The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-18
A CiyiI-Rirl,ss Case.

The case Of the two coIored students in
the Connecticut Literary Institution at sui
field, which it was said cried aloud for the
enforcement Of civil.rights bill in New
England, turns out to bea rather tame speci'
men of an Outrage. When seven students
at the table complained to the steward that
the presence of the two colored janitors was
offensive, it was not an objection raised to
their race or color, or, as the law has It,, their
previous condition Of servitude." The OBJ
lection related to something which the law
does not and cannot consider. TWAS mildly
stated to the steward. and the steward in as
delicate q manner as possible suggested to
the janitors that be would pay them their
wages and let them get board elsewhere, or
that he would set them table by them
selves, where they and all who wished 10
Join them could be served, or he would take
them, not TO second table, as they repre-
sented, but to The table with his own family.
When they refused TO accept any OF THESE
offers, but insisted on what they called their
"rights,' the steward, instead OF locking
them into his room, simply locked the door
from his office to the dining-room, so that
that they could not 60 in there; otherwise,
they were free to go where they pleased.
Upon this state of things they appealed TO
the public, and with something of the air of
martyrs inquired if they had ono rights to
be respected" 1t does not seem to be case
that calls for any large expenditure of SYM
pathy. The seven white students might,
perhaps, had their parents and the school
officers been agreed in it, have been COM
pelled to occupy seats at table with these
two colored lads. There's just shadow
of conflicting rights In the matter, how
ever, which would have prevented that
settlement of the question from being con-
sidered everywhere and by everybody
solution exactly and absolutely just. 1t
occurs to us-and we hope no one will be
shocked by the suggestiOn-that the seven
white boys had about as clear right to select
their own company at table as the two jahi-
tors had to force their company on them.
The line where personal liberty and natural
right are separated from tyranny and wrong
is Il trifle obscure to most people, and it is not
20 be wondered at, perhaps, that these two
colored lads, eager to have and enjoy all the
privileges to which they are entitled, natu-
rally sensitive to Sights, and suspicious Of
ANYTHING that seems like neglect or uniarneSs,
should rise up in indignation when the as
5erton of other peoples rights seemed 10
touch them. 1t did not occur to them that
the right of the other boys 10 choose their
own company was, perhaps, as clear as their
own to force themselves upon them. Doubt
less they thought they were really martyrs.
Anybody else, of any other race or color, OF
whom similar complaint should be made
would no doubt receive the same treatment,
and though it might be unpleasant there
would be no talk about civil rights or any
such absurd nonsense in connection with il.
We have had something too much Of this.
The idea of appealing TO the public and pro-
pounding startling conundrums about equal
ty and civil rights, because half dozen
boarding-School boys refuse to sit at table
with two colored janitorS, is carrying the
special politics of the past twenty years al
most to the point Of absurdity.-New York
Tribune.