The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-02-18
Bruce, the Trrepressi6te.
THE SPEECH OF THE COLORED SENATOR
WHICH PROVOKED THE PNEsiDENf
TO WRATH.


afternoon it WAS for the purpose OF getting
rid of BIilngs's nomination Tor United
States Judge III Louisiana. Senator W est
he'd off in !, speech 10 the effect that Billings
was essential to the prosperity oi the Re-
publican party in Louisiana. MIR. Bruce,
/ the cJlored Senator from Mississippi, arose
and said he was sick of hearing such claims
asserted in behalf of the prosperity of the
/ Republican party in the South 1t was a
/ lie. The interests of the party were not
/ regarded i'll making Federal appointments.
! lie would no longer remain silent without
/ entering his protest. The carpet-eaS eie-
! nicnt of the party was a5 the foundatioT Oh
! the troubles III the Southern Safes, ana lie
! should resist such prepostcrous claims as
| had been put forth by the Senator from
/ Louisiana. Negroes were being slaughter
! ed killed in cold blood, because IL helped 10
me::ntain the Republican party IN power III
I The Moth.
| lie appealed to the sympathy Of those
! Senators who were fond OF parading their
| record as old timo abolitionists, but when
a serious matter Was being discussed under
the cover of executive session., they refused
to acknowledge statements, substantlateu
as they were BY evidence which they were
only too willing 20 quote ill speeches Tor
campaign purposes. The negro had ceased
to be IL slave, but he was stIll political
slave. He was good enough to elect white
u.en to Office with white men.
Look at the case of Piuchback. lie is to
be made a muuutcbank until the National
Republican Convention meets or until as
pr;,nts for the Presidency are satisfied that
The Republican nominee will be elected;
then, | am told, poor Pinchback can be add
nlittcd, tut thai IL would be hazardous TO
take Il vote now. If the Senator from Lou
isana Vest was disposed to play a double
game, he WAS ready to accept the issues
and throw down the gauntlet iio declared
that the Administration was unscrupuious
aud even Ielent less in It's pretended sup
port Of the coIorcd people Of the South.
His seat i'll the Senate, which lie was told
would be vacated. with the assistance Of
Republicans and the solid vote of Demo
Gratis, was pecuuiaTily Of no Importance TO
him. He could Take SIS, 600 u year by
personal attention To his plantation, and
the paltry sum of 50, coo was no inducement
to remain among old time abolitIunIsts.
| lie could not couscicptiously hold his seat
| as the representative of a Republican con-
! stituency except upon the terms of justice
! and right, with full political equality be
! fore his brother Senators. Negroes were
| being killed all over the South, and the
bloody shirt borre for political effect to
serve the interests of the Republican party
| in the North. lie should assert his rights
as 4 Senator, without regard TO the social
! standing of Senators who attempted to
control this body. His people were treated
! only as aliens, sojUuruers, in a country
| where the Constitution declared they
! should be citizens. Ii they were such i'll
! fact, it was time for them to make terms
with the whites for self interest. His ex-
/ periencc was that blood was thicker than
water. If the negro is to have no political
rights he is in duty bound to regard his
! personal advantages. The white men owned
the land, tho negro performed the labor.
| At this point Mr.. Buucc took occasion to
say that President Grant was not only u
! hypCcrite but n liar, who had made prom
| ises in words to break them i'll his acts. Ii
his assertions were not agreeable whilo an
! important nomination was pending in eX-
| ccutive session, he could state them more
| plainly in open session. He had been led
to look upon the Republican leaders as the
true friends of the South, but he could
freely say that in his judgment they were
hypocrtcs. If Pinchback was not ad-
mittcd, and at the same time the Kellogg
| Government was upheld, the Senate would
be acting inconsistency. He did not want
| to be a member Of a body that would stui-
tify itself in this manner, and must resign
his seat when this spectacle of asSinine con-
| duct was presented to the world.
Senator AlCOrn said his colleague, on re-
Election, would modify his views. He
| claimed that the negroes had been misled
Ivy the carpet bag element, and vindicai ed
his independent course by saying that il
w&s the conduct of Northern intrudcrs
that had made him go independent in the
canvasses III bis State during the past three
gears. lie was glad that the truJi, had nj
last come out Of The mouth of one despised,
cut who represented a free race very useful
to the North i'll building up reconstruction.
n knew the negro character well, and
bore TT iimony TO their fidelity i'll war as
well as 20 treir child like simplicity in ac-
cepting citizenship under the reconstruc-
ton acts lie believed the day was at hand
| when the negl CeS OF tnG South you'd III
their own interest divide their vote and
favor tie nomination of men without re-
gard to party.
Senators Morton and Cameron said this
proceeding was extraordinary, and they
could rot understand what had caused a
lack Of faith in the principles and purposes
of the great Republican party, and trusted
that, i'll cooler moments, the Senator from
Mississippi would perceive that lie was act
ing upon false grounds the vote in the
Piuchback case thereafter would indicate.
The Democrats applauded Bruce's ar
raignment of the Administration, and Sen
ator Gordon said, like Simon of old, Lord.
let now thy servant depart in peace, for this
day have | beheld my salvation
Senator Thurman said that the remark,
of the Senator from Mississippi were com
plete vindication of his (Thurman'sl posi-
f tion on this question since the war, and
the day was at hand when the negroes o
; the South would find that their true inter
! estS required them to recognize that the
) decent white men of the South were theil
: true friends.
, The vote on the confirmation of Billing.
{ resulted in three majority, and the Senate
$ adjourned in great confusion.
REMoRsE.-Mrs. Meehlings. the con
Y fessed accomplice III the murder of heI
E husband, is beyond doubt the most wretchee
4 prisoner ever incarcerated in the Jail al
= Barboursvil,e, By dag CORY stained phan
e toms fit before her gaze, while her sleeI
f is accompanied with dreams of skeletons