The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-01-15
sTAUNToN, VIRGINIA, THURSDAY JANUARY Is,
Civil Rights Bill.

On Monday, Mr.. Buffers Civil Rights
was under consideration in Congress, when
Hon. j. T. Harris, of this district, spoke on
the subject for twenty minutes There are
| various reports Of the substance Of his re-
| marks, and the passage between him and 9
I colored delegate from Mississippi, the mild
| est of which will be found below:
Mr.. Harris, of Virginia, coutended that
/ the Constitution Of the United States gave
l to the Federal Government limited powers
and reserved others to the States, Snd that
it was unconstitutional to pass the pending
BILL To show its unconstitutionality he re-
ferred to the decision of the Supreme Court
Of the United States in the slaughter house
cases at New Orleans. He believed that
all the South, black and white, fully enjoy
ed their civil rights, but the bill attempted
to enforce social right. There was not a
! white man on the floor on the other side of
the House who could look him (Harris) in
the face ard say that the colored man was
created by God to be the equal Of the white
man.
Mr.. Ransicr, colored member from
South Car3lina, said he could do SO.
Mr.. Harris-I am speaking to the white
men on that side Of the House, and not to
you. Laughter.
Mr. Harris, in continuation, quoted from
speeches of Mr.. Lincoln in his campaign
with Douglass, in Illinois, to show that Mr..
Lincoln never considered the negro the
equal of the white mau. On the contrary
Mr. Lincoln held the white race to be great
~ superior to the blacks.
Mr. Harris then referred to the school
system and the philanthropic institutions Of
his State, and had letters read from the SUI
erintendent of Schools, and the Superin-
tendents Of the Lunatic Asylums, and the In
stitution for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind,
all testifying that the passage of the Civil
Rights bill would be detrimental to these in
situations He insisted that the opposition
to this bill was well grounded, because Of the
injury it would do the white race, and not
because the white people of the South had
any prejudice to the colored race.
Mr.. Ransier, of South Carolina-I deny
that. eG f0 a3s s i. 5&
Mr.. Harris-Oh, sit down. am speak
ing to the white men on that side. | am
speaking to the gentleman there.
Mr. E. r. Hoar, of Massachusetts, called
the gentleman to order, and made the point
that he must address the whole House, and
not any portion Of it.
{ Mr.. Harris in continuation said there was
no such prejudice as was pretended by gen
tlemen on the other side: The prejudlces
against any social arrangements were implan-
ted BY God himself.
Congressman Elliott, colored, spoke for an
hour on Tuesday, in favor of the bill. He
was listened to respectfully by all. The ger
eral impression was that the bill would be
recommitted, which is equivalent to indeG'
nite postporement.
On Tuesday Of last week, after Mr.. But
Ter had spoken on the subject, he moved that
the bill be re. committed to the Committee,
for the purpose, as he said, Of considering
the amendments which had been offered, and
reporting the bill with view of its passage
under the operation of the previous question.
We hardly think it will be reported before
the latter part of the session, and then in a
form stripped Of its most Objectionable fea-
lures.