Year: 1874

WHO KILLED THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL'
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR


ITS FAnURE-nOw THEY MIGHT HAVE SAVED IT


THE NEGRO FULLY AWARE OF HIS POSITION,


AND DETERMINED NOT TO FORGET THE SLIGHT


PUT UPON HIM.


To the EditOr Of The Tribune.


SIR: One of the filings cast at the cOlored
man is the charge OF ignorance. This is extent
a presumption. The whites who hurl the fling seem
conscious OF involved implication that they
guilty OF a crime. They have had the control aud in
strcton of the coored man; they responsible for
any ignorance that may belong to him. They have made
laws keep him ignorant. and accountable Cor the
same but the black man. like Banquos ghost will not
down-he appears he sees, he hears, lie thinks. in
troduce my subject with this premise because there are
those who presuming on supposed ignorance that
the coored does not fully understand the action OF
Congress on the Civil Rights bill That action Is under
stood by him. The Republican party is two-thirds
strong in both Houses, and Is responsible for the non
passage OF the bill l invite attention to the record.
It Will be seen that the name OF every Republican
OF commanding influence, without single exception
all those who direct and absolutely sway matters in
Congress to whom others submlt-stand recorded as
voting for the bil Will doubt that II they had
served their honest convictions but half well they
served prejudice that had they half tried TO keep faith
with us as pledged in the Philadelphia platform, as
shadowed In many votes, as proclaimed on thousand
stumps and at nnumerabe hustings. would not now
be out in the cold forsaken deceived despsed and ont
ragged What the factsl The Republican party not
only know the Justice involved in appeal, know and
admit their right to act In the premises but they under
the unanimty OF the colored people in their de-
mand. They have read our innumerasle petitions; they
have heard the uncoInpromlslng expressions OF the
many newspapers edited by coored throug
land; they have had prominent before them tho
taxable expression OF national convention OF c0Ored
representing every State III the Union composed OF
$50 deegatesand all TINS has been spurned and dsre-
Rarded. They summoned Frederick Douglass before
them. He said To them, No compromise any rights the
rights complete or my people All OF THIS has been dis
regarded but 1t is treasured IN memory Is history


The Republican party cannot IL could pass the
bill. l feared when Gen. Butler, in speech made IN
before the holidays, said, Let the civil Rights
bill be recommitted to the Judiciary Committee that
may considered whether 1t is not best 70 have
separate schools for white and coored persons
the superior brightness aptness and quckness Of tho
black child shall not be hampered ana held
the stupidity and comparative dnness OF the white child


Il feared, say that he ready consider the pro-
priey OF prescribing the poor white child because
ignorance. thought 10 not only unjust dangerous
10 assent 10 such proposition. would prescribe
poor white child. The bill was recommitted. but the
result has not been given TO Congress the reeommtisd
bill sleeps In u eommtteeroom Our party In the House
has tw0-thirds vote, and 10 could have lifted ana
passed the Senate BILL or the Judiciary Committee
az any time since the Senate bill the Speakers
table have reported bill IN you please Identical
In words with that passed by the Senate which bare
majority could have adopted no twothirds vote being
required. The Senate would by Its previous action
have been bound to agree 10 the same this would have
evinced nteres,, desire to pass the bin Where there
Is Will there is way" Thus will be that the
responsibility rests upon the Republican party


The distinctive feature II not the only one standing
Involving principle thas makes the present diyld
Ing line between the Republican and Democ ra tic par
party shall not stand by civil rights what shall mark
the present difference between the two parties In
aca involving peouaary advantage OF prsouoal basi