The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-01-28
General Vance ON the Civil
Rights Bill.

In the House OF Representatives.
last Saturday, Mr.. R. b. Vance, of
North Carolina, spoke against the
ciyil-rights bill, claiming that its
title should be changed to A bill
to protect colored men in their social
rights and asserting that there
was now no denial of the civil-rights
bill in the Southern States. The
provision of schools he claimed to
be civil right, but the right Of col
ored children to go into white
schools is a social right. and the
attempt to enforce it could but pro-
duce a disastrous effect upon beth
the white and colored schools.
A spirited coIloquy sprung up at
the close of his remarks, brought on
by the remark that if he was a col
ored man he would not stand as a
beggar before Congress for these
rights, but would rather strive to
elevate himself to be worthy Of
them.
Mr.. Rainey, of South Carolira,
asked if these were his views what
he thought of the Southern whites
who were coming here and asking
the removal of disabilities?
Mr.. Vance said he had expected
such question. Everywhere the
horrid skeleton of war was brought
up. 1t was right for Congress to
remove these disabilities, for Presi-
dent Johnson had practically done
so by his proclamation. God AL
mighty had not, he said, placed the
brand of Cain upon the cOlored man.
The bones of his countrymen and
friends laid in their graves at Chicka-
maga Missionary Ridge. Spottsylva-
MIA and Petersburg, and elsewhere
where they fell in maintaining what
they believed to be right.
Mr. Ford, Of Illinois, asked If he
thought the rebellion right? ~
Mr.. Vance replied that he did,
and under such circumstances would
rebel again. He would now ask the
gentleman had he been placed under
the same circumstances would he
not have done the same? -8
Mr.. Fort said he could not. con-
ceive of any circumstances under
which he could be induced to raise
his hand against his Government.
Mr.. Vance then said that, there
was never a more sublime sight than
when, after the surrender at APP
pomattox, the Southern people went
home with the greatest goodwill to
the old flag of their fathers. 10y
atty, he said, did not consist in the
devotion to party, but devotion to
the Constitution, and in this sense
the men of the South were loyal
What followed? Laws were made
to strike down the South, and his
people met denunciation on all sides
He contrasted with a revolt in Rus
sia, where, after it was put down,
the rebels . were not met by de-
nunciation from every stump-speak-
er, but law went forth forbidding
the mention of it. The war has
passed, and several years had clap
sed If it was necessary for men
to rake up the skeleton Of it to sus-
tain failing cause, then let them
do it The South had been willing
to join hands, and when Mr.. Greeley
had proposed to shake hands across
the bloody chasm, they had, after
seeing that h held the knife in his
rushed to the very edge of the casm
to grasp it.
Mr.. Vance. who had yielded the
remainder of his time to Mr.. White
head, of Virginia, said he saw no
good to come from fighting the war
over again, and would not take the
time for it which he had yielded to
his friend from Virginia. p
Dir. Fort appealed to Mr.. White
head to yield few minutes
Mr.. Whitehead said he had sup
posed the war ended eight years
ago Qaughter,) and declined to yield
Mr.. Fort presisting, put the
question, which was: The gentle
man having stated that he had sworn
to support the Constitution, whether
he or the leaders of the rebellion
had not taken the same oath before
they attempted to overthrow, the
Constitution and Government.
Mr. Vance said that after their
State had seeded they held that
the oath was no longer binding.
Mr.. Fort: lie states that under
like circumstances he wonld rebeE
again. I would ask him whether he
considers that would be perjury or
not?
Mr.. Vance: /" Not" He then
went on to say that he had not
brought this matter about. 1t had
been brought up by the question of
Mr. Rainey. He was not ashamed
of what he had done, but the same
circumstances could not possibly oc-
cur again, therefore the discussion
was fruitless.