The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-09-24
HoYT g. CO., Proprietors.
N.Goy. Brown on the Civil Rights Bill.

Tn resnonse to certain inquiries Ioucnlns ni'
on;n;ons as to the effect of a passage by Con-
oress Of the civil rights bill, Ex-Gov. Joseph
= Brown. of Georgia, has written strong and
manly letter on the subject, giving emphatic
atterance to his antagonism towards the meas
1re.. A considerable portion of the letter IS
occupied with recepitulation of events trans
uiring since the war, in which he bore prom
;nent part Our limited space only permits
the publication Of the concluding Portlon'
which bears directly upon the main SUBJECT:
Bu5 the reconstruction contest IS Ia tCe paa.'
and TODAY we see the whole people OF georgia
coming up to the position of acqulescence
which we took in 1867, and indeed going far
bevond it. We then acquiesced in the tour
+esnth amendment and the Sherman BILL They
have since acquiesced in these measures Win
+be f;fteenth amendment added, which might
hove heen avoided if the whole South had
nromntly acouiesced in the fourteenth amend
ment and the reconstruction act known as the
Sherman bill. -, o,
Rut at this period we are met with much
more dangerous issue than any that was pre-
sented in 1867 and it becomes us to meet IL
fairly and squarely, and to do all IN our power
to avert the enactment OF measure WHICH WIN
be productive OF Gne uloSI uiAooo eoA'o1
throughout the entire South.
It was hard enough tate upon US LUZ f.on, ou,
conouerors to abolish slavery, and Wrest from
MS without dollar of compensation the olillons
of dollars invested in that property which nao
descended from generation to generation, as
the patrimony Of several ages; and then t. to
compel us to stand upon terms OF legal equall-
tv with our former slaves, aad meet them as
canals at the ballot box This, however, the
conoueror dictated, and compelled submission
Go his dictation and those who were most merry
and denunciatory in their warfare against IL
accomplished nothing of good for our people.
All parties have now united in acqulescence
in these measures, and all the States have oeen
re-admitted in the Union, as the Northern
States must now admit upon terms OF iegal
equality. Here then the reconstructlon meas
ures should cease, and ell parties should agree
that the war is at an end; tnat we nave SUI
fered its disastrous consequences, ana 'na' no
fi,rther wrongs should be inflicted upon US.
At this stage, however, with view, no doubt,
to the next presidential campaign, and TOR the
purpose of making the colored voters more e en-
thusiastic in their support of the republican
party. certain leaders of that powerful organi,,
zation bring forward what is termed the civil
RIGHTS. bill. which is now pending on the ca!en-
dar of congress, and which, in fact, Is INTENDED,
not as c;0I rights bill, but as social rights
measure. for the purpose of compelling social
eguolitv between the white and colored people
of the South. This can never be done, and II
attempted should not, and will not, be submit
ted to, be the consequences what they may.
God has created the two races different,
with different tastes, capacity and lnstlncts lor
social enjoyment, and no human !eg'siatlon
can ever compel them to unite as social equals
Those who urge this measure IN Congress
with view of bringing up the colored voters
to more enthusiastic support OF their party
are putting themselves in position to do the
greatest possible injury to the colored race.
Suppose this bill should pass at the next Con-
eress, what will be the result? The legislature
of each Southern State, as soon as it is called
together, will at once repeal all laws by which
public schools are maintained at the pubic ex-
nense. and leave each man to educate his own
Children as best he can This will leave the
colored people who are without property to
prope their way in ignorance with no means OF
Educating their offspring, and it will necessarl-
" leave great many white people In the same
unfortunate situation. But be this as it may,
we will never submit to mixed schools where
our children shall be compelled to unite with
those of the colored race, upon terms OF social
equality.
I have been president of the board of educa-
ton in Atlanta, since the organization OF our
system which is now working most admirably;
under which we have separate schools, open 10
the white and to colored children, and every
child belonging to either race can find its way
into good school, if the parent thinks proper
to send it, These schools are maintained oy
taxation of the whole people, and the burden
falls mainly upon those who have most wealth,
and who often have no children to educate. 1
am proud of the system, and of the great bene-
fts which are resulting from it. And I feel as
our white people generally do, that since the
celored people are made citizens, if they act IN
their proper social sphere it is our duty, as well
as our pleasure, to aid them in the education OF
their children But do not hesitate to say
that should favor the immediate repeal OF
all laws on this subject, and the disbanding OF
the schools, as soon as the civil rights bill shall
become q law.
It cannot be said that we violate any provi-
sion of the Constitution of the United States,
when we repeal our school laws, as that consti-
tuition requires no State to maintain any public
school: and we make no discrimination on ac-
count of race, color, or previous condltlon or
servitude, when we refuse to maintain any
public school, at the public expense, tor the
children of either race.
But this is not all. The attempt to force
equality between the races, on railroad cars,
steamboats,, and especially in hotels. and
churches, will produce constant strife, and very
frequent bloodshed, that will probably soon
Lead to q war of races, and produce horrible
state of things, throughout the entire South,
terminating in general anarchy, which will end
in the determination of the negro race. Much
as deprecate and oppose all mob law, and de.
sire the faithful execution Of the laws, cannot
doubt that in the excited state of the popular
mind, which would follow the attempt to en-,
force such measure it would soon be found
that white juries would not convict white men
for killing negroes who undertook to lntrude
themselves upon them, as social equals.
And if the Government of the United States
attempted to coerce the white people OF the
South into submission to negro social equality,