Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-02-11
HIRAM R. REVELS.
The AntVcedenis of the Negro sen2,

The Antpcedents of tho Negro senH.
lFron tho Leavonworth (Ka.) Commonwealth
Most people have heard that for the first
tine 10 the history Of the United s ates a
| eol"red Senator has been returned to th.
nails OF wash nstOn, aud they bavs cnnso
quently wondered who ard what manner Of
man Is Senator Hiram X. Revels. Esery
one dyes not know that he is a Leayenwu =
man, aud that whiiv here he wa. minis or
VI such scandal rus procliyities that his own
orethr'n aud Il OK turned upon hio aud
forced h,m to other fields an pastures new
Tue outlines OF his history we propose to
give In os brief space as possible.
MI. Hiram X. Revsls was born in the
State OF North Carolina, and we hrst hear
OF him at St. Louis, where be succeeded
his brother 10 the charge of church, and
where he became involved In a desperate
church riot, wherein he himself was knock.
cd dOSn with hottie, and ia cOnsc q ierce
OF ThIch abOu hfiy arrests were mad, >. 4 "
this lie was d smised from the ohulcn aud
took to school teaching Tor a wing.
lG loG h. WIS sgtin admitted iuto the
church, and came tu E.caveuw0rth In lsc5.
La thus city he speed ly became, as p,s
tor OF the NJ. + CHURCH, Involved In a dis.
pnte with the eld"is in "a gard Ia some al
legged misappropriation OF the funds ut the
CHURCH. IL was at this time that the MIR.
John Morris, the barber who now reside,
on Delaware street, and who 10 a man #
much talent, published q phamphlet enti.
tied "A Humbug," in which be made spe.
elf; allegations that Rtvels had plunirred
the church Of the sum yf sl,l50, and bring.
ing forward proof Of the same. For this
hevels, in the month of Jane, 1867,
oroght an action against Morris for libel
which be lost, the jury being convinced Of
the truth Of the allegation. This trial was
noticed at length 10 the Commercial Of the
z3t Of June, IN the substance of il is con-
taiued in the following paragraph cut fiom
our edit n of that date.
IL IL charged that the libel consisted In
charging Revels with having alp opriated
funds Gf the church. A large number of
witnesses testified, and p'psrs, account
DOCKS, and other documents were offered 10
evidence. The case was very ABLY conduc.
ted by the p'oPcution and defense, and
after oble and lengthy arguments to the
jury was submitted to them. The Jury
retired, and after being out six minutes. re-.
turned verdict Of not guilty, thus sustain.
ing the charges as made by the author o.
A HumOug,' little book, the merits of
which. 1t seems, consisted ia jts being
true"
Revels being thus acknowledged as guilty
by bis own people, left Leavenworth in the
fall of 1867, and removed to LpuiAville,
Kentucky, where, in consequence Of PAM
phlet published In this place BY John Nor
ris, calling attention to his misdeeds, he re-
moved in the fall of 1868 to NAtcb.z, Ms.
slssppi. 1t must have bsen some h. re
about this time that We hear of him at
Memphis, but how long he re M iined there
we know not. While in that city, however,
be assisted in the character Of exhorter nj
the hanging OF a man named Moody who
vas exrcuted tor mu drrii K a Captain Per.
ry. Ia this, however, he DUTY anticipated
Henry Ward B.ech"r, Mrs., S'ows and 9th
ar remarkable Radica who have n sancti
monious relish for the horrible, and his in
stincts in this respect can hardly he deem
ed perverted but seem to 1ow 10 the legiti-
mato channel.
The last we hear of the Rev. Mr.. ReveIs
l. from Mississippi, Of which State he is now
elected Senatr-to which high office he ap-
pears to have been elevated under peculiar
He obtained no vote at the
drst ballOt-was afterwards selected as a
compromise between Messrs. Mygatt and
Flournoy and he was principally chosen in |
order to catch the African vote, which In |
the State Of Mississippi has an immense ma
jority. We shall watch the future of this
Senator with the same precision
with which We hsve recorded his past
career.