Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-07

joint resolution which he said had the ap-
prevail Of the President. The resolution
recites that well authenticated reports say
that in certain localities of the South the
people are in a condition of starvation
owing TO the failure of crops, and directs
the Secretary of War to issue army rations
in such Quantities as may be required.
Mr.. Willard, of Vermont, moved is re-
ference I'd the Committee on Education and
Labor, with leave to report at any time. 80
| ordered.
virginia Protests against Negro SUI
PeriOrity.
/, Mr.. Bowen presented resolution of the
Virginia Legislature protesting against the
passage Of the Supplementary Civil Rights
bill. Read and referred.
On motion of Mr.. Lamar, the Committee
on Elections was discharged from further
consideration Of the supplementary Civil
Rights bin.
The Negroes Civil Right to Sleep with
White Man.
Mr.. Beck gave notice of an amendment
| providing that the law shall not be so con-
strued as to require hotel keepers to put |
whites and blacks into the same rooms or |
beds, or 10 feed them at the same table; to |
require that whites and blacks shall be put |
/ into the same room and classes at SCHOOL, or |
| in the boxes and seats in theatres, or in the |
same bershs ON steamboats, or other vessels, |
or in the same lots in cemeteries.
Mr.. Durham protested against the bill |
| as an attack on State rights and State |
| sovereignty, as calculated to embitter the /
AnglO-Saxon race against the African race; |
as calculated to destroy the whole common |
| school slstem of the South as regarding |
the education of the blacks, as likely to |
provoke IL war of races that would result |
in the determination of the black race in |
America.
How the Negroes in Is6I Rallied 10 |
Maintain a Constitution which |
Treated Them as Slaves.
Mr.. Elliott, colOred, of South Carolina, |
| addressed the House advocating the bill |
and reading his speech from manuscript, |
with fine delivery. He referred to the SER
vices of men of his race on the battlefelds |
of the country in the late war and in the |
war of 1872. He reminded the gentle |
man from Kentucky, -, who was always |
active against the negro, that in 1861, the |
negro, true to that patriotism and love to |
country which had ever characterized and |
marked his history on this continent, come |
to the all Of the Government in its effort |
to maintain the Constitution. To that |
Government the negro now appealed and 1
that Constitution he now invoked for pro-
lection against outrageous and unjust pre-
| JUDGES founded or caste.
Replying to the argument of Mr.. Ste \
phens, Of Georgia, yesterday, Mr.. Elliott |
commended that Congress had, under the
| fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to /
the Constitution, complete power to pass
/ this law, and to protect all the persons of /
the country in all their rights. He dis |
cuSSed the doctrine of the decision /
| of the Supreme Court in the New Or |
leans slaughter cases, and asked the gentle |
man from Georgia Mr.. StephenS,) whether |
they gave color even to the claim that Con- |
gress cannot legislate against plain dis |
| examinations in State laws and State Gus |
toms, against that very race for whose COM
plete freedom and protection these amend |
ments ID the Constitution were adOpted. |
IL could not be pretended that the evils of |
which the colored people complained |
their exclusion from the sleeping car on |
/ the railroad, and from the right of sepul- |
| ture, were the exercise of the police powers |
of the State. These things are denial of
tine equal protection of the laws which |
those constitutional amendments were
| framed ID guard against.
| He shared those feelings Of high personal
regard which pervaded the House in re-
spect to The gentleman from Georgia (Ste-
phens), but when that gentleman raised his
voice AMI influence to defeat this measure,
he (ElliOtt) would not shrink from saying
that it was not from him (Stephens) that
an American House of Representatives
would take lessons touching the matter of
human right. No consideration should re
strain him from saving That the gentleman
now Offered 10 the Government which he
| had done his utmost to destroy a very poor
return fer It's magnanimity, in coming here
and seeking to continue, by the annuneia-
| ton of doctrines obnoxious TO the true
| principles Of government, the burdens Of
/ oppression which rested On those who had
never failed to pray for the success of the
| government which that gentleman had
/ sought to blot ont from the galaxy of ma
| tions. Applause on the floor and in the
/ galleries, which were filled with colOred
people.l
1t was scarcely twelve years since that
| gentleman had shocked the civilized world
| by announcing as the highest form of gov
| eminent, one that rested on human slav-
| cry. The progress of time had swept away
| that pseudo government and the race
which he (StephenS) ruthleSSiy spurned
and trampled upon was here now to meet
him in discussion, to demand that the |
rights enjoyed by their former OppressOrs |
should be accorded to those who, even in
the darkness of slavery had kept their allie |
glance true to freedom and the Union. |
That gentleman had learned. much since |
1861, but he was still a learner. He |
| (StepherS) should put away entirely those |
false anC fatal theories which had marred |
his otherwise enviable record. He should |
accept il its fullneSs the great doctrine that |
American citizenship carries with it every |
civil and political right that manhood can |
confer. He should lend his influence and |
his mastery ability to complete the proud |
structure which made the nation worthy of |
the great declaration that heFalded its birth. /
Let him do that and lie would have done
that which would most certainly redeem /
his reputation in the world and best indi- /
cate the wisdom of that policy which had |
PERMITTED him TO return to his seat in the |
House.
As to the gentleman from Virginia, liar
ris) who had yesterday transcribed deem
cy and pTOpriety, he (ElliotD should have
no words with him. He would les thai
gentleman feel that negro was not only
too maglanimOUs to smite him in his
weakness, but was even charitable enough
TO grant him the mercy Of his silence.
Applause and laughter.l
The Holy Scriptures told of an humble
hand-ma den who had long and faithfully
CLEANED Ia the rich fields of her wealthy
kinsman, and that at last in spite OF her
humble antecedents she found complete
favor in his sight. So with his race it had
for two CENTURIES reaped down their field.
Tie cries and woes which they had
uttered, had entered into the ears of the
Lord God and they were at last politically !
free. Tie last vestise of civil rights was
needed. Having gained that, they might
with heats overtlOwing with gratitude aud
thankful that their prayer had been granted |
repeat the prayer of Ruth.
"Entreat me not 10 leave thee or 10 turn
from following after tliSe, for whether thou
gOeSt | will 60 and where thou lOdgest l
will lodge. Thy people shall be my people
and thy God shall be my God. Where
thou diest l Will die and there will be
buried. The Lord do so to me and more
also if aught but death part thee and me-
The speech was listened to with marked
interest and attention by the members on
both sides of the House, and blythe crowded
galleries, and at its close was very generally