The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-13
Enunl RIGHTS for nlI.


The recent decisions OF the Supreme
court are clinchera. II has taken twen-
~ years to abolish slavery and make
the constitution an instrument that
secures and proiccts the equal rights Of
all. Tho nail has been driven IN and
olinohed, One more Republican adj
mnistratlon and u Congress Republican
in both branches will secure freedom
even in the extreme Gulf States, 10 that
no exodus Of the blacks will be necessary
in order that that race may enjoy life
liberty and the right opersue happiness
in iis own way, 0tthese recent decision
the New York Times says
II ia then matter Of rejoicing that
the Supreme Court has given I'm opinion
which hiss the true ring toit, and which
ism foil hormony with the great pur-
pose of the amendment. II declaresin
broad terms that the Fourteenth
amendment and the act OF Congress
passed to give affect toit place the col
ored race in reqpect of civil rights, on q
level with whites. They made the rights
and responsibilities civil Gnd criminal,
of the two races exactly tho samc.' So
far Ms appears from the published alb
stracls of the opinions the court lot its
theory above federal and State CITIZEN
ship rest, and based It's decision on that
clause o! the amendment which prohib-
its State from denying the equal pro-
lection Of the law TO any OF its citizens.
Three opinions in three seperGte cases
were pronounced. But in all tho one
great question OF colored citizens from
juries on account Of Their color is 3
violation Of the Four zenith amendment
and the acts OF Congress relating to it,
The courts did not hesitate to declare
that The statute Of West Virginia which
expressly disqualfas black Jurors, and
whose cons,itulionNli,y has been affirm
cd by the Supreme court OF chat state
is discrimination against colored
citizens forbidden by tho Fourteenth
amendment, and therefore unconsti'u-
tionsl.
!; ~
The decision Of the Supreme court
leaves no doubt, then, that the Four
teenth amendment is bread enough and
plain enough to secure to. coiored cti-
zens the enjoyment Of those rights which
have been ilagrantly denied to them in
Virginia and West Virginia, and doubt
less in other Southern States. And If
the existing statutes are not sufficiently
effective for this purpose, II 10 now
settled that Congress has ample power
TO pass those that will be.
1t is more than one hundred year;
since the Declaration Of Independence
was adopted, but it is only within few
DAYS that our national court has spoken
in words like tho following:
"The United States is "A government
with authority extending over the whole
territory Of the Union, acting upon the
State and the people Of the State.
While it is limited in the number OF its
powers, as far ~ its sovereignty extends
it is supreme. No State can exclude it
from exercising any authority conferred
upon it by the Constitution. obstruct its
authorized officers against its wall or
withhold from it for a moment the coz
nizance OF any object which that instru-
ment has committed 10 it. The general
government must cease to exist when
ever it looses tho power of protecting it.
self in the exercise Of its constitutional
powers"