Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-06-06
A WARNING CRY.

n W aAhtL4sU OAl1s
Without particle Of prejudice, par
tisan or personal, let us briefly point
out the irreparable damage to result
from the passage of the civil rights
bill now before Congress.
First, 1t, of very necessity, over
throws the common school system of
the State. The proposed law is in di-
rect conflict with the Constitution of
Tennessee, and laws enacted thereun-
der for the esta blishment of common
schools. The State Superintendent of
Education is bound by solemn oath to
obey the law under which he was ap-
pointed, and when a law of Congress
prevents him from so doing, the result
will inevitably be the closing of every
common school in the State. There is
no other alternative, and this may as
we'll be understood first as last. With
this upshot, let it be borne in mind
where the hardships will mainly rest.
The colored children of the State, now
having equal educational advantages
with the whites, furnished almost en-
tirely by the taxes of white citizens,
will be simply turned adrift by the en-
actment of the bill, with their only
hope of education gone, perhaps, for
ever Under the existing regime, col
ored children are afforded the amplest
opportunities for education and cul-
ture; under the proposed law of Con-
gress they lose eveey practical and sol
id advantage, in the gain of mere po-
litical phantom-the Veriest sop of
senseless sentiment. No matter in
what light the question can he viewed,
the colored people will be the losers if
Congress persists in this foolish legis-
lation. We need not stop TO state at
any length, that the whites must also
suffer by the general disintegration of
a wholesome system.
Second. The enactment of the bill
in question absolutely establishes a
white mans party and black mans
party, not only in Tennessee, but in
every State in the South. One of the
most prominent and influential Repub-
licans in the State asserts unequivo-
cally that nine hundred and ninety
nine Republicans out of every thous-
and in Tennessee are emphatically op-
posed to the measure. They can not
fail to recognize the encouraging strides
of the negroes under the existing be-
neficent laws; nor can they fail to fore
see that the proposed change must be
destructive of the interests of the very
class sought to be elevated at the ex-
pense of law. order and Wholesome Gus
tom. White Republicans are scarce
in the State, as it is, but the proposed
law would completely unfasten them
from their political moorings, leaving
the African element, with its social
equality hobby, powerless against the
odds of numbers, wealth, intelligence
and organization. Under such condi-
tiOns, of what avail can be thousand
arbitrary laws of CONGRESS-, enacted in
violation of the instincts and aspira-
tons of human nature itself? The
Republican majority in Congress may
be pushing this measure with reference
to political supremacy. but a graver
blunder never was committed, carry
ing with it, as it certainly will the
overthrow of that party in the South,
and at the same time the permanent
injury of the African race.
The enactment of this civil rights
bill pOrtends the gravest consequences
in the way of engendering bad blood,
and melting to a clash of races. 1t is
all very well for stIid Northern states
men, viewing the Southern situation
from afar to talk in glittering general
tiles of equal rights and social equal
ity; but that does not remove the in
born and natural feeling of race iso-
latiOn Tin a social sense) which is uni
yefsal among the whites of the South.
and which no arbitrary legislative en-
actment can ever remove. You can't
change human nature by Congressional
law, and the sooner the National law
n akers understand this the better for
the black as well as the white race
Force this obnoxious legal yoke on
unwilling necks, and much as disturb
ance and bloodshed are to be depre-
Gated, it will be in the nature of an
impossibility to avert them. Even the
passage of a bill, in anticipation, has
produced such a whirlwind of excite
ment and indignation as can not be al
layed for many a day. There should
be no excuse for lawlessness and crime,
no matter what the provocation. but in
the name of justice and peace, we ear
nestly ask Congress not to let loose the
dogs of war, and force condition of
things dreaded by every law abiding
man in the State. We are sure we
speak the sentiments of ninety-nine
out of every hundred white men in
the State, and probably the more in
telligent of the negroes when we say
that more disastrous measure, as af-
feoting the interests of white aud black
in Tennessee, could not be enacted
than the passage of the civil rights bill
now pending in the House.-NashciUe
Banner.