The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-13
FIRST EFFECTS OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS ACT.

Already the Civil Rights law has resulted II
petty troubles at the South-troubles of botl
| submission and resistance. In Chattanooga
the proprietors of two hotels have surren
| dered their licenses rather than take negro
boarders In Wilmington, \. G., a saloon
keeper was arrested Tor refusing to sell run
| to a colOred man, but released by the Com
missioner on the ground that the law did not
apply to bar-rooms In Washington colored
barber declined to shave two colored brethren.
on the ground that only gentlemen de-
served the honor Of his razor. In Louisville
a colored barber was refused O seat in the
| first circle of place of amusement, and, no
| doubt, the list OF such events will be rapidly
| extended. But We do not see any indication
| Of serious disturbances. Travellers will not
| suffer from the wan. of hotels, negroes will
| find plenty of opportunities to get drunk,
| colored boards will be shaved as well as white
| boards, and the drama will survive its dan
gers. But how Mr.. Sumner might have
| laughed could he have foreseen this end Of
his dearest measure The revolution he pro-
posed has ended in farce. The schools are
shut up against his colored clients, and even
the theaters, bar-rooms and barber shops are
not open to them. The bill introduced into
the Virginia Legislature proposes to nullity
the law, but we think that social influences
will operate more etfcctually in the end. y.
Y. Herald
Whatever other effects the Civil Rights law
may have, it will never take away the natural,
necessary and universally asserted right of
all persons Of both sexes and compilations to
select their associates as they see fit. Laws
can not be SO contrived as to force a gentle
man to associate with a clown, a blackguard
or a barbarian. If he tolerates the presence
Of An inferior, it is by condescension or tenn
porary necessity. The propensity to shun
annoyance is like tina. which avoids pain
Both instincts are universal, and will show
themselves everywhere for all time to come
If under the Civil Rights act our rights are
equal before the law, then paramount among
them is the right to say who shall sit in our
houses, who shall eat where we elt, and who
shall be with us on any or all occasions. We
shun what offends, and repelit if able. While
the laws recognize equal rights. every days
experience shows that inequality in advan-
tages, mind, appearance, capacities and gifts is
the universal rule In every household there
is inequality and diversity; even among the
luminaries of the world one star differs from |
another in glory.
The scholar chooses his companions for
their learning or because they please him.
The man Of business prefers to associate
with bankers, brokers and merchants Men
learned in the law delight in the society of
their brethren of thebar and bench The rev.
,rend clergy accept companionship with one
mother. The devotees of the noble healing
lrt will congregate and enjoy the Interchange
If ideas. All Of the members of the learned
form sort Of tacit guild from
his same natural seeking of like for its like.
since Noah opened the Ark birds of
Gather have invariably focked together"
The laws of trade, Of demand and supply, of
Want and production, are not more imperious
han those which govern social intercourse.
ocietv is market in which each member
as something to give in exchange for what
e desires. He who is bankrupt in manners,
ttainments or morals, has no rightful cain to
dmittance. 1t is sef-regulating affair, in
hose working not even the Summers of the
'orld can effect any change whatsoever.