This power is calculated to annihilate totally the State governments. Mr. President, I felt it my duty to make sure that I had not failed to exert every effort to emphasize the dangers of this bill. That country is become a great, mighty, and splendid nation; not because their government is strong and energetic, but, sir, because liberty is its direct end and foundation. The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote, The remarkable career of Charles Evans Hughes, On This Day, Lee surrenders at Appomattox, 10 fascinating facts about Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. Biography of Strom Thurmond, Segregationist Politician. Strom Thurmond and Joe Biden during a hearing in 1986. But the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. In the later decades of his career, Thurmond obscured his views on race by claiming that he had only ever been opposed to excessive federal power. Mr. President, I should like to remind the Senate of the decision I have cited today, which holds that criminal contempt is a crime. the States. [8], Majority Leader Johnson, who was intent on passing a fully weakened act in contrast to overseeing a legislative graveyard at the hands of a Southern filibuster, moved to effectively weaken the voting rights-related provisions in Title IV. Recommended Citation. Thurmond became Edgefield County's director of education in 1929. It was monarchy, per se, that Henry foresaw. Biden, once one of the nations youngest senators, will be its oldest president, Democrats are facing renewed pressure to end or change the legislative filibuster, but The Fixs Aaron Blake explains why thats unlikely. Strom Thurmond, a United States senator from South Carolina, remarked that the civil rights bill constituted a "cruel and unusual punishment", [7] and stated that he hoped to "educate the country" by means of an extended speech against the legislation. What did those nine men do with it? That principle is now universally admitted. Running a campaignas a war hero, he was elected governor of the state in 1947. The filibusteran extended speech designed to stall legislationbegan at 8:54p.m.[a] and lasted until 9:12p.m. the following day, a duration of 24 hours and 18 minutes. He had confessed his crime. The Supreme Court held that because of that fact, the Federal Government had preempted the whole field, and struck down the State statutes on sedition. Senator from South Carolina. Thurmond campaigned energetically, doing all he could to cripple Truman's campaign. PDF. However, the 39 electoral votes Thurmond received did not prevent Harry Truman from winning the election. | Sketch shows Senators George Smathers, John Stennis, and Strom Thurmond during the debate on the Civil Rights Act in the U.S.. Contributor: Brodie, Howard Date: 1964 In 1957, as Congress debated a civil rights bill, southerners were outraged but most accepted that they did not have the votes to stop the legislation. In the days afterward, Thurmond was criticized by northern Democrats, five of whom vowed to reform Senate rules so that a simple majority vote would end another stunt like it. His father was an attorney and prosecutor who was also deeply involved in state politics. The operations of the Federal Government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments in times of peace and security. [8], President Eisenhower did not express enthusiasm for the provisions in Title III. I stated before, that this could not be so. But now, sir, the American spirit, assisted by the ropes and chains of consolidation, ts about to convert this country into a powerful and mighty empire. He charged that the new Constitution would create a national government, and no longer a confederation. He especially denounced the authority proposed in the general government to levy direct taxes. [39] Later that year, he switched his affiliation to the Republican Party. The Legend of Strom's Remorse - Slate Magazine you may Download the file to your hard drive. Henry saw the empty prospect: This Constitution is said to have beautiful features; but when I come to examine these features, sir, they appear to me horribly frightful. I construe that declaration to be part of the resolution of ratification, which was not adopted unanimously. 9: The new union had been formed, and the Constitution had become binding upon the nine States ratifying the same. It has ever been Virginias fate to make the right decisions, but to put off making them as long as possible. At least twice the brief convention was interrupted by thunder storms so severe the delegates were forced to recess. [18] In his 2012 biography of Thurmond, Strom Thurmond's America, Crespino noted the impact of Thurmond's filibuster and partial authorship of the Southern Manifesto, a document designed to unify the South against school integration,[43] the previous year. