New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-01-22
90 '''''i4' - 'Cl'i
s tss sss1tsa able Scene.
Tar si"qu-nt Reply Of a Coiorsa Caas--s,-
nisn TO 4. II. Stephens.

" 'A"iii->'i'N, H. -, jan. y.
The time OF The House to-day was occruied
/ III discussing the Civil Rights ill. Durham
oi Kentucky, opened the discussion with a
speech OF twenty minutes, in which he yiudi-
Gated the superiority of the white race to his
own entire satisfaction. and to the great Diet
rnent of his vocal organs and the a,riculor
OF the House.
lie was followed by Elicit, Of South Caro-
Ina, IN speech OF over an hour. His skin is
very black, which, with his features. a low.
feceding forehead, broad, flat nose and thick
il's, Which indicate that he has no Whit.
niood III his VEINS. lie is little more than
"ltS-ohe Years Old, short, erect, quick and
manly IN his bearing. lie was PRINCIPALLY
educated in England, graduating from Eton
college IN 1893. Heretofore he has borne
himself quietly and modcstly, seldom rising
70 ms ieet or taking any part beyond voting
III 'pe proceedings of the House, and ccnse1
| quehtly earned a reputation as a man of
some ability. Toe day he Justified y Liobnr
reputation than he has been credited with Inv
the delivery OF one Of the best speeches thai
mas peeh made in Congress for many months
ne answered Beck, OF Kentucky, Harris Of
Virginia, and Stephens of Georgia, in Il mas
teriy manner. The effort was smooth in dc
ti"n, logical, and delivered with u clear
ringing voice, well managed, and piying evi,
dehce OF natural oratorical powers Of no
mean order, which had been well trained and
CMitiFatcd. During the time of his sueecl,
Elliott commanded the attention OF The
House to an extent seldom achieved by any
man. The hall was well filled. and even on
the Democratic side there were but few emntv
seats a few extreme Democrats pretended
10 De BUSY with letters and documents. but
lhe eloquencc OF the speaker soon drew Them
rom their preoccupation, aud compelled
tnehl 10 listen. When, in reply to Harris af
NirSnia-who said yesterday. in such hal
taste, when questioned by a colorad member
til;'t he was speaking to white men. To oen,
tienien, AMI made other equally unidentified
remarks Elliott said that he "yranted that
sen'ie,ilan the mercy OF a negro's silence
and illustrated, by letting him olonn
Negroes magnanimity." A burst of ;r,o'' 49,, d
sible applause broke out all over ,hn p''Ss.
and extended to the galleries. with '.onI
crowded with c"iored people looking down in
ohe ilsts where their knights were b,.,l;no
lpf Their full manhood The sound nc a.
hand ciappng drowned out the sumn,n,,s s' g
the Speakers gavel. So it. wac ,n' '..I W
he referred to Stephens, and sail ts,i'nt
gentleman would better belit his station If
instead oi throwing himself in the wav of thn
progress OF The nation that had 50 m1onani-
lilousiy plrdoned HIM for conspiriu,s 10 over
der to the wheel and help it on to n better
ana more l"rious future" the cheers enthu.
alasuc and long continued. When he closet
me Iiepublicans, with few of the more ill.,
erai democrats, throDged about the "indnl;
,apie niSSer," and warmly conoratnlato,1
nm: Among those who extended the hand
TO nm was Sunset Cox. 1t was at least a,'a
minutes after he had concluded befHre the
buzz and noise Of excited conversation ceas saJ
so that the debate might go on. The sneech
undoubtedly had great influence. and was
worthy oft. The remark was common av erS
where that there were probably not more
t tnan twenty OF the three hundred men in the
House who could not pretend to equal it,
, an u, IN comparison with it the b!atheriny rant
t oi .i,e weak sisters OF both sides who have
tried their pretentiOus voices on the snh;aet
sank into commonplace insignificance.