The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-02-24
A COlOred Senator's Speech.
SENATOR BRUCE, OF MISSISSIPPI,
FREES HIS MIND.

The Washington correspondent of The
New York Herald, gives the following
incident which took place during the
executive session on Thursday last. Il
occurred while the question Of the con
frmation of E. C. Billings as District
Judge of New Orleans was before the
Senate;
Seuator Bruce, of Mississippi, listened
to the insinuations of the Democrats and
soothing remarks of the Liberal Republi-
cans until he could bear it no longer
Then he took the floor like bumb shell,
and scattered his shot in all directions
He said that the coloreS is en- of the
South had suffered every indignity from
the white Democrats, and their rights
had been trampled under foot by those
who we're supposed to represent the gov
ernment Instead of protecting their
rights under the Constitution, President
Grant had deserted them and left them
helpless underline heel of despotism. 1t
was useless to conceal truth any longer
President Grant had not kept his prom
ises. His administration was failure,
so far as Justice to the colored voters of
the South was concerned.
The passion of the speaker grew more
intense every word, and when he had
reached the grand climax in his descrip-
tive recital of the outrages committed ON
his people, to astonish The silently listen
ing Republicans by declaring with great
emphasis that the time for looking to the
administration for help had passed.
there was no help for the negroes unless
they made peace with the Democrats.
He was in favor of going over to them as
the only measure of safety to the negro
He clearly perceived Vests treachery to
PinchbaCk and the general hollowness
of radical pretenses to special love for
the negro He denounced Grant and
the leading white radicals in the South
as untruthful and trea3herous, suggested
that they used the negro for selfish pur-
poses only, and did not scruple to have
him killed in order to furnish political
capital to the party He said the negro
could not further trust them, but would
be compelled, for self-protection and
quiet, to form political alliances with
the resident white men of the South,
who, as a class, were honest and trust
worthy.
Senator Alcorn, in reply to Bruce, said
that he was sorry to hear such injudicious
remarks from his colleague. He admit
ted much of what had been said, and he
knew that the colored people had suffer
ed many wrongs, but the President had
been their true friend and had done
everything possible for them under the
powers granted him by the Constitution
of the United States.
Senators COnkling, Morton and other
Northern Republicans followed in the
same spirit and rehearsed a long cata-
logue of benefits which the colored peo-
pie had received from the Government.
They knew that full and impartial JUS
tice would be done them in the end.
Bruce said he had no quarrel with Al
corn; but he paid little attention to these
He said he knew what he
was talking about The colored voters
were not to be deceived any longer by
administration promises. He wanted
the Northern Republican Senators pres.
ent to understand that the great masses
of the colored people Of the South would
not vote for Grant for third term.
Thousands of negroes had been shot
through the negligence of the officials
appointed by President Grant, and the
survivors would not cast their ballots for
him again.