The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-03-04
THE OIVIL-RIGHTS BILL.

The Senate having passed the House
Civl-Rights Bill without amendment,
it now only requires the signature of
the President to became a law. There
is no question but it will receive this.
The only vital objection to it as a law,
now that it has passed both Houses, is
its doubtful constitutionality, and this
is matter for the Supreme Court and
not for the President to pass upon. It
is subject for general congratulation,
however, that 1t becomes q law at time
and in a shape when it is calculated to
occasion but little excitement. Had 1t
been passed when it was before Con
gress year ago, and with all the pro-
visions it contained at that time, it is
not unlikely that it would have caused
serious disturbance at the South. At
present its effect will be mainly political.
It viii be used on the one side to retain
the hold of the Republican party upon
the negro of the South; on the other,
to excite new opposition to the Repub-
hcan party among the whites.
After the provision for enforced mix
ed schools had been eliminated from the
bill, it became comparatively 1ns1gn-
iticant measure, even IN the minds OF
Southern people, not likely to do much
good or much harm. The only reason
that could be cited for its adoption was
that given by Judge Hoar in the House,
that it was a sort OF Declaration Of In
dependence, affirming and promulgat-
ing nights that had already been secured
to the black race by the Constitution,
and of which they may avail themselves
as soon as their social and intellectual
progress shall have caught up with the
, sudden change and amelioration Of their
condition. The strongest reason why it
should not have passed is because it
should BE the policy Of the Republican
party to conciliate the white people Of
the South rather that fight them or keep
alive their old resentments, SO long as
this can be done without sacrificing any
of the fundamental principles for which
the War was waged. AS it is, we do not
apprehend that the passage Of the bill
viii have any appreciabie result one way
or the other.
The question of the constitutionality
Of the law is now the most interesting
and Important point in the controversy.
Senator Carpenter, who spoke and voted
against the bill, predicated that the
Supreme Court will hold the law to be
unconstitutional; and, when question
of constitutionaity is involved, Senator
Car aenter is certainly high authority
eask. likely to be right. It would not be
surprising if the first test-csse on this
question should come from the North !;
for, while the number of people in the
North who now deny any of the political
rights of the negro is very small, the
number of those who entertain social
prejud1ces is still very large. The
practice Of excluding negroes from the
public dining rooms Of first-class hotels
and the choice seats in frst-class theatres
and operas is as general in the North as
in the South, and a test-case is as likely
to go to the Supreme Court on one of
these points from Chicago, Boston, OF
New York, as it is from New Orleans,
Louisville, or Richmond. At all events,
the issue is fortunately disposed of until
the Supreme Court shall take it UP for
review,