New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-01-08

with such adherence none which He will
punish with more severity, however stainless
the character of such before men. "Him
that honoreth me, will honor; he that de-
spiseth me, shall be lightly esteemed.
"A. A,
Washington City, January 2, 1873.
speech Of Hon. A. J. Ranslcr In the
House Of Representatives on
Civil Rights.
Mr.. Speaker, being ''new member" of
the House, dislike much to attempt to en-
gage just now in the discussion OF any ques-
ton before the House, but would prefer to
listen to others, the older and ADLER men,
bers, i'll order that 1 might the more ef}ec-
tualiy discharge my duties as representative
Of the people. Yet, sir, it would seem that
l should feel called upon to say word upon
the subject now before the House. This 1
feel is demanded of me by my constituents,
especially in view of the opposition to this
measure manifested by gentlemen on the
other side of the House.
Sir, that there is a necessity for the enact
mcnt OF some such law, and that too by Con-
gress and not the Legislatures of the several
States, as the pending bill, which l undef-
stand has received the sanction Of the judi
ciary Committee of this House, is at once
apparent to every one in or outside of these
halls who has decent regard for the rights
OF his iellow-lnan and something like Just
appreciation of the principles underlying the
fabric of the Government under which we
live. True, sir, that which Upper has de-
scribed as ''Earth's worst abomnation and
natures blacklist blot"-American slavery
no longer curses our land yet, sir, relic
of it remains in the practices of a portion OF
our people towards the other class in nearly
every part Of our country. Five millions OF
people, citizens o our country, who bode
you no evil, suffer to-day the most humiliat-
ing determinations in the matter of the most
| ordinary privileges attaching to them as hu-
man beings because of their color and pre-
viOus condition of imposed servitude. PO-
litical equality is vOuchsafed to them, it is
true, and it is said, ''they ought to be salts
fed with this ;" but, sir, these people, one
| of whom am, are part of the nation, this
powerful progressive, and Christian nation of
ours, which has done so much for the civili-
cation of the present century. They have
contributed largely towards its wealth and
barred their breasts in the face of her enemies,
foreign and domestic, in the interest of its
life and unlication. They assist in the cleo
dcns Of government eetobliea. th~;. 10y afty
beyond dispute have given evidence of their
fitness for political rights; and will be salts
fed with nothing short of their equal civil
rights, such as are enjoyed by other citizens.
And may the day be not far distant when
American citizenship in civil and political
rights and public privileges shall cover not
only those of our sex, but those of the oppo-
site one also; until which time the Govern
ment of the United States cannot be said to
rest upon the consent of the governed" or
that it adequately protects them in "life,
liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness"
The colored people ask of the country
no peculiar privileges. But it is feared by
the gentleman from Kentucky and those
whom he represents in this matter Of civil
rights, that if the colored people are put upon
plano of civil equality with them in law
going into the same schools, hotels, and
places of amusement, and in the jury-box
and the cemetery-we, by virtue Of our intel
lectual superiority and our moral and physi-
cal force, if not numbers, will absorb the race
to which he and they belong. This is the
logical deduction from the apprchcnsions to
which he has given expression. Let Inc
thank him, in the name of the colored people
of the country, for the compliment he has,
perhaps unconsciously, paid them; but
must here deny that that would necessarily
follow civil equality in this country, or that
there is any serious intention on our part to
thus destroy those for whom he sreaks or
| the race to which he belongs.
We are known, Mr.. Speaker, TO be toe
n,agnanimous for that. If we are powerful
we know how to be merciful. The bugbear
of "social equality" is used by the enemies
of political and civil equality for. the cclored
man in place Of argument. There is not ar
| intelligent white man or black man who does
| not know that that is the sheerest non.
sense and I would have it distinctly under
staod that would most certainly oppose the
passage of the pending bill or any similar
measure if believed that its operation would
be to force upon ME the company Of the mem
Der from Kentucky, for instance, or any one
else. These negrO-haters would not open
the school-house, hotels, places Of amuse'
ment, common carriers, the witness and the
jury-box to the colored people upon equa
terms with themselves, because this contact
of the races would, forsooth, "result injuri
eusly to BOTH" Yet they have found agree
able associations with them under othel
circumstances which at once suggest them
selves to US ; nor has the result Of this con
tact proved injurious to either race so far as
1 know, except that the moral responsibility
rests upon the more refined and cultivated
| NIL SpSdhCIS IuO ASSSSSAsy dhu sAO az
thority for the enactment of law by Con-
gress, to be made as far-reaching as the juris
diction of the Government of the United
States itself, which shall prevent or punish
discrimination against the citizen in thu
matter of his civil and political rights ant
public privileges, may be summed up in few
words, although, sir, much, very much coult
be said on either or both of these branches
the time allotted us, however, sir, is not sui
fcient for extended argument, nor did a
one time suppose that it would be deeme'
necessary that member of Congress in thu
day should feel obliged to plead for the pas
sage of full and complete civil rights bill
representing, as we do, the two great politi
cal parties of the country, both of which
stand before the world committed to tn,
principle of protection to the colored man
as we'll as to the white man, in the assertion
and enjoyment Of these rights, and bot
stand committed to the doctrine Of protec
ton by the national Government; the Re
publican party at Philadelphia in thes
words:
"Complete liberty and exact equality Il
the enjoyment of all civil, political, an
public rights should be established an
effectually maintained throughout the Unio
by efficient and appropriate State and FEEDERS
legislation; and that neither law nor its az
ministration should admit of any discrlmina
ton in respect to the citizen by reason {
| .ooo color craa6 or DreyiOus condition r