New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-14

though its author probably votes the Dem
ocratic" ticket, il assumes that the contempt
OF the whites for the blacks is so strong and
Irresistible that it is unwise to adopt Civil
Rights Bill. 1t threatens that, unless there
is due recognition of caste prejudices in
public education at the South, the Common
| school system in fifteen States will be a fall
ure, the mass OF the white people preferring
ignorance to co education as the lot of their
children.
We are told that social laws are laws of
nature, and hence invarable and infexible,
as we'll as divine:" and that even in Boston
the co-etlucatiOn of the races is "barely toll
Grated" because of social repugnance. But
this wretched sOphistry was exposed and re.
Iectcd long time ago. Once, indeed, the
prejudice against color was stronger at the
North than at the South, and il was rcspon-
sible for many shameful acts of cruel injus-
tlce, including negro cars, negro schools and
negro pews. But il has yielded to humane
and Christian principles, until our colored
citizens arc in the full and unqucstioned en-
joyment Of equal rights in public conveyances
and the common schools. The once 4" in
variable" "inlexible" and "dvne law" of
caste is now recognized as variable, flexible, if
not internal.
The animus of this article, which is said to
have been written by one of the leading ed
ucators of Virginia, shows still more plainly
the need of passing Civil Rights Bill with
out delay. IL is based upon the assumption
that cOlored loyalists are to be made to know
their places as a servile class, in spite OF
emancipation, bearing the brand of inferior
ity to their eX-masters at every place, except
ng the ballot box, and ENJOYING the be-
@rIidsed right OF suffrage rs the gift of their
country, not OF their State. SO far as leo
lslatlon can ensure it, this is the right time
to establish fair and equal regulations of the
public school system The present Is the
critical moment for the decision of the uues-
ton whether racc-distinctiOns are to be fos-
tered or oblitcrated in our republic.
III the government is firm now aud true 10
the swarthy citizens who helped to save it,
there may he sharp struggle against the CO.
education, but it will probably be a short one.
The mass of white people ut the South can
not afford to persist in sacrificing the e,lllca-
ton Of their children upon the altar of their
unreasonable hatred toward their nel.hbors
who were once owned, but are now free.
The success OF such institutions as the col
leSc at Berca, in Kentucky, proves that CO.
education is wise and practicable.
With such an avOwcd determination on the
part of intelligent Southern men To maintain
and prOlonG oppressive distinctions, Charles
Summers anxiety rbout the fate of his Civil
lights I;ill was clearly warranted. If the
country fails TO enact laws which shall teach
the naughty and imperiOus caste prejudice
that it is to yield and not to conquer, IT will
be extremely unjust and ungrateful, and the
future will show that, although the body of
slavery may be dead, its spirit is still alive
and triumphant! Don't let the Civil Rights
Bill fail.-Christian Register.