Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

done more to secure free suffrage to the
negro than anything that could have posi-
bly, been devised
THE FIRST NEGRO CoNGREssMEN.
The first negro Representatives In the
House were Rainey, of South Carolina, and
Long, of Georgia, who were elected to the
| Forty-frst Congress. They were followed
by De Large and Elliot, of South Carolina,
in the Forty-seeond; Ransier, from the
same, in the Forty-third, and Pinchback, Of
Louisiana, who was admitted after pro-
longed contest with George L. Smith on the
| Sd of March, 1875, and went out the next
day with full hand and all the honors.
Alabama contributed during the same pc
riOd Turner and Rapier. 1t seems to be a
signal instance of the poetical retribution
| occasionally witnessed that South Carolina,
| the first of the States to plunge into re-
bellion to perpetuate slavery, should come
out of it with the negro on top, and endure
for years the humiliation of being repre-
sented in Congress by members of servlle
race, of which she furnished the first repre-
| sentative.
| These colored representatives did not ap-
pear to me to differ materially from their
white colleagues, except in the color Of
their skin and the distinctive kink of the
hair They varied, las did the Anglo-Saxon,
in the degree of ability and intelligence
which they possessed. Two of them at least,
Ralney and Turner, were born in slavery,
| and OF course suffered under the disadvant-
age OF want of education, Turner notably so.
Rapier, though born in Alabama, was born
in freedom and emigrated to Canada, where
he received liberal education.
RAPIEE's GOOD HORSE SENSE.
He was distinguished rather for good
sense than brilliant qualities An instance
of this was shown one day in a remark
which L overheard him make to his col
league, Judge Pelham, who was reclining on
one of the lounges In the hall. Said hei
''It wouldn't do for me to be seen in the
position you are in.
"Why not?" replied the Judge.
'Why," said Rapier, 1T would be pub
,ished all over the United States that was
lazy, worthless nigger, who couldn't keep
from falling asleep even in Congress, and
my reputation would be ruined"
The ablest man by far, as well as the most
highly cultured of his race in the House,
was Robert Brown Elliott, of South Caro-
lima, who, during his second term, resigned
In order tn become q candidate for the
United States Senate, and was beaten by
John j. Patterson, who successfully intro
duced the Pennsylvania method of doing
such things. Elliot was an illustriOus ex-
ample of the possibiI ties of his race. He
was born in Boston; went to school at High
HolbOrn Academy, London, and graduated
at Eaton College, and made the law hispro
fesslon. He had In personal appearance all
the distinctiyely negro characteristics
black skin, thick lips and woolly head, and
yet no one standing behind him when he
was speaking would have ever suspected
him as being negro for his speech and
pronunciation were of the very purest
Anglo-SaXOn. There was no more danger
GUS man in the House to attack in debate,
as some of the members who Yentured it
discovered to their cost
ELLIoT's STYLE OF oRAToRY
A couple of extracts from his speech
made January G. 1864, on the civil rights
bill must conclude this chapter. After
commenting in a manner worthy of the
best legal ability of the age on the
slaughter house cases, as they were called,
which had recently been decided by the
Supreme Court of the United States, and
which it was claimed by Alexander Stevens
and others were antagonistic to the Consti-
tutional right of Congress to pass the bill
under discussion, he said:
Now, sir, recurring to the venerable and
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
StevenS) who has added his remon-tranco
against the passage of this bill, permit me
to say that 1 share in the feeling of high
pervades the House. His years, his ability,
his long experience in public affairs, entitle
him to the measure of consideration which
has been accorded to him on the floor. But
in the discussion of this question cannot
and will not suffer myself to forget that the
welfare and rights of my whole race in this
country are involved. When, therefore, the
honorable gentleman lends his voice and in
huence to defeat this measure I do nos
shrink from saying that it is not from him
that the American House of Representatives
RhOuld lessons tOnClinr
ment, the burdens and expressions of which
rest upon 100000 of his countrymen who
never failed to Ifs their earnest prayers for
the successor that Government when the gen.
tIeman was seeking to break up the Union
of these States, and to blot out the Ameri-