The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-03-24
Maiden Speech Of Representative Elliott.

day to the New York Herald says:
The sensation in the House to-day
was the maiden speech of Mr.. Elliott
the negro member from South Caro-
lima. Mr.. Beck, of Kentucky, had
introduced general amnesty bill
aud it was on this that Elliott made
his speech. He is q very dark negro
but evidently the ablest of tho five
black men in the present House. Gen
Butler, who had the floor, yielded to
Elliott, who spoke from scat in the
immediate vicinity Of where Bdtlcr
sits. Elliott is we'll educated, and has
a good dclivery:-rather inclined to
be impassioncd. lie charged down in
good style upon the Ku Klux, and
then alleged that they were sustained
and countcnanced by tho Democratic
party of the North in general and
Tammany Hall in particular. Both
Democrats and Republicans gathered
around him as he spoke, this being
the first speech by a negro in the
Hsusc. At the close of his speech
be was warmly congratulated by sew
eral prominent Republicans. The
bill was finally defeated, but whether
on account of Elliott's speech is not
known.
The following were the remarks
of Elliott, as reported in the Her.
aid:
Mr.. Elliott, colored, Representative
of South Carolina, said he believed
ho had been regarded as entertaining
liberal views on this question, but at
a time like this, when he turned his
eyes to the South and saw the loyal
men Of that section suffering at the
hands of the very class of men whom
it was now proposed to relieve OF
their political disabilities, he must
now and here enter his solemn pro
test against this proposition. 1t was
nothing but paying a premium on dis.
loyalty and treason, at the expense OF
loyalty. He wss not surprised that
the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr.
Beck) should Introduce such a bill.
He appreciated the feelings of SYM
pathy which the gentleman entertain
ed for those men in tho South who
are Low prohi i5itcd from holding Of
fee. They were the gcntleman's
allies and compatriots. They arc dis:
franchised simply because they rushed
into rebellion against the best gov
ernment under heaven, with the ad.
vice and consent of such as the gen
tlemen from Kentucky. He regretted
that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr
Farnsworth) on Friday took occasion
to compare the condition of the men
who are disfranchised with those who
are allowed to hold Office in the
South He took occasion to draw a
comparison between an old man and
his former servant who held Office,
and had made an appeal in favor OF
the former. But why was this so
Because the old man with whom the
gentleman from Illinois sympathised
in his heart joined the rebellion,
while the slave was loyal to the gov
ernment. The one despised the flag,
while the other loved it. The differ
cnce was, the poor old man would
only curse the government and NAL
treat and murder loyal man, while
the slaye was his protector. Instead
of the removal of political disabilities
doing good, it would be taken as an
evidence that this Congress desired
to hand over the government to the
tender mercies Of the disloyal men,
who are responsible for the murders
and outrages at the South. BY their
denunciation Of Congress and abuse
of the President and all connected
with the government, they are the
men who commit the deeds. They
contribute to these deeds by their
social influence and with the money
furnished by Tammany Hall to keep
mp the outrages in order to insure
Democratic triumph in the South. lie
(Elliott) was here in behalf Of the
loyal men to tell these facts. The
number of arms shipped to the South
on every steamer was an evidence
that the disloyal men at the South
are the instruments for carrying oat
designs of their Northern allies. He
represented white men as well as men
of his own complexion. His constitu-
uency were as loyal as that of any
other man on this floor. That con-
stituency appeal to Congress to do