Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-01-14
The Speech Of Elliot (COl ored), OF
South Carolina

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The time
of the House to-day was occupied in
discussing the Civil Rights bill. Dur
ham, of Kentucky, opened the discus
sion with a speech of twenty minutes,
in which he vindicated the superiority
of the white race to his entire satisfac,
ton, and to the great detriment of
his vocal organs and the auriculars of
the House.
He was followed by Elliot, of South
Carolina, in speech of over an hour.
Mr.. Elliot is pronounced negro.
His skin is very black, which, with
his features,-a low, receding fore
head, broad, fat nose, and thick lips.
indicates that he has no white blood
in his veins. He is little more than
81 years old. short, erect, quick, and
manly in his bearing. He was princi-
pally educated in England, graduating
from Eton College in 1859. Hereto
fore 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 con-
sequently earned a reputation as man
of some ability. To-day he justified a
higher reputation than he has been
credited with, b. the dillvery of one
of the best speeches that has been
made in Congress for manJ months.
He answered Beck, of Kentucky, Har-
ris, of Virginia, and Stephens, of Geor-
gia, in mastery manner. The effort
was smooth in diction, logical, and de-
livered with a clear, ringing voice,
we'll managed, and giving evidence of
natural oratorical powers of no mean
order, which had been we'll trained and
cultivated During the time of his
speech, Elliot commanded the atten.
tion of the House to an extent seldom
achieved by any man. The hall was
we'll filled, and on the Democratic side
there were but few empty seats A
few extreme Democrats pretended to
be busy with letters and documents,
but the eloquence of the speaker soon
drew them away from their affected
pre-occupation, and compelled them to
listen. When, in reply to Harris, Of
Virginia-who said yesterday, il such
bad taste, when questioned by color
ed member. that he was speaking to
white men, to gentlemen, and made
other equally uadigni6ed remarks
Elliot said that he "grauted that gentle
man the mercy Of a negro's silence, and
illusire.. : by letting him alone, a
negro's magnauimity,' burst of ire
pressible applause broke out all over
the floor, and extended to the galleries
which were crowded with colored peo-
pie looking down into the lists where
their knights were battling for their
| full manhood. The sound of the hand
clappins drowned out the summons of
the Speakers gaval So it was, too.
when be referred to Stephens, and
said that "that gentleman would better
beft his station if, instead of throwing
himself in the way Of the progress OF
the nation that had so magnanimously
pardoned him for conspiring to over
throw the republic, be would lay his
shoulders to the wheel and help it cn
to better and more glorious FUTURE u
the applause was enthusiastic and long
continued. When be closed, the Re
publicans, with few of the more lib
eral Democrats, thronged about the
'.indubitable Niger" and warmly con.
graduated him. Among those who
extended the hand to him was Sunset
Cox. It was at least FIVE minutes after
be had concluded before the buzz and
noise Of excited conversation ceased so
that the debate might 60 on. The
speech undoubtedly had great infu-
ence, and was worthy Of it. The re-.
mark was common everywhere that
there were probably not more than 20
of the 800 men in the House who
could pretend to equal it and in compari-
son with it the blathering rant Of the
weak sister of both sides, who::have aired
their pretentions voices on the SUBJ
ject, sank into commonplace insignii
canoe.