ster, and that master undertakes to make him a slave again,
we may pass such laws as are sufficient in our judgment to prevent
that act; but if the Legislature of the State denies to the citizen as
he is now called, the freedman, equal privileges with the white man, I
want to know if that Legislature, and each member of that Legislature,
is responsible to the penalties prescribed in this bill? It is not an
act of the old master; it is an act of the State government, which
defines and regulates the civil rights of the people.

"I regard it as very dangerous legislation. It proposes to establish a
government within a government--not a republic within a republic, but
a cruel despotism within a republic. In times of peace, in communities
that are quiet and orderly, and obedient to law, it is proposed to
establish a government not responsible to the people, the officers of
which are not selected by the people, the officers of which need not
be of the people governed--a government more cruel, more despotic,
more dangerous to the liberties of the people than that against which
our forefathers fought in the Revolution. There is nothing that these
men may not do, under this bill, to oppress the people.

"Sir, if we establish courts in the Southern States, we ought to
establish courts that will be on both sides, or on neither side; but
the doctrine now is, that if a man is appointed, either to an
executive or a judicial office, in any locality where there are
colored people, he must be on the side of the negro. I have not heard,
since Congress met, that any colored man has done a wrong in this
country for many years; and I have scarcely heard that any white man
coming in contact with colored people has done right for a number of
years. Every body is expected to take sides for the colored man
against the white man. If I have to take sides, it will be with the
men of my own color and my own race; but I do not wish to do that.
Toward these people I hope that the legislation of Congress, within
the constitutional powers of Congress, will be just and fair--just to
them and just to the white people among whom they live; that it will
promote harmony among the people, and not discord; that it will
restore labor to its channels, and bring about again in those States a
condition of prosperity and happiness. Do we not all desire that? If
we do, is it well for us to inflame our passions and the passions of
the people of the North, so that t