National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-22
THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW.
Its Real Scope and Intsnt-A Frank and Char
antariatic Letter Prom General Butler


The following letter from the champion Of the
civil rights act should be read and carefully
considered by all persons 'Without regard to race,
color or previous condition Of serVitude -
WASHINGTON, March IS, 1875.
SIR have the pleasure to acknowledge re-
Of appreciation Of my efforts in behalf OF the civil
rights bill, for which accept my thanks. You
further ask, VIII you be kind enough TO inform
saloons and barber-shops under its provisions ~
AN UNBKvIED PRIVILEGE.
To this answer: understand by saloons"
you mean drinking saloons, and am happy to say
that the civil rights bill does not give any right
to 90 into drinking saloon without the leave OF
the proprietor and am very glad that 1t does not.
/ am willing to concede, as friend to the colored
man that me n T3 race ma 6oTsd -
they can drink in bar-rooms and saloons and
never shall do anything TO interfere with the ex-
would not advocate q bill which should give that
right to the colored man. II were to vote for
any bill on this subject at all, It would be
one to keep the colOred man out Of the drinking
saloons; and hope no barkeeper will ever let
colored man have q glass of liquor at any bar
open for drinking Indeed, ] should be glad,
saloon for the purpose Of drinking at the bar, If
somebody would at once take him and put him
out, doing him as little injury as possible. He
O. uld do the col0red man no greater kindness.
PRIVACY OF BARBKR-sHoP.
AS to the other branch of your question, in RET
erence to barber-shops, let me say that the trade
OF barber is like any other trade, to be carried
on by the man who is engaged in It at his own
viii and pleasure and the civil rights bill has
nothing to DO and was intended to have nothing
to do, with its exercise. A barber has right to
a right to repair q watch for whom he pleases, or
a blacksmith to shoe such cOlOred horses as he
pleases. In other words, these are not public en-
pigments, but private business, In which the law
does not interfere.
THE coIoRRD MANS RIGHTS AT COMMON LAW
From time immemorial all men have had equal
rights at the common law In places OF public
amusement, in public conVeyances and In inns or
licensed taverns, because all such business was
for the public under special privileges granted BY
the Government. The theatre and like public
amusements were licensed By the public suthori-
ties and protected by the police. The public con-
veyances used the Kings highway. The public
inn had the special privilege OF lien or claim
IL or ksep aPd
fused while behaving himself we'll and paying his
fare, q seat in any place Of public amusement, or
public inn be had at common law q right Of action
S Eli 'n' party 30 '''u'-S' -H' Wv" f'SA''
ONLY CONFIRMS THESE RIGHTS
Of all citizens to the colored man in consideration
OF the prejudice against him and an attempt in
certain parts Of the country to interfere with the
exercise Of those common law rights and has
enacted a penalty as 9 means Of enforcing the
right in his behalf in consideration of his help
less and dependent condition. The civil rights
bill has not altered the colOred mans rights at
all from what they were before under the common
law applicable to nearly every State in the
Union. 1t has only given him greater power to
enforce that right TO meet the exigency Of COM
bined effort to deprive colored cItEens OF It and
all idea that the civil rights bill allows the col
ored man to force himself into any mans shop or
into any mans private house, or Into any eating
house. boarding house or establishment other than
those have named, is simply
AN EXHIBITION OF IGNORANCE
vraII In nff IN fTar ind
and maliRnity. And while l would sustain any
colored man in firmly and properly insisting upon
his rights under the civil rights bill, which were
his at common law, as they were the right Of
every citizen, yet should oppose to the utmost Of
my power any attempt on the part Of the colOred
men to use the civil rights bill as q pretence to
interfere with the private business OF private par
ties. It is beneath the dignity Of any colored
man so to do, and all acts, such as shutting him
out from drinking saloons, may be we'll left to the
ignorant and generally vicious men who keep
them as badge Of their superiority to the col
ored race.
have the honor to be, 60,
BENJAMIN F. BUTLER.
Robert Harlan esq.,, Cincinnati Ohio,