National Republican., 1883-10-16

amendment to tho constitution, and I can
not imagine why that word is employed by
tho learned justice who delivers the opinion
Of the court It simply contcrs upon all citi-
zens the samo rights and privileges under the
laws. Tho right to travel in tho conVcyances
of common carriers whose obligations and
liabilities can in no sense be made dependent
upon the nationality or color of those with
whom they deal tho right to stop at public
inn, with regard TO whose propriotors the law
is not less explicit or rigid"
"Will you care to speak further on this
matter before you leave for your post of
dutyY
Perhaps shall. On next Friday evening
have been requested by q number Of promi-
mont citizens Of the district to address meet
ing Mt tho Congregational church. l have
selected rs my theme tho present status
of the colorcd American, his relation
| ships and his duties. II Is broad enough
to comprehend much that is involved
In this decision of the highest tribunal In tho
| land, and when havo looked into IL n little
further l shall, perhaps, have something fur
ther to say. One thing will say now, how
ever, Mr.. Justice Harlan has earned the graf
| itude of the whole colored race for tho manly
utterances in dissenting from what would
otherwise have been the unanimous voice of
| the supreme court. He has fully justified my
estimate of him as an able jurist and man
who will dave to be right, even when 1t is un-
popular to do so.
| PROF. RICHARD T. GREENER
was found seated in his library. He said !:
This law. which we call the civil rights law
is not only constitutional, but it antedatcs
| the constitution. 1t is part of the
common lava heritage from our
Anglo-Saxon ancestors. 1t does not
put people upon an equality who can
not support that equality. 1t simply says
tharn hall hn tttof Il onrttN Nino OVn
account of race or previous condition of
servtude. 1t was the enforcement of
| this lawi which permitted venerable negro
bishop to be thrust out of q passenger car on
| Georgia railway some timo ago, after he
had complied with all the conditions of q
contract by paying for first class fare to the
common carrier. This failure to protect citi-
zens in their constitutional rights may result
in Archbishop McCloskey suffering similar
indignty in some Catholic hating COM
munity, or cause those learned and dis
tinguishod Hebrews, Mr.. Wise or Mr.. Adler,
to be denied tho accommodation of
some third rate hotel. because of some anti
try. 1t is hardly likely that the men who
discussed the civil rights bill in congress for
year before its final passage did not go over
all the reasons for and against it that are
at all tenable. Why, there are some
grave Inconsistencies that will confront
the supreme court upon the decision OF TO
day. For instance. in the case ex parte the
commonwealth of Virginia and J. ID. Coles
While dissenting from the opinion of the
court, Mr.. Justice Field said that the fifteenth
amendment, which declares that the right of
citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by
the United States or any State on
account of race, color, or previous condi-
tion Of servitude, was not material to the
question before the court, except as showing
that it was only with respect to sufferage that
the interdict in terms was placed against leg
islation on account of race, color, &C., Equal
ity in their civil rights was in other ways
secured to persons of the colored race the
ballot being assured to them, tho etfectual
means against unjust legislation was placed
in their hands.
"The duty of the colored race WAS now q
| positive one. In tho light of this decision
every colored man with any self respect
must continue to demand the fullest pro-
lection of the law, both as n man and
| as an American citizen. The colored peo-
pie Of this country will never forget that
the one justice of the supreme court
who stood up and dissented on humanitarian
and legal grounds against this unjust deci-
| sion, came from q southern state, and is a
native of Kentucky. The protest of the col
ored race against this decision will probably
not amount to much, but the Anglo-Saxon
race respect pluck, and the civilization of the
age could not be turned backward even by
the supreme court Of the United States"