American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-06-06

TEE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL.
This infamous measure has passed
the Senate, and will, no doubt, be
come law of the land, unless Pres
dent Grant should manifest his dis
approval Of its provisions by attach
ing his veto it. We have, on more
than one occasion, expressed our
views of this measure, and the re-
snlts which would most likely follow
it's enforcement in the South, where
il is intended principally to opei ate.
Should it pass both houses Of Con-
gress and receive Executive sane
ton, It's practical working will.
doubtless, be tested in few in
stances, bot we cannot believe that
it will bs generally enforced in tho
Southern States. Indeed, the pro
visions of this measure could not be
enforced without removing the only
guarantees and obligations in which
we can repose in honor and safety.
The passage of the bill in the Sen
ATE has elected press comments
from all sections of our country, and
believing that the opinions Of others
might he far more acceptable to orlr
readers than any We might present.
We have grouped together the crit
cisms OF some Of the leading jour
mails of the North aud West for their
perusal, and which will clearly show
the estimate placed upon the meas
ure by papers that have the manli-
less to speak ont concerning it.
The st. LEXIS Anserika (German)
says:
Anything more crazy and ruin
ons than the so-called civil rights
bill adopted by the Senate, has not
appeared on the surface OF our po-
litical life tor long time. And this
bill, which 20 evidently transcends
the authority Of congress, and which
eDchains the individual freedom of
the Southern whites in favor of the
negroes, even worse than it was en-.
chained before, is passed by the Re
publican majority OF the Senate. in
face Of the fact that the insolence of
the negroes has already literally
ruined the greater portion of the
Southern States. Truly, to those
Senators that saying of Napoleon is
applicable: They have learned
notbing. and forgotten nothing"
The Cincinnati Commercial puts
the question in this form:
The bill for securing to the color
ell race equal civil rights III all
schools, public assemblies, hotels
and public convey ances. now before
Congress, involve questions SO com
plex and far reaching as to call for
the widest popular discussion before
it assumes the form of permanent
law.
Much more difficult does the ques-
ton become in regions like the re-
Gently ehfranchised States, where
life long prejudice against the negro
is the fruit of ages of his degrade
ton by the system Of slavery. The
States Of the South have accepted
the political equality Of the races as
the logical result of their emancipa-
ton, aud that i.franchisement has
become one of the corner st"nes of
the Union of the Republic. To COM
pei them, by act of Congress-, to go
farther, and to educate their chill
dren in the same schools and on the
same benches with the children of
their late slaves, would be a meas
ure at which it need not surprise us
it Southern blood should rebel. Will
it not, at least, be time enough to
force the system Of mixed schools
upon the South. when it shall have
been cordially and in good faith
adopted throughout the North.
The New York Herald views the
subject from . constitutional stand
pOiut, aud clearly demonstrates that
its passage would be q fragrant vio-
lsti0n of that instrument:
Although the bill in regard to the
rights of negroes, which has just
passed the Senate, can never be en-
fOrcsd, and is scarcely worthy con-
sideration rs q measure likely to
have any influence upon the lite of
the people, it may very pr0fitably
he contemplated as an indication OF
the progress We have made in our
departure from the notions that pre-
vailed with the founders of this Re
pOblic, touching the distribution OF
power bet~ cen Congress aud the
State governments. That men who
had spouted politics long enough to
get themselves sent to the United
States Senate should DO 50 little &C
quainfed with the operation of po-
litical principles as to believe this
measure could have the effect they
propose might be thought strange,
ii there was any evidence that
Senators believed the bill likely
TO have the effect they pretend
to desire, and if it was not, on
the contrary, clear that they vote
only to make a record for their par
ty claims to negro favor, and mere
~ as kissing the dust Oh the shoes
Of the negro voter. But the very