New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-02-05

The House, rs in Committee of the Whole, hay
Ing under consideration the bill to protect all
citizens in their civil and legal rights
Mr.. CAIN said:
Mr.. SPEAKER 1 had supposed 'this cruel
war was OVER" and that we had entered
upon an era of peace, prosperity, and future
success as n nation. 1 had supposed that
after the sad experience of more than five
wears, after we had sought to heal the
wounds the war had made, after VIC had
passed amnesty bills, and, as We thought,
had entered upon the smooth, quiet road of
future prosperity, we would meet on COM
mon level in the halls of Congress, and that
10 longer would we brood over the past !;
that we would strike out a new line of policy,
a new national course, and thus succeed III
laying broad and deep the foundations of the
future welfare of this country that every
man, of every race, of every section of this
country, might strike hands and go forward
i'm national progress.
l regret, however, that it again becomes
my lot to answer q member from neigh
boring State-North Carolina. 1t was my
misfortune few Saturdays ago to have to
answer gentleman from the same State
[Mr. VANCEl in relation to structures upon
my race. Iregret that it becomes my duty
again, simply in defense of what regard as
right-in defense of the race to which l
bclOng-to meet the arguments OF another
gentleman from North Carolina. Mr.. Rob-
BINS, to show, if can, their fallacy, and to
prove they are not correct.
The gentleman starts out by saying that
if we pass the pending civil-rights bill it may
indeed seem pleasant to the northern people,
but to his section, and to the South, it will
be death. do not think he is correct, for
the reason that they have in the South SUI
fered great many more terrible things than
, ciyil-rights, and still live. think il so
harmless a measure rs the civil-rights bill,
guaranteeing every man of the African race
equal rights with other men, would bring
death TO the South, then certainly that noble
march of Sherman to the sea would have
fixed them long ago. Laughter
desire to answer few of the structures
which the gentleman has been pleased to
place upon us. He states that the civil
rights bill will be death to that section. i
cannot see it in that light. We lived to-
gether before the war-four millions OF col
Ored men, women, and children, with the
whites of the Southland there was no spe-
cial antagonism then. There might have
been some friction in some places and III
some cases, [grcat laughter but no special
antacOnism between two races in the South
fail. therefore, to see the force of the gen.
tleman's argument. would like to ask why
in all conscience, after the measures of edu'
cation, these noble efforts to educate these
s'barbarians," as he terms us, for two hun
. dred years or more-after all the earnest
efforts on their part, with their superior civ
iization, and all the appliances which the
gentleman from North Carolina Mr.. ROB-
BINsl claims were brought to bear on these
ssbarbarians"- ask why there was no such
antagonsm then, but just at this timc ? Why
sir, il it be true, as the gentleman says, tina,
such philanthropic efforts have been put forth
for the education and Improvement OF the
black race, there would be no occasion ioi
antagonsm. It's, l believe, a law Of edu.
cation to assimilate, to bring together, u
harmonic discordant elements, to bring
about oneness of feeling and sentiment, tt
develop similarity of thought, similarity o.