0rs as citizens and Gus
toners; for we understand that certain colored
men have promised to take the conceit out OF
certain would-be exclusive establishments in
New York on the first opportunity.
In the Southern States this bill, from all that
we have heard and seen on this subject, will
close the public Schools not only in Georgia,
where retaliation has been threatened by the
Legislature, but in every Southern State where
the blacks are supreme as in South Carolina,
Mississippi and Louisiana, the whites will
withdraw their children from the public schools
rather than submit to their mngling with the
blacks under this Congressional law of equali-
ty. Mr. Sargent, of California, tried an amend
ment authorizing separate schools for whites
and black but the proposition was declared as
destructive of the great leading principle OF
the bill, and so it was promptly voted down.
There will unquestonably be great COM
motion throughout the South, close upon the
heels of the passage of this bill, and the polit-
ical consequences may be far more serious and
extensive than any of the republican leaders
of this Congress anticipate.
The following is the full text of the bill as
it passed in the Senate, and in this form the
majority of the House of Representatives will
likely sanction the measure:
SECTION l. All citizens and other persons
within the jurisdiction of the United States
shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoy
ment of the accommodations, advantages, ia
ciities and privileges of inns, public convey
ances on land or water, theatres and other
places of public amusement, and also OF com
mon schools and public institutions of learning
or benevolence supported in whole or in part
by general taxation, and of cemeteries so sup
ported, and also the institutions known as
Agricultural Colleges, endowed by the United
States, subject only to the conditions and limi
tations established by law and applicable alike
to citizens of every race and color regardless
of apy previous condition of servitude.
SEC. Z. That any person who shall violate
the foregoing section by denying to any person
entitled to its benefits, except for reasons by
law applicable to citizens of every race and
color, and regardless of any previous condition
of servitude the full enjoyment OF any of the
accommodations, advantages, facilities or priv
ileges in said section enumerated, or melting
such denial shall for every such ofense forfeit
and pay the sum of $500 to the person ag-
erieved thereby, to be recovered in an action
on the case, with full COSTS and shall, also, for
every such offense be deemed guilty of a mis-.
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall
be fined not more than 81, 900, or shall be i'm
prisoned not more than one year, provided,
that the party aggreved shall not recover more
than one penalty, and when the ofense is
refusal of burial, the penalty may be recovered
by the heirs-at-law of the person whose body
has been refused burial. And provided further,
4 r.. al.