Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-01-16
Civil Rights.


Congress at the present session, was
that of Mr.. Elliot, the colored Rep
resentative from South Carolina, in
the House last week, on the bill to
secure the civil rights Of American
citizens. 1t was clear, cogent,
logical, exhaustive review of the
question from the constitutional
standpoint, and triumphant vim
dication of the right Of Congress to
pass laws securing equal rights to
all, white and black. 1t was ex-
pressed in language terse and Wig
orous, ard with power Of elo-
quence possessed by few Of Mr., e.
lots associates upon the floor of
the House. 1t is remarkable as
the production Of man without a
drop of white blood in his veins, a
representative of that slavery i'm
bruted race that short period since
was regarded, both north and south,
as, in possibilities of culture and
intellectual power, scarcely more
promising than the brute.
The salient feature of Mr.. Elliot's
speech, however, was the complete
discontinue and deserved rebuke
which it administered to some of
the southern members who, in OPP
position to the bill had taken oc-
casion to air their WORKOUT
theories Of States rights, their sla-
very-born prejudices, and, in some
cases, their plantation manners.
Prominent among these were, Alex
ander H. Stephens, of Georgia;
Beck, of Kentucky, and Harris, Of
Virginia. We give below that por.
ton Of Mr.. Elliott's speech in which
the colored orator pays his respects
to those gentlemen. Our readers
will acknowledge that the language
is as dignitied rs it is excoriating.
Mr.. Elliot said:
Mr.. Speaker, l have neither the
time nor the inclination to notice
the many illogical and forced con-
illusions, the numerous transfers of
terms, or the vulgar insinuations
which incumbcr the argument of
the gentleman from Kentucky. Rea-
son and argument are worse than
wasted upon those who meet every
demand for political and civil liber-
ty by such ribaldry as this-extract-
from the speech of the gentleman
from Kentucky:
81 suppose there arc gentlemen
on this floor who would arrest, i'm
prison, and fine a young woman in
any State of the South, if she were
to refuse to marry negro man on
account Of color, race or previous
of servitude, in the event
of his making her proposal of mar
riage, and her refusing on that
ground. That would be depriving
him Of right he had under the
amendment, and Congress would be
asked to take it up and say, This
insolent white woman must be
taught to know that it is a misde-
to deny man marriage be-
cause of race, color, or previous
OF servitude;' and Con-
gross will be urged to say after
while that that sort Of thing must
be put stop to, and your conven-
ion Of colored men will come here
asking you to enforce that right"
Now, sir, recurring to the veneer
lble and distinguished gentleman
rom Georgia, (Mr. Stcphens), who
has added his remonstrance against
he passage of this bill, permit me
o say ] share in the feeling of high |
PERSONAL regard for that gentleman
which pervades this House. His
ears, his ability and his long expe-
fence in public affairs entitIe him
o the measure Of consideration
which has been accorded to him on
his floor. But in this discussion l
annot and will not forget that the
,elfare and rights Of my whole
ace in this country are involved.
When, therefore, the honorable gen
eman from Georgia lends his voice
nd influence to defeat this measure
do not shrink from saying that it
} not from him that the American
louise of Representatives should
Ike lessons in matters touching hu-
ian rights or the joint relations Of
re State and national governments.
While the honorable gentleman con-
'nted himself with harmless specu-
tion in his study or in the columns
newspaper, we might well smile
the impotence Of his efforts to
i'm back the advancing tide of
pinion and progress; but when he
'mes again upon this national are
=, and throws himself, with all his
'fluehce, across the path which
ads to the full acknowledgements of
" race, l meet him only as an ad.
ersary; nor shall age or any other
,nsideration restrain me from say
,g that he now offers this govern
ent, which he has done his utmost
destroy, a very poor return for
8 magnanimous treatment, to come
ere and seek to continue, by the
Of doctrines obnoxious to
le true principles of our govern
ent, the burdens and expressions
hich rest upon five millions of his
,untrymen who never failed to lift
leir earnest prayers for the suc-
sss of this government, when the
entleman was seeking to break up
,e Union Of these States and to
lot out the American. Republic
'om the galaxy Of nations. Loud
pplause.l
Sir, it is scar.ely twelve years
ince that gentleman shocked the
ivilized world ny announcing the
firth of government which rested