The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1874-09-18
Ex-Gov. BROWN ON TIE CIVIL
RIGHTS BILL.

squarely, and to do all in our power
to avert the enactment Of a measure
which will be productive of the most
lruinous consequences throughout
the entire South.
! 1t was hard enough fate upon us
for our conqaerors to abolish slavery
and wrest from us, without dollar
of compensation, the billions of dol
lars invested 10 that property, which
had descended from generation to
| generation, as the patrimony of sew
eral ages; and then to compel US to
stand upon terms of legal equality
with our former slaves, and meet
them as equals at the ballot box. -
This, however, the conqueror die.
tated, and compelled submission to
his dictation; and those who were
most fiery and denunciatory in their
warfare against it, accomplished
nothing Of good for our people.
| But here the reconstruction meas
ures should cease, and all parties
should agree that the war is at an
| end that we have suffered its dis
astrous consequences; and that no
further wrongs should be inflicted
upon us.
At this stage, however, with a
1 view no doubt to the next President
ial campaign, and for the purpose of
making the colored voters more en-
thusiastic in their support of the
Republican party, certain leaders Of
that powerful organization bring for
ward what is called the Civil Rights
Bill, which is now pending on the
calendar of Congress, and which, in
fact, is intended, not as o civil rights
bill, but social rights measure; for
the purpose Of compelling social
equality between the white and coll
ored people Of the South. This can
never be done, and if attempted
should not, and will not be submit
ted to, be the consequences what
they may. God has created the two
races different, with different tastes,
capacity and instincts for social en-
ljoyment, and no human Legislation
can ever compel them to unite as So
cial equals.
Those who urge this measure in
Congress, with view of bringing
up the colored voters to q more en-
thusiastic support of their party, are
putting themselves in a position to
do the greatest possible injury to the
colored race: Suppose this bill should
pass at the next Congress, what
will be the RESULT The legislature
of each Southern State, as soon as it
is called together, will at once re-
peal all laws by which public schools
are maintained at the public OK
pense, and leave each man to edu-
cate his own children as best he can.
This will leave the colored people,
who are without property, to grope
their way in ignorance, with no
means of educating their offspring.
And it will necessarily leave a great
many white people in the same un-
fortunate situation. But be this as
it may, we will never submit to mix
ed schools, where our children will
be compelled to unite with those Of
the colored race, upon terms Of 500
cial equality.
| have been President Of the
Board of Education in Atlanta, since
the organization of our system,
which is now working most admira-
bly,, under which we have separate
schools, open to white and colored
children, every child belonging to
either race can find It's way into q
good school, if the parent thinks
proper to send it. These schools
are maintained by taxation Of the
whole people and their burden falls
mainly upon those who have most
| wealth and who often have no chill.
dren to educate. / am proud Of the
system, and Of the great benefits
which are resulting from it, and !
feel as our white people generally
do, that since the colored people
are made citizens, If they act in
their proper social sphere, it is our
duty, as well as our pleasure to aid
them in the education Of their chils
dren. But / do not hesitate to say
that / should favor the immediate
repeal of all laws on this subject,
and the disbanding of the schools as
soon as the Civil Rights Bill shall
become a law.
1t cannot be said that we violate
any provision Of the Constitution Of
the United States, when we repeal
our school laws, as that constitution
requires no State to maintain any
public school; and we make no dis
elimination on account Of race, coli
or or previous condition Of seryitude,
when we refuse to maintain any
public school, at the public expense,
for the children Of either race.
But this is not all. The attempt
to force equality between the races
on railroad cars, steamboats,, and
especially in hotels and churches,
viii produce constant strife, and
very frequent bloodsbsd, that will