till remained, but
in lieu of the others of the earlier period, there arose also such
questions as the free coinage of silver, the bimetallic monetary
standard, tariff for protection or for revenue only, and the Chinese
immigration. Despite the new character of the great problems before
the public forum, and of the consequent relegation to a minor position
of national importance the problems of reconstruction in the South,
the issues of peculiar interest to the Negro were not so aptly
settled. Indeed, it is to the discredit of the Supreme Court of the
United States that in all cases coming before that body in which there
was at issue a right granted by the Constitution to the freedmen,
efforts were made to evade the real issue, or to interpret the laws so
as to contravene the intent of the framers of the Constitution.[44] To
urge the protection of the Negro in his exercise of the rights and
privileges granted by the Constitution, to secure the enactment of
laws with the purpose to secure to him a greater measure of
opportunity for social advancement, to oppose the enactment of laws
proposing to retard such progress, to stimulate a healthy public
opinion favorable to the Negro's cause, to protest against every
injustice, great or small, meted out to him, became, as never before,
the imperative duties of the Negro members of Congress. Whatever other
time and energy remained might be directed towards the solution of the
other important issues before the public, but for the most part, the
Negro Congressmen were of necessity compelled to defend those
interests peculiar to the freedmen. The petitions which these
Congressmen presented, the resolutions which they offered, the
amendments which they proposed, the bills which they introduced or
supported, and the issues which they discussed or debated, will enable
one to ascertain to what extent these men viewed aright the needs of
their constituents and of the nation. Because of the constitutional
right of all citizens to petition Congress for a redress of
grievances, however, Congressmen have, in general, considered it a
duty to present to Congress the petitions of their constituents,
whatever their nature may be. An examination of these, therefore, does
not always assist in the effort to determine the interests of a
statesman. The sole justification for their consideration in this case
is the fact that they have formed, in many instances, the basis of the
resolutions, motions a