The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1874-01-29
Especial Telegram to the Commercial.
Discnssi"D on the Civil Righ'.
Bill-Remark"bIe speech BY
COlured Member.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The time of
the House was occupied to-day in
discussing the Civil Rights Bill.
Mr.. Durham, of Kentucky, opened
the discussion with q speech of twen-
ty minutes, in which he vindicated
the superiority of the white race to
his own entire satisfaction, and the
great detriment of his vocal organs
and the auriculars of the House.
He wGs followed by Mr.. Elliott, of
South Carolina, in a speech of over
an hour. Mr.. Elliott is a pronounced
negro: his skin is very black, which,
with his features, a low, receding
forehead, broad, fiat nose and thick
lips, ,ndi, ate that he has no white
blood in his veins. He is little
more than thirty-one years old, short,
erect, quick and man y in his bearing
He was principally educated in En-
gland, graduating from Eton College
in 1858. Heretofore he has borne
himself quietly and modestly, seldom
rising to his feet or taking any part
beyond voting in the proceedings OF
the House, and he consequently earn
ed a reputation as man of some
ability. To day he justified higher
reputation than he has been credited
with by the delivery of one of tie
best speeches that has been made ii
Congress for many months. He an
swered Beck, of Kentucky, Harris, OF
Virginia, Stephens, of Georgia, in q
mastery manner. The effort was
smooth in diction, logical, and deliv
cred in a clear, ringing voice, vel
managed and giving evi lence of nat
ural oratorical powers of no NEAR
order, which had been well-trained
and cultivated During the time
his speech Elliot commanded the at
tentlcn of the House to an exteni
seldo achieved by any MIN. The
hall was well filled, and even On tht
Dcmncr IT'S side there were hut few
empty seats. A few extreme Demo
Gratis pretended to be husy with let
ters and documents, hut the eloquence
of the speaker soon drew them away
from their affectelpreoccupation and
compelled them to listen.
When, in reply to Harris, aVir-
ginia, who said yesterdAyin such ba !
taste, when questioned by a .colored
member, that he was speaking tf,
white men, to gentlemen, an l made
other equally undignifei remarks.
Elliott said that he granted that gen
tleman the mercy of 4 NEGRO ssilence
and illustrated, by letting him alone,
negro's magntn tninity,a burst Of r-
repressible sappl4gse broke oqtsan
over the floor, ah+axtended teshe
galleries, which We're crowded with
colored people, looking down in the
lists where their knights were bat
ting for their full manhood, till the
sounis of the hand-clapping drown
ed out the summons of the Speaker
gavel. So it was, too, when he re-
ferred to Stephens, and said that
gentleman would better beft his
station if, instead of throwing him
self in the way Of the progress of the
Nation that had so magnanimousiy
pardoned him for conspiring to over
throw the Republic, he would lay his
shoulder to the wheel and help it or
to better and glorious future. The
applause was enthusiastic and long
continued when he closed, and the
Republicans, with a few of the more
libera' Democrats, thronged around
the ''indubitable niger" anl warm
iy congratulated him. Among thos'
who extended the hand to him wa
SunsetC Cox. 1t WAS at least five min
utes after he had concluded before tn
buzz and noise of excited converse
ton had ceased, so that the debat
: might go on.
Tie speech undoubtedly had grea
influence, and was worthy of it. Th
remark was common everywher
that there were probably not NOR
than twenty of the three hun Ire
l men in the House who could preten
, to equal it, anl in comparison wit
it the blathering rant of the wea
sisters of both sides who have alre
5 their pretentious voices On the sui
: ject, sank into commonplace insign
tirance.
No other speeches worthy of con
,nent were made during the ola.
Walls, colored member fr,m Flor
t la, delivered q ludicrons jumble
nigh sounding, appropriately pace
= words, and the old doctrine Of State
t rights in all its pristine vigor, an
: wearing the familiar aspect OF SO an
60, was brought forth by orators 0
the Democratic side, all from Soutl
ern States. This ancient spirit seen
p ed more rampant because of its Ion
enforced quiet, and demonstrate
that it was not dead, but had bee
t. sleeping, from which it had risen r
d freshed. The most absurd deciar
d tions of the superiority of the Ca
/ caeian an | the inferiority of the All
Il Can were INDUCED, sounding like
/ reverberatory echo from Confederi'
lie Crossroads. They fell flat upon Il
eors of people who appreciate t.