The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-01-09
Exciting Scene in the House Stephens
tf4 ' vs.. Brooks.

The following is the answer of Mr. Stephen
! to the re marks Of Mr.. Brooks on the bill from
| the Reconstruction Committee which
| ted in the Globe.
Mr.. Stephens Of Pennsylvania-Mr. Speaker
have listened with great pleasure (as always
do) to the golden meuthed gentleman from
New York (Mr. Brooks in his attempt to
prove the Bible lie. That book says that
God created ''of ons blood all the nations of the
earth" The gentleman from New York,
hwever, contends that there were several
different varieties, and that all nations were not
created ,"of one blood" The question thus At
issue between the gentleman from New York
and the author of that sacred volume shall
not attempt to decide. It is too high for me.
But, Sir, the gentleman has given US the histo-
~ of the negro race from. I believe, the time
of tbs Queen OF Sheba. l am not quite sure
whether ne included her in that race or not.
But, going over the whole field Iona that time
to this. he has. think. very we'll described the
shape ofthe negroes foot, the crook Of his an
kle. aud the caatour Of his face. Aud then the
gentleman went on to consider the intellect o.:
the negro.
Now, does the gentleman by all o: this mean
to say that the sons of Ethiopia-of what tho
great poet of antiquity speaks as tho 'blameless
sons of Ethiopia whom the gods al.
ways retired when they wished 70 spend An
innocent and quiet hour have not Immortal
souls, that they are to BE- classed among the
beasts which PERISH and that God, who is to
judge them will not damn him il he deserves
it? iLAughter) | am sorry. sir, If such has
come to be the condition Of that race in this
country. l had thought that the members Of
that race hal sh rwn in our day some evidences
ofstrength and power. 70 be sure, looked
upon them barbarans for having with their
own right hands. in defence of liberty. stricken
down thousands Of the friends of the gentleman
who has been eniightening US to-day. Laugh
ter This conduct on their part did confess
show cruelty and barbarism which it is hard
to excuse. But the gentiemln must recollect
that all are not ually mild in their demeanor,
aad that even the white man might have done
the same thing. had he teen in Q similar con
dition.
As to intellect there are different degrees of
it. In that regard the gentleman from New
ork to "ers above the rest Of US. though fear
he sometimes abuses his superiority by the dec
laination which he travels out Of his road to in
dict upon US. with regard to the various nations
of the earth. But that in intellectual gifts the
gentleman stands above Us all, no man who has
heard him to-day deny; and do not, as
sure you, speak ironically (laughter.1 for do
not know when have heard ANYTHING more
etoqsent than the discourse which the learned
gentleman has given to-day. But l have
one proposition 10 make. For the ora, oricai |
Of America l willing to
match Frsi. Dsnsias, or Langston against the
gentleman from New YorK will allow the |
latter gentleman to select two out of three of
the judges. Let the topic be anything the |
gentleman peases, except the negroes shin |
laughter;] and if at the end of the discussion |
ne does not "throw up the SPONGE will ad !
nit that the negroe is inferior animai-not |
only inferior to the gentleman from New York, |
but nferior to the rest OF US. [Laughterl-t
call the previous question