Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-01-14
Congressman III on the Civil Rights
Bill.

The speech ". Elliott, the colored
Congressman fiSouth Carolina, having
attracted so mi attention, we quote
synopsis of it ae find it reported in the
Washington RDHcon.
He disclaimeny personal feeling .on
account of his \, but said he advocated
the measure b,se il was for the right
and the most HI justice. He referred
TO the loyalty De blacks to the Govern
cment, not onlNhe late war, but quoted
from various hauthorities of the early
days of the relic, showing that in the
revolution, thar Of 1912 and the Mex
lean war, the ced race stood firm friends
and rendered liable services to the Gov
,ernment. He'd from the report of Cen
,eraI Jackson at ut the battle of New
Orleans a reght of colored troops held
the right of american line and drove
back a fierce nlt of the British troops.
Their valor. bid, drew forth the warm
est encomiunrom their gallant COM
mander. In way Of retort upon Mr..
Beck, of Ky.e read further from the
same report he effect that the Ken
lucky trooplpon whom he General
Jackson hadced so much reliance, had
ingloriously. At the call of the re-
public in 1S7hen treason Numbered at
the very gait the nations capital, the
negro renal true to the country, and
came to its so maintain the Cons titu
ton and thetional Government. That
Constitutiorey now invoked TO protect
them arainle prejudices of caste.
He denieat the Constitution gave to
any State tight to discriminate against
any class OF citizens. 1t was Consti-
tution'of a Government, and ought al
wavs to belstrued in favor of human
rights. Ciiberty meant the enjoyment
of every ciright, and in support of this
nropositioI quoted from a number of
eminent sBmen of the country in form
er DAYS. he said, with these great
truths shig forth with the clearness of
a sunbeamgrongs were daily inflicted
upon s 700 human beings.
He nexpk up the Supreme Court de-
-oisions in New Orleans slaughter-house
cases. VIII had been repeatedly quoted
90 a I,leeh sustaining the rights of the
states TO Ilate its domestic affairs, and
denied tbherc was any Clause in that
decision oh warranted the construction
that had.n placed upon it. Referring
TO the ament made by Mr.. Stephens,
that this.ision affirmed the doctrine of
States ris, he said the gentleman from
Georgia been prejudced by a long
training that school of politics which
had so MY destroyed the Government.
He reved the slaughter-housec cases at
considers length, holding that a ques-
ton of ice, involving the health of
great ciWas at issue. While the court
held thae act of the Legislature of Lou
isaua police regulation, it clearly
affirmeae rights under the thirteenth,
fourteeIand fifteenth articles of amend
ment the Constitution of the class en-
Franchi by the war. These amendments
Suarani not only nominal right, but
all the ats enjoyed by any one. What
was giyto one must be given to all, and
what wienied to one must be denied to
all. Ttwas a doctrine worthy of the
countryorthy of the age, and worthy of
the greaibunal which mad pronounced
il. 1t Nd not be contended by any one
that thdls of which they complained.
the 0en of the right to travel in public
conyeyes, the right to rest in inns, to
educateir children, and the right of Sc
Dulchrere police regulations.
Was r color be assimulated to I'M
vholest places or combustible dwell
ings, ojarge and offensive collection of
cattle $50, then this bill must fall. But
no mapuld dare maintain this. He was
astonis that the gentleman from Geor-
ola haCfar been misled as to suppose
that a ice regulation was any ground
Court denied the right of Congress to
assume protection of the rights of the
nitizer the United States. No public
intereould be promoted by his (Mr.
Ahbotexclusion from public inns or the
deniaany of the rights sought to be
enforpy his bill.
Helitted that there was q difference
betwcitizenship of the States and citi-
zenspf the United States, but held that
the ailments to the Constitution made
If thty of the United States to protect
him is State citizenship, as well as in
his onol character.
Inverted to the declaration made by
Mr.. k that Massachusetts, had clause
in constitution DISTINGUISHING those
whIld not read, and which Mr.. B. had
saiCuld, if applied in Kentucky, dis
fra Sc four.fifths of the colored people
of State. "Why not" said he, TASK
if sachusetts ever DISTINGUISHED any of
heizens on account of race, color or
nrus condition of servitude." She had
n1done that, and never could do it so
los Congress enforces by law the pro-
VS. of the Constitution. Massachusetts,,
III, finding her ignorant population
d augmented by Ignorant immigration,
+ Il law the wisdom of which had been
1nstrated by her able representation
ais floor.
next quoted from the census report to
Y that the proportion of blacks to
ties in Kentucky was as one to five.
proportion Of blacks who could and
id not write were one to one. The whites
could not write were to those who
Id as one to three. The exclusion in
ntucky of those who could not write
uld throw out for every colored vote
zee white votes. Massachusetts had al