The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-11-18

declaration of their convictions on the |
subject OF equal civil rights:
mo State shall make or enforce |
any law which shall abridge the priv
ileges or immunities of citizens Of the
United States; \ nor deny to
any person within its jurisdiction the
equal protection of the laws.
This clause Of the Constitution is
the literal embodiment of the funda-
mental doctrine and uniform practice
of the Republican party. Not to en-,
force it is to pause in mid. career and
permit expediency to override right.
Not to enforce it through appropriate
legislation is to be overwhelmed by
the rebuke of an indignant constitu-
ency too intelligent to be deceived
and too proud and gh-principled to
become the subjects of dictatiOn.
The United States Senate passed a
bill to compel obedience to constitu-
tional provision which, for the honor
of humanity, ought to enforce itself;
but which at the South, where the
malign influence of slavery still lin
gers, can only be enforced by the
strong arm of the law. The following
is the substance of the bill:
SECTION l. That all citizens and
other persons within the jurisdiction
of the United States shall be entitled
to the full and equal enjoyment of the
accommodations, advantages. facilities,
and privileges of inns, public convey
ances on land or water, theaters, and
other places of public amusement, and
also of the common schools and pub
lie institutions of learning or benevo-
lence supported in whole or in part by
general taxation, and of cemeteries so
supported; also the institutions known
as agricultural colleges, endowed by
the United States, subject only to the
conditions and limitations established
by law, and applicable alike to citi-
Zens of every race and color, regard
less of any previous condition Of serv-
itude.
SEC 4. That no citizen. providing
he has all other qualifications which
are or may be prescribed by law, shall
be disqualified for service as a grand
or petit juror in any court Of the Uni
ted States, or of any State, on account
Of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude; and any officer or other
person charged with any duty in the
selection or summoning of jurors, who
shall exclude or fail to summon any
citizen for the cause aforesaid, shall
be deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and
be fined not more than 81 600"
1t is humiliating fact that any ne
cessity should exist, in a free country,
for the adoption of such measure of
legislation. Let us analyze the condi-
tons which call for the enactment OF
such a statute. 1t provides in sub
stance that "all citizens and other
1 persons within the jurisdiction of the
l United States shall be entitled to
! the privileges OF inns, provided they
! pay for such privileges and deport
themselves properly. The inference
: is irresistible that certain persons are
e debarred from such privileges, not
> withstanding the fact that they are
willing to pay for them. The same il
true of public conveyances, thea
: ters,' etc. But the most humiliatins
s feature of the bill is its confession
that it becomes necessary for the Con
gress of the United States to enac
4 that to the common schools and pub
. lie institutions of learning" of tn
- country all shall be admitted upon al
. equal footing. The inference from
!, this clause that in certain States edu
y cation, paid for alike by all, is denie,
o to one class and freely offered to an
K other class is peculiarly and excep
tionally disgraceful to the America
;. people. Then, too, this bill provide;
: that ''all citizens" etc., shall be ad
?; mitted to cemeteries supported b
If public taxation" Death is suppose
IT to DE great leveler. The grim de
j stroyer is no respecter of persons; h
u mows down all alike, and all are alik
ID clay when the divine spark of life ha
y taken its flight from the mortal par
But it becomes necessary, in thi
country where all men are born fire
and equal, to provide severe penaltie
against the denial of equal burial I
le all. We have removed the chains
s slavery from the black man; we hay
u made him citizen; we have confer
Ne red upon him the right of suffrage; /
rs may become member of Congress. {
u mount to the Presidential chair, b.
IL we refuse to educate him. We dri,
IL him from the door of the public I'M
at bar him from the steamboat and raj
1t way car, and when he dies we del
rs him Christian burial.
ne Another anomaly which the civ
q, ~ rights bill proposes to do away with
ne implied by the fourth section. I'll
ne black man is in Congress; he is Go
IS, ernor; he is in the State Legislator
ees he is postmaster; he is justice of Il
ny peace; he may be on the Supren
- Bench of tine State or the Nation, ar
nc he may be prime minister; but he
II denied the privilege of sitting on
e. jury! He may be tried and hung,
at sent to the penitentiary, or mulcted
&C. damages ON civil contract; but
lts may not say on his oath whether a
lal other shall be hung or sent to Il
OK penitentiary, or suffer DAMAGES for Il
en- violation of a contract The CT,
iee, rights bill is intended to remove til
IN glaring inconsistency from the como
cy ton of the black man. The Constit
sc' ton provides that he shall be treat
IL as other men with white skins a
u treated, but the white people of Sc
Try eral States constantly violate the CO
h NJ, stitution by abridg;ng his privileg
~ and by denying to him ''the equal pr
ne ne lection of the laws The fact that
ny law like the civil rights bill is nece
~ sary is a monstrous fact; its on
~ equal as a monstrosity is the 9th
ne fact, that there should be anybody
TO blind to the claims of common poll
e, 10 cal decency and common justice as
lth oppose its passage. The people !
ere corded their disgust at the towards
; of the Republican party in the low
an house of Congress, at the polls on t
es- Sd inst.-Inter- Ocean.
40 The Telegraph Between Great Brita
ana Ireland.