Year: 1866

may be different from freedom in Eng
land or France; but we claim that free
dom here IS that freedom enjoyed by the
most numerous class of free persons.


Accepting this position to De true, and
we think it can not be otherwise, can a
local authority declare that the commits
sion of certain acts prohibited, or the
neglect to do certain acts commanded,
shall be misdemeanor or offense as ap.
piled to ore race of free persons, not
laboring under any disability on account
of crimes committed, and no offense wheu
applied to another? Shall crime, when
committed by one person, be punished by
death, and by another person by fine only
when the former is whiter and fairer
person than the latter, because one eighth
of the blood that flows in bis veins hap
pens to be African? Are such laws just,
wise and polite? Will you do we'll to
draw such distinctions between people
that are alike free ? Will you not thereby
cause discomfort, murmuring and des.
pondency?


But can the inequality before the law
of this race be established by State or
local legislation in the lately seeded
States Congress has reserved to itself,
in. the constitutional amendment, the
right to legislate to secure and carry into
effect the freedom given to the colored
race. That body will most assuredly
cherish and guard this reserved right.
They will not declare nor recognize two
kinds of freedom in this country; one
kind applicable to the whites, and another
to the colored race. They will take care
to see that equal laws are made for the
protection of this race that crime shall
be the same to the whites as to the blacks !,
and receive the same punishment; that
what shall be a misdemeanor to the one
shall be misdemeanor to the other; that
all shall have the right to make contracts,
to sue and be sued, to buy and sell prop
erty, and to testify in the eourts, under
the same and 70 other restrictions.


All these privileges, at least, Congress
will be careful to see allowed by law to
the colored people in each of the seeded
States, before they can receive their full
rights in the Union, and their representa-
tivcs and Senators be admitted. Let
not the people Of the South fatter them
solves that the next Congress will be off
ferent from this. The present numbers
but carry out the wishes and sentiments
of great majority of the people of the
North; and that people, when they take
stand upon great principles of right,
are not easily changed. The right must
prevail.


AS loEg as such laws as those alluded
TO stand unrepealed upon our Statute
books, we must expect to have troops in
our midst, that our representatives and
senator's will be allowed the privilege of
staying at home, and that all such State
laws will be suspended.


Is not such legislation but kicking
against the pricks Is it wise and polite?
Why shut our eyes to the position of
affairs circumstances and events have
brought about? Bv looking them boldly i'll
the face, much good may be done and
much evil prevented Such legislation
can but tend to keep the State out Of the
Union, retain troops in our houses and
public bulldogs, and increase taxation to
maintain large standing army. We
protest against it.


EQUAL RIGHTS.


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