CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



179 



must in proportion. New York gets $08,429. 

 i >no million and a half being 



iii-nrlv M\I) centa ,. - / "ij>ita of her illiterate 

 l-fhililren. These- children, of ton years 

 iiinl IIV.T, niiiiiber in Now York U;i ( .,--71 in u 

 population of 4,382,759; while the next State 

 en the list North Carolina gets nearly twice 

 as much money ($105,426.63), because she has 

 illiteracy, or 897,690 children of ten 

 ! and over in a population of 1,071,801. 

 It' those figures are inducement enough for 

 North Carolina and other States to vote for 

 tliis bill and 'mixed schools,' they are not in- 

 ducement enough for one member from New 

 York, at least, to divert one million and a half 

 at this time from an imperiled Treasury. I 

 say nothing now of the imminent disturbance 

 it will bring upon the most admirable school 

 m of the United States. 



" Secondly : I am opposed to this bill, next, 

 because I am opposed to the congressional 

 enactment of the civil-rights bill, as it was 

 when recommitted. 



" \Vhoever opposes the civil-rights bill on 

 account of the mixed-school system must op- 

 pose this bill, which furnishes funds for such a 

 system. It is now very relevant, therefore, to 

 discuss the civil-rights bill. This I do not pro- 

 pose to do, except so far as to show its conse- 

 quences, if passed, as affecting this bill and the 

 probability of its passage. It does not follow, 

 however, that all who favor the civil-rights 

 bill must vote for this; although it is singular 

 to me how so sound a reosoner on this matter as 

 the eminent and eloquent member from Iowa 

 (Mr. Kasson) can aggrandize Federal power 

 by voting mixed schools, and oppose this bill, 

 as he does, because he would restrain this cen- 

 tralizing tendency. He seems to swing with 

 the pendulum, and describes the oscillating arc 

 he so happily represented. 



" Nor does it follow that the colored advo- 

 cates who have enraptured the galleries on the 

 former bill will vote this. Can they do it if 

 the House should 'proscribe' them from the 

 common use of the schools? Is it not irrefra- 

 gable that if the right to the inn, railroad, thea- 

 tre, and cemetery be conceded to the black to 

 the same extent as to the white, to enjoy them 

 (though the enjoyment of the graveyard is 

 perhaps a melancholy hilarity), that the same 

 rijrht should be extended to them as to the 

 schools? The colored members are correct in 

 their reasoning, assuming these premises. In- 

 deed, all the amis des noirs who have spoken 

 are right in demanding equality alike in school 

 and inn, in cemetery and car. When you de- 

 bar them from the school you as much keep 

 up the bar sinister as by keeping them from 

 the play-house. Would it not be a craven 

 logic, unworthy of the struggling blacks and 

 their admirers, to insist on the one and not the 

 other ? Is it not, therefore, nonsense to pretend 

 that this bill does not have in it, indirectly, a 

 colored element ? ' Hie niger est, nune tu, Ro- 

 manc, cavcto 1 ' 



"Mr. Speaker, without invidious refl> 

 upon any one, may 1 not romim-ml tho calm 

 and statesmanlike way in which the > 

 man from Massachusetts (Mr. Hoar) presented 

 this bill ( He did not appeal to the clamor of 

 the House or to the claqueurs of the gallery. lie 

 did not seek to question that body up yonder, 

 which, like the African Sphinx, MU an insolu- 

 ble riddle until its sensibility is tickled by allu- 

 sions to its industry, education, and heroism! 

 If, however, its plaudits serve to grace the no- 

 ble fervor of the gentleman from South Caro- 

 lina (Mr. Elliot), who spoke so well for his race, 

 or the chartered libertines of debate who tum- 

 ble about in bellicose drollery, I am content 

 to praise and enjoy this novel mode of delib- 

 eration. 



" But I do not refer to the civil-rights bill 

 merely to mark the difference in the manner 

 of debate. This act consecrates the net pro- 

 ceeds of the public lands for education, and 

 provides the mode of their application. The 

 civil-rights bill provides for mixed schools; 

 and if it becomes a law the funds thereby dedi- 

 cated will be thus applied. 



" ' But,' it is said, ' the civil-rights bill is re- 

 committed, and may be reported back without 

 the mixed schools.' I do not know as to that. 

 I will give three or four reasons why I think 

 ' civil rights' and mixed schools will return to 

 us again for our action: first, partisan rea- 

 sons ; second, the speech and oath of the gen- 

 tleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Butler), the 

 champion of the measure ; and, third, the atti- 

 tude of the colored people as to mixed schools 

 since the recommittal of the bill." 



The bill was subsequently discussed on sev- 

 eral occasions, but failed to become a law. 



In the Senate, on December 16th, the reso- 

 lution offered by Senator Sherman, of Ohio, on 

 specie payments and the currency, was con- 

 sidered. 



The resolution was read, as follows : 



Xewlvtd, That it is the duty of Congress during 

 its present session to adopt definite measures to re- 

 deem the pledge made in the act approved March 18, 

 1869. entitled " An act to strengthen the public 

 credit," as follows: 



" And the United States also solemnly pledges its 

 faith to make provision at the earliest practicable 

 period for the redemption of the United btates notes 

 in coin." 



And the Committee on Finance is directed to re- 

 port to the Senate at as early ft day as practicable 

 such measures as will not only redeem this pledge 

 of the public faith, but will also furnish a currency 

 of uniform value always redeemable in gold or its 

 equivalent, aud so adjusted as to meet the changing 

 wants of trade and commerce. 



Mr. Ferry, of Michigan, said : " I offer the 

 following"as a substitute for the resolution : 

 Strike out all after the word " resolved," and in- 



Tliat the Committee on Finance ia directed to re- 

 port to the Senate at- as early a day as practicable 

 such measures as will restore commercial confidence 

 and give stability and elasticity to the circulating 

 mudiura, by making banking free to all, by provid- 



