New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-07-25
Hon. Henry Lott.

Inc name OF the Republican nominal for
the short term" in the Fourth Conores-
sional District is, of itself, a guarantee for
his election. What is meant by the - shout
term is the unexpired term of the present
congress, matle vacant by the death. some
time since, of Mr.. McCleery. The unexpired
term is not mere empty honor, as some
suppose, but amounts to a good round win
ter's session of three months, from the first
of next December to March 4. 1879. when
the Congress to be elected this fall comes
INTO power. On that occasion the gentleman
elected in the same district with Mr.. Lott
Tor the long term" will take the seat and
1875.
Mr.. Lott was born in the State of Ohio, i'm
1888, and is consequently thirty-nine years
OF age, although he appears to be at least
ten years younger than he is. Like almost
all our prominent colored leaders, he is a
self-made man. Born of poor and humble
parents, the fates were against him, and all
he is he owes to his own mtiring energy,
which never gave way before the frequent
blasts OF adversely that would have swept
down weaker men. Doomed to weary toll
throughout his youth in order to sustain
himself and the family, no opportunity to
obtain an education presented itself to his
hopes. But with determination to make
his way in the world, which extorted the adj
miration of all who knew him, he devoted
his days to labor and his nights to study,
often burning the midnight oil when he
should have been resting for his next days
toll.
In this way he educated himself. When
he became of age he resolved to seek out in
the South the circumscribed future that was
then allotted to colored man, and landed
in Louisiana in the year 1854. The Hottest
position in life to which a man of Mr.. Lofts
complexion could aspire in the dark DAYS of
slavery was to be a barber. That was the
zenith of all the glory that the world opened
to him, the ultima thule of his attainable as
pirations. Mr.. Lott, accordingly, became a
good and successful barber, and often poured
wisdom into the ears of his customers as he
shaved their chins. Locating at Alexandria,
in Rapides parish, he industriously followed
this business, with short intermissions, up to
the era of reconstruction.
Appointed a commissioner of election at
the time delegates to the Constitutional Con-
ventiOn were chosen in 1867, Mr.. Lott then
began public life as an ardent and leading
Republican. On the 18th of April, 1868, he
was elected to represent his parish in the
Legislature, and was returned to the same
position in 1870 by an overwhelming major
ity. Besides this, he has been leading par
uclpant Ill most OF the Republlcan political
conventions in the State-was a member of
the State Committee, and was a delegate to
the Philadelphia Convention. When the
battle for Republican reform began in the
Legislature, he was among the first to the
front and never wavered to the last. All
through last winter, with its turbulent scenes,
his elOquence rang out in denunciation of
Warmoth's oppression and corruption. Col
ored as he was, even the Democrats listened
to HIM with respect, and loudly applauded
his telling words in behalf of reform.
AT the Baton Rouge Convention Mr.. Lott
was an effective and earnest advocate Of the
nomination of Mr.. Billings, but when his
candidate was defeated he, with characters
tic patriotism, joined heartily in making the
nomination of Mr.. Kellogg unanimous and,
as if to emphasize this noble spirit of true
Republicanism, forthwith nominated his own
rival, Mr.. G. G.. Antoine, for the Office of
Lieutenant Governor. At the Fourth Dis
trict Convention, Mr.. Lott and Mr.. Peters
were nominated for the two terms, and drew
straws for the places. The star of Mr.. Pc
ters' luck was on high, and Mr.. Lott got the
short term. We predict that he will fill it
with honor to his immediate constituents, to
himself and to his race. He is remarkably
well informed in the political history of the
country, has fine command of fluent Eng
lish, and is a pointed, logical, and ready de-
batter. He has 4 future.-N. D. National
Republican.