Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-07-06
Negro Congressman -Menard's Speech
in the House--A stirring SCENE.

NlnclunatI COHIHeTctdt the latest
phase of the national question:
We had scene in the House, yes,
terday, that marks an epoch in the
annals Of our country. Mr.. Menard,
of Louisiana, the colored claimant to
a seat, was heard in his defense
The galleries were packed with
curious humanity, male and female,
of all tints, from the fairest blonde
to the darkest ebony. The old men,.
bers were in their seats, and the new
ly elected filed the floors, and crowd
ed the cloak-rooms, and when the
dusky-hued advocate of fallen race
rose to his feet there was, for the
first time within my recollection,
perfect stiffness in the hall.
Mr.. Menard is Of medium height,
we'll proportioned in his figure, has
Of blood about half and half of the
two races, an intelligent face, and q
nicely developed head, phrenologi-
cally considered, and clear voice,
with enough of the negro pronuncia
ton to make it Southern.
On the Republican side, there was
an expression of satisfaction that APP
preached triumph. Our leader, Gen.
Schenck, tnrned in his seat so as TO
get the range of the net result and
upshot Of the late civil war brought
to focus, and made palpable and
familiar, while his grim face seemed
to condense and grow yet more grim.
Gen. Butler, who had given the ne
gro new name, in the midst OF the
conflict, and now saw him coming up
out of the contraband of war to be
his equal in the gravest and most
powerful body of law-makers in our
land, gszed at him from under his
shaggy eyebrows, with CLEAN of
delight. The mingled look ofinvalid,
scholar and divine, of Shellabarger's
face, seemed to acquire deeper tint
of satisfaction while the dome-like,
thoughtful head of Garfield, that rests
above the face of boy, and the form
Of substantial farmer, sat up more
erect; and Allison, whose bright,
cavernous eyes are in strange con-
trast to his indolent, aonchalant man
ner, leaned over his desk with less
than usual of his philosophical indif-
ference. Even Kelley forgot Penn,
sylvania pig iron, for few minutes
and over the stolid face of Moore
head, the shadowy suspicion of an
expression seemed to appear, like "a
ripple, from strong wind, on q
creamy pool of stagnant water.
On the Democratic side, Fernando
Wood sat, blot upright, stroking
with affectional regard, his white
mustache. Brooks, for a moment
| repressed the smart that forever plays
about face. Niblack alone looked
satisfied, while Samuel Cary shook
back his fearful head of hair, and
glared as if, in the colored delegate
he saw the road to Gubernatoria
honors in Ohio. My old friend Nun
gen, who had delivered that learned
essay on the origin of the races, sum.
monsd to his face all the intensity
of expression of a deceased mackerel
and looked defiance at this descend.
ant of the gorilla, for daring to joir
issue with the proud Caucasian on
the floors of Congress.
If Mr.. Menard's appearance was
striking, no less evident was the sur
prise at the matter and manner Of
his address. Calm, self.possessed
he avoided all ordinary attempts a,
oratory and gave, in good sense and
choice phrase, his reasons for clam
to seat in Congress.
From the technical bearing of bis
case, upon which he dwelt, ones
mind travelled out to the past, of the
race he represented, to that hour
that now seems so far away, and YET
was but yesterday, when the negros
were sunk to level with the beast
and when we grew rich to the whil
of the whip and the clank of the
chain, to that hour when the crack
of old Ossowattomie Browns rifle al
Harper's Ferry awoke laundering
echoes about Sumter; when the old
HAL Wrote Inc emancipation prOs
clamation upon the mountains Of
Virginia, long before Lincoln dream
ed, or dreaming dared to utter it
down through the fearful war to the
hour when the army Of the Republic
under Grant swung their eagles
through the sulphury smoke of bat
tie, above the fallen ruins of the Con.
federacy and the broken chains OF
the slaves, and the negro, baptized
in blood, came up a citizen. These
are his claims. And when the first
representative ceased speaking, the
hearers drew a deep breath, like q
sigh of relief, as if the curtain had
fallen upon the last act of great
drama.
@-Major Morris Chester, a color
QH M hn xuo m "a ~ IL