The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-01-29
Civil. Rights.
history.

allow the puDllcatlol, not ohIS ol l"c
subjeined extract from a late speech Of
our Congressman, Hon. Jne. NJ. Bright
but OF several other gentleman who
spoke in Congress upon the same sub
i ct. But, we viii hereafter give at
to them. This week we ex
tract from the speech Of our talented
Congressman. Remember that the
subject was one TO allow aadih0nal
privileges to the colorcd man. And
Mr.. Bright. in conclusion, said:
81 have said that it was imroIitic to
PASS this bill. The colored man has
everything to lose by it, and nothing
to gain. There is no cocrcive power
on the part Of Congress toward the
State to compel it to levy a tax for ed
vocational purposes. The laws Of some
Of the States are now giving the col
ored people the benefit Of education,
pouring its beams Of enlightenment
upon the African race, by dividing the
school funds in proportion to the scho
lastic population Of the two races, al.
though they are separated into differ
ent schools. Should Congress attempt
to drive the Southern States, having
scpcrate common schaels, to the wall,
and attempt to force thci! tastes, and,
if you please, their natural and conven
tional rcpugnance TO color and race.
into social contact, they will refuse to
tax themselves torthe support Of such
an additional system. This the whites
can do in Tennessee, for they can vote
three to one over the colorcd people.
but | have no tine to dwell upon
that part Of the subject. have said
that this bill was unnecessary. What
rights are now denied to the colored
race? They have the freedom Of the
press, the freedom of speech, the free.
dom Of the ballot, the freedom Of
office, the freedom Of the courts, and
the rights OF property. All the ave
Aucs of power and Office of this Gov
crnmcnt have been thrown wide open
to them. The Constitutions Of the
State Governments have opened the
avenues to them and let them in.
The Constitution Of the United States
has opened to let them in. All the
gates are wide open TO them. Even
the White House is now set as q prize
before the eye Of the African. Sir,
they have all the rights of the hoasted
Roman citizen, Ctr rlgnL OF holding
slaves excepted. Still they clamor
here.
Why, Mr.. Speaker, and Representa-
lives upon the other side of the House,
their civil and political elevation is I'M.
paraIlcIIed in the history of nations.
emerged from the broken chains and
yoke of slavery, been habilitated and
raised to the grandeur Of American
citizens, in the same length Of time.
France and England cmaacipated their
slaves, but the emancipated never
dreamed that they should have letters
Of nobility. or should be eycvated to
the woolsack never, never
Here the Hammer fell.
Allow me two minutes more. | de
sire to refer to the re al wants Of The
negro. Sir, he can stand a little to
haccO smoke in a railroad car better
than he can the tobacco tax. Let hin
strive to get that off, and then to gel
back the seventy millions of cotton tax
which the Government has taken un.
cons:itutionaIly from him end us. No
only hat, but cut down your tariff,
lay your pruning knife to it, and cut
the redundant eXcrcscenccs. Reform
your currency, which by its fluctuations
has recently destroyed one third of the
value Of the cotton crop, the result in a
large part of the bone and the muscle,
the sweat and the tot! OF the colored
man. The wall ofstarving women and
children comes up from the South this
day on the authority Of Bishop Will.
mcr. those Of their race, in conse.
quence OF their restitution. Let them
aid to roll off the incubus from the
breasts OF their people, and then they
will have done 4 service to themselves
and their race. instead of centendinr
for first places in cars and places OF
amusement. The vast majority of
their race are laborers in the rural dis
tricts. Not one in ten thousand, per-
haps, wants to travel on a car. They
had better keep away from saloons and
theaters. They are too poor to pay
for accommodations in first class ho-
tells, which receive their patronage
mainly from the rich and the fashion
able. Only a few exceptional cases OF
their color can bear the expense of
luxurious indulgenccs, and they are
generally to be found about cities, and
would have us turn the Government
upside down for their accommodation.
As Il race they have their own churches,
school-houses, eating.houses, board
ing houses, and as they advance in
wealth they may have their own thea
tcrs. Let them look at the real mat
tiers of grievance by the Government,
and not be deceived by this civil rights
dill, so-calleG."
MIR. Bloom, robbed Of $4,000 in a