Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-05-26
mn socIAL EQUALITY QUESTION:.


There is but little reason to suppose
that the President will veto the civil
RIGHTS bill, which will undoubtedly pass
the House when it is reached. His last
message commits him to the doctrine 1t
contains and he cannot well afford to be
a secoud Andrew Johnson on this ques-
,;on even if free from all pledges. The
measure passed the Senate by a strict
marty vote. with the one notable excep-
ton of Carpenter, who voted against 1t
on legal grounds. The question is
asked every day, What will be the
effect of this bill when it becomes
lawT' This is a grave question indeed.
The Republicans in the Senate voted for
II to concentrate the energies of their
party. They fondly hoped that States
like Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and
Virginia, where the whites are in a
majority, would enact retaliatory
laws intended to practically nulllfy the
civil rights bill. This would give pre-
text for more oppressive laws against
the South, and could be used as an ar
gument that the rebellion is only dor
mant or held in allegiance waiting for
favorable opportunity to break cut. A
clamor of this kind would unite the
factions of the Republican party, for
they can all agree in their hatred to the
white people Of the South, and they
only want the pretext of the wolf that
muddied the stream and then made that
an excuse for devouring the innocent
lamb below. Any protest from the
Southern people will be construed as an
indisputable evidence of rebelious
spirit The wcrd rebel has been the
party shibboleth for these four
teen years, and has well nigh
lost It's force. But if it can be gal
vanized into life again, if the Southern
people can be goaded into mere express
sions of disgust and restlessness, it will
be enough to revivify the Radicals and
fire the Northern heart until after an
other Presidential election. In the
Northern States, where but few colored
people live, and these born free and
usually we'll educated, the effect Of the
bill will scarcely be perceptible. Some
of the Northern States have mixed
schools already, as Pennsylvania for
instance; others have not as for one, the
State of Michigan. The extreme South
ern States under negro rule, as South
Carolina and Louisiana, are already
ander laws similar to the provisions of
this bill, except that the penalties are
not so severe; but it will be the middle
or border States, as Missouri,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland and
Virginia, that will feel this bill most
keenly at once. In our State the whites
have voluntarily taxed themselves to
educate all the children Of the State,
with equal privileges, regardless Of color,
though in separate schools. Yet Ten
nessee is the only State where the me-
groes have made persistent clamor to
, be admitted to white schools. The
Nashville convention was not without
its significance. The inspiration came
from Washington, and it was directed
by white demagogues, and no doubt the
resolutions we're written by white men,
who carefully calculated their weight
and bearing previously at Washington.
1t has been hastily concluded that
the school system Of Tennessee
would be abolished by the next Legisla-
ture. This may not be done at once, but
it may be reasonably expected that the
system will languish, that very small
assessments will be made for school pur.
poses, and it is more than likely that We
will return to the old system, undel
which the respective counties imposed {
school tax at pleasure As matter o
fact, it may be safely asserted that W
will not have mixed schools any NOR
than mixed churches, Sunday-schools
sewing societies, balls, parties or parlo
entertainments. But there may be
white mans party.