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. Go back in time. He is expounding the relationship of the State and Federal Governments as he, above all men, understood it: Give me leave to say something of the nature of the Government. Thurmond spokeat the convention, where he denounced Truman and claimed that Truman's program of civil rights reforms "betrayed the South.". * * * These two concurrent powers cannot exist long together; the one will destroy the other; the general government, being paramount to and in every respect more powerful than the State governments, the latter must give way to the former.. Occasionally, other Southern senators would ask him a long-winded question a way to keep it so Thurmond still had the floor but could leave it briefly to grab a few bites of a hamburger and rest his voice. He also voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which passed and prohibited . That is the practical effect of it. Accessibility Statement. ended his nearly 13-hour filibuster early Thursday. Democratic Representative Charles A. Boyle of Illinois, a Where else should they have assembled? he asked. In other words, there would have to be action to put it into effect immediately under the holding of the Court. Thurmond graduated from Clemson University in 1923 and worked in local schools as an athletic coach and teacher. Six years later, Thurmond ran as a Democrat and was elected to the Senate as the junior senator from South Carolina in a write-in campaign. Thurmond decided to fight on alone, and to prepare himself, he took steam baths every day to dehydrate his body so it could absorb fluids without his having to leave the Senate chamber for the bathroom. 105). Among other deformities, it has an awful squinting; it squints toward monarchy; and does not this raise indignation in the breast of every true American?. he notoriously staged a record-breaking one-man filibuster to defeat a civil rights bill . What have these ideal checks and balances availed the States in the 20th century? Strom Thurmond's Filibuster. San Bernardino County Civil Rights Lawyers - {{meta.siteName}} The Supreme Court handed down a decision after Watkins had been convicted of contempt and turned him loose. [8] Senate rules allow for virtually unlimited debate on a bill, and a filibuster is a means of using these rules to prevent a bill's passage by speaking for as long as possible. [44] He further argues that the filibuster was a way for Thurmond to uphold Southern ideas about white strength and endurance, while also burnishing his personal image of masculinity and health. During that time, the 22-year-old Thurmond had fathered a child with Butler. Strom Thurmond filibuster on the Civil Rights Act of 1957, Last edited on 30 November 2022, at 12:53, Index:United States Congressional Record Volume 103 Part 12.pdf, https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Strom_Thurmond_filibuster_on_the_Civil_Rights_Act_of_1957&oldid=12791098. What are your checks in this Government? he kept asking. We drew the spirit of liberty from our British ancestors: By that spirit we have triumphed over every difficulty. Nevertheless, the bill passed two hours after the filibuster and was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower within two weeks. Since neither race nor sex was listed among the qualifications, the provision allowed both blacks and women to serve on juries in trials in federal courts. [4] In the Senate, many Democrats from Southern states were angered by the bill. [Laughter.]. Strom Thurmond - Wikipedia There is an argument to be made, Constitution Daily says, that Thurmond isn't the true record holder. [22][36] Southern Democratic senators did not join the filibuster, despite its popularity among their constituents, because (as Russell put it) the South had already secured a compromise in the bill which would be jeopardized by a filibuster and there was not enough support to prevent a cloture vote anyway. No one ever answered him accurately, though half a dozen members of the Convention undertook to refute Henry and to allay his apprehensions. The filibuster focused primarily on asserting that the bill in question, which provided for expanded federal protection of African American voting rights, was both unnecessary and unconstitutional, and Thurmond recited from documents including the election laws of each U.S. state, Supreme Court decisions, and George Washington's Farewell Address. Southern Democrats agreed not to run an organized filibuster; they left it up to individual members to take up the battle. Partly in an effort to defuse calls for more far-reaching reforms, President Eisenhower proposed a civil rights bill that would increase the protection of African American voting rights.[4]. Subsequently, on December 9, 1957, the Civil Rights Division was established within the Justice Department by order of US Attorney General William P. Rogers, giving the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights a distinct division to command. ", "Confronting the Anti-Civil Rights Filibuster", "Senators Who Changed Parties During Senate Service (Since 1890)", "Southerners Who Refused to Sign the Southern Manifesto", United States Government Publishing Office, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Strom_Thurmond_filibuster_of_the_Civil_Rights_Act_of_1957&oldid=1169377331, This page was last edited on 8 August 2023, at 18:57. * * * The proposed Federal Government, he said, extends to the general purposes of the Union. Mr. President, if I have helped to bring home to the American people, the citizens of this Nation, the heartfelt conviction which I hold, namely, that this bill is unwise, unnecessary, and unconstitutional, then I shall have done what I believe to be my duty. Mr. President, I wish to say that my action was taken entirely on my own volition. [3], Strom Thurmond, a United States senator from South Carolina, remarked that the civil rights bill constituted a "cruel and unusual punishment",[7] and stated that he hoped to "educate the country" by means of an extended speech against the legislation. And as the Civil Rights Movement transformed America in the mid-1960s, Thurmond was one of the prominent conservatives who migrated from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. ( Ira Gay Sealy/The Denver Post / Getty ) The following essay is by Takeaway Host John Hockenberry. In connection with the next speaker, we had estimated that we would reach him about 9 oclock. At first, Dirksen opposed the House version of the bill because of certain passages, even though he was a long-time civil rights supporter. Opinion | What Biden's eulogy for Strom Thurmond says about - The . Edmund Pendleton served as president of the Virginia convention. Under the direction of Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, the Senate passed a watered-down, yet also passable, version of the House bill which removed stringent voting protection clauses.[1]. They held the admitted criminal from about 2 oclock one day to 9 oclock the next day, and in the meantime he gave a confession to the police in Washington. It was a close vote. * * * It is not rational to suppose that the sovereign power should be dragged before a court.. [10] Alleged violators of civil rights injunctions are normally entitled to jury trials, with the exception of civil contempt actions. Segregationists had burned black churches, which were centers of education and organizing for voter registration, and physically attacked black activists, including women. All Rights Reserved. They believed his defiance made them look incompetent to their constituents. Home | Southern Democratic senators occupied chairs of numerous important committees because of their long seniority. He did not propose to abide by any parliamentary decision to debate one clause at a time. The powers of the General Government, he said, are only of a general nature, and their object is to protect, defend, and strengthen the United States; but the internal administration of government is left to the State legisiatures, who exclusively retain such powers as will give the States the advantages of small republics, without the danger commonly attendant on the weakness of such governments., Henry, undaunted, straightened his red wig and returned to the debate. First, he said, the bill was unnecessary because every state in the union already had laws protecting voting rights. It will destroy the State governments, and swallow the liberties of the people, without giving previous notice., Madison came back with fresh replies and new remonstrances. [22][23] At approximately 1p.m., Thurmond yielded to allow for the swearing-in of William Proxmire, who had been elected following the death of Joseph McCarthy, after which he resumed his speech. In the end, Virginia ratified. After more than 24 hours, a stubble of gray beard had sprouted on his chin, The Post reported. The bill further provides a Federal judge with the discretionary powerif he does not try the person without a juryto decide what punishment he will impose. Thurmond CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. [18][20] The Senate chamber gallery, filled with hundreds of spectators at the beginning of the filibuster, dwindled to just NAACP lobbyist Clarence Mitchell Jr. and Thurmond's wife Jean at points during the early morning hours. We are told, he said, that there will be a war between the two bodies equally our representatives, and that the State government will be destroyed, and consolidated into the General Government. Thurmond happily consented and used the few minute interim to head for the bathroom (for the only time during his speech). AP Images The Democrats came to Philadelphia on July 12, seventeen days after the Republicans, meeting in the same city, had nominated a dream ticket of two hugely popular governors: Thomas E.. [2] In the 1960s, he voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Alterations to the bill made the Act difficult to enforce; by 1960, black voting had increased by only 3%. [2][3] The Act aimed to protect this right by establishing a Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice and a U.S. Civil Rights Commission. We are running a little ahead of schedule. FAQ | Without objection, it is so ordered. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Strom Thurmon: Segregationist, Dixiecrat, Republican Most notably, Thurmond filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for over 24 hours, though the bill passed nonetheless. For other American laws called Civil Rights Acts, see, Part Iestablishment of Commission on Civil Rights, Part IIadditional assistant attorney general, Part IIIstrengthen civil rights statutes and other purposes, Part IVfurther securing and protecting the right to vote, Part Vprovide trial by jury and to amend the judicial code, Please expand the section to include this information. Strom Thurmond Collection, Mss 100. [5] The original bill had passed in the House of Representatives in June, but when the bill was sent to the Senate it was significantly watered down by a compromise to satisfy the Democrats. I may say, with truth, that there never was a more economical government in any age or country, nor which will require fewer hands, or give less influence., Pendleton again gained the floor to tackle Henrys objection. The officers could not get hold of the United States Commissioner that night, and had to wait until the next morning, about 9 oclock. In advocating ratification, Pendleton was joined by James Madison, John Marshall, Edmund Randolph, and Light Horse Harry Lee. Following the tumult of the 1960s, Thurmond forged a somewhat more moderate image, leaving behind his reputation as a segregationist firebrand. 6127. * * * Our dearest rightslife, liberty and propertyas Virginians, are still in the hands of our State legislature., Patrick Henry remained unconvinced. [7], A bipartisan group of Senators realized that Southerners would not allow passage of the act with Title III, which authorized the US Attorney General to seek preventive relief in civil rights cases. Martin Luther King Jr., then 28, was a developing leader in the Civil Rights Movement and spoke out against white supremacists. Steve Nelson, in Pennsylvania, was convicted under Pennsylvania law. He later served 48 yearsan astonishing eight termsas a U.S. I want to take a moment and recall a moment in U.S. Congressional history by thinking of it in a slightly unorthodox way. Strom Thurmond filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 Goldwater asked that Thurmond temporarily yield the floor to him for an insertion in the Congressional Record. No political dreamer was ever wild enough to think of breaking down the lines which separate the States, and of compounding the American people into one common mass. [36], In 1964, Thurmond was involved in a second filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Can they go beyond the delegated powers? (2020, December 24). Committed to the filibuster effort were the powerful Senators Richard Russell, Thurmond, Robert Byrd, William Fulbright and Sam Ervin. [3][37], Thurmond received significant criticism, even from Democrats who signed or were aligned with the goals of the Southern Manifesto, including Talmadge, Russell, and the Southern Caucus as a whole. Donald Allen MacKay. When Barry Goldwater ran for president in as a Republican in 1964, Thurmond broke from the Democrats to support him. [12], Thurmond had been significantly involved in politics before his senatorship: he had served as Governor of South Carolina, helped to found the States' Rights Democratic Party after a walkout over civil rights at the 1948 Democratic National Convention, and ran against Harry S. Truman and Thomas E. Dewey as the new party's candidate in the 1948 presidential election. [11] Thurmond and other Southern senators saw the provision as a violation of the defendant's right to a trial by jury, which is guaranteed by the U.S. Former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond dies - HISTORY Strom Thurmond Collection, Mss 100. [10] The motivation for Western liberal Democrats to spearhead the cause of weakening the Civil Rights Act of 1957 was attributed to their traditional populist disdain for the perceived disproportionate power wielded by judges to quell labor causes in the Western United States, thus contributing to a resonance with the expansion of jury trial rights. McNamara, Robert. Goldwater asked Thurmond to yield the floor to him for a few minutes, and Thurmond was able to use the restroom while Goldwater made an insertion to the Congressional Record. * * * It is the interest of the Federal to preserve the State governments; upon the latter the existence of the former depends. Constitution. > This government will operate like an ambuscade. It also had survived a 24-hour filibuster from Senator Strom Thurmond. As stated in the book, The Sovereign States, South Carolina accompanied her resolution of ratification with a pointed statement that she considered it essential to the preservation of the rights reserved to the several States and for the freedom of the people, that the States right to prescribe the manner, time, and places of Congressional elections be forever inseparably annexed to the sovereignty of the several States..
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