The bee., 1883-11-17
THE COLOR LINE.


ruling has prompted the writer of this article
to raise his voice and give utterance to few
thoughts forced from the heart to the lips as
feeble but earnest expression of sympathy
and admiration for people possessing many
qualities to be admired and in no wise merit
ing the humiliations heaped upon a race by a
decision that creates an inequality not at all
In keeping with the spirit of christianity, nor
expressive of the genius of our institutions.
The national government, in its true political
slgnlt1cation represents and exercises a su-
preme sovereignty which the states cannot
assert in their individual capacity without
conflicting with the sovereign will, is respon-
sible for any failure to protect all it's citizens
indirectly, in so far as equality before the
law is concerned and the full enjoyment of
privileges which the people under q civil gov
ernment are entitled to. The abridgment of
the rights of any class of citizens. or fail
ure 10 do justice to them for that is the CUES
ton by granting privileges to portion of the
oody polite and denying the same to the re-
naming members thereof preventing rather
'nt'h pfSihotlng The pursuit of happiness, the
enjoyment of liberty and that moral physical
anu hehtai improvement which the eOlored
people so eagerly seek to attain and who have
accomplished SO much to ameliorate their
cohdltlon, whose progress. admirable forti-
tude patience, persistent effort and zeal in all
the varied departments of life, whose capaci-
" Ior moral excellence and mental culture
DIS Illustrated In the remarkable lives of such
men as Frederick Douglas, John w. Langs-
ton. b. X. Bruce, Reys. DIR. Grimke and
Crumell. John f, Cook, Prof J. NJ, Gregory
ana Others too numerous to mention. have
aided no little in developing the possibilities
ana great results which mark their history
ehcltlng the admiration of the world This
aDridgment assert is not only uninst. uu-
called for and wicked but any attempt to de-
bar class of citizens of our Republic from
rights that have no other limit than their
interference with the ends for which govern
ments are instituted is oppressive and sub
VerslVe OF the very fundamental principles
which support our national superstructure
contradictory to the American boast of a
| representative moral Republic and will be
condemned by all fair minded men and wo-
men who love God, home and native land.
There are two conditions wherein citizenship
becomes of intrinsic value to those clothed in
| its majority and to the nation which claims
the fealty of its people. The one finds force
and character in proportion as there are sup
piled from out of civil. political and religious
privileges or rights and the other resolves
Itself into the question what is a citizen? if
not one to whom belongs the right to take
part in all that which concerns the interest of
| the community in particular, the nation i'm
general, and if the citizens character in q free
country is made up of national and civil
privileges whereby he or she NAV have n
snare In the sovereign power, is it not then
| the duty of the government in order TO carry
out the great idea of American citizenship so
well calculated TO promote the growth of pop
uiar sentiments, give vigor TO the swelling of
freedoms great heart spread broadcast true
principles of democracy which can only find
echo III the enjoyment of that civil, political
and religious liberty, restrained only as is
deemed necessary for the safety of the nation
which distinguishes republican from
:noharchial or autocratic form of government
to protect all its citizens in the exercise of
certain inalienable rights. To this condition
may the highest hopes culminate in marvel
Gus improvements and progression, and his
| tory Will point out to admiring generations
the glorious results of an age whose standard
of civilization is indicated by the development
OF human happiness and the solidarity of a
people under republican governments. In
order to carry out the doctrine of equality be-
fore the law, or equality as meaning liberty.
or the extension of political power and rights
| to the whole body of citizens it is necessary
| for our statesman and iurists to give practical
recognition, other than the recent decision OF
the Importance of certain self evident truths
which enter into the religious or christian
economy of things as applied to government
The fathers of country were not unmind-
ful OF this when in the American Declaration
OF Independence of July 18th 1916 was declared
that all men are created equal, that they are
anu endowed by their creator with certain in
allenabie rights; that among these are life
| liberty and the pursuit of happiness" &c.
III all men are declared equal, not social
equality but equal before the law they are
certainly entitled 10 rights that come under
| the dispensatiOn of legislative control and
| should be distributed to all alike, for other
| wise there can be no happiness in life no
| real enjoyment of liberty if men are debarred
OF civil, political and religious privileges or
| rights which make up the true character of a
good citizen If the object of law is Justice
protection and the amertion of INDISPENSABLE
| rights, is those who are its exponeuts realize
| the grandeur and the sanctity of their mis-
sion, for upon true Interpretation of the law,
| its application and enforcement depends the
interests OF others, the glory Of society. of the
| nation, the honor of religion, the duties of
| citizens and ofthe honest man they will ex
| hauSt all the resources of elouuence and legal
| knowledge to safeguard the destiny ofa ma
| ton against those whether legislators or
Jurists who play with truth, who NAV for
some sordid gain; who may by adducing
| seemingly plausible arguments cOuched i'm
well rounded rhetorical periods. for eloquence
is susceptible of great fiattery and is most
| deceptive, powerful weapon in the hands of
designing men, render agreeable to the mind or
supportable to the heart actions, or decisions
| which do not mete out justice such as intend
| ed by just laws, Laws once declared IegisIa-
! tive eenactments made for the good Of the peo-
| pie and their protection find their force and
| expression In preventing misinterpretation
| and deranging principles by which inequaIi-
| ties may be averted. Other and none the less
| potent reasons exist that should entitle the
| colored race Of our Republic to all the civil
| rights conceded to the white man. These will
| be referred to IN due order. When the inioui-
| tions laws which recognized slavery were
| broken to give birth to others abolishing for
| ever the abomniable system OF trafickinu in
| human flesh, and when TO create this new
order of things it was found necessary to re-
sort to war out of which the solution of the
problem of restoring freedom to and making
citizens of four million of human beings with
no intention of establishing another slavery
| by inV1dious distinctions on account of color
and previous condition of servitude, 1t was so
ordained In the very hour of peril that from
out OF the ranks Of the slaves there should be
| FlaI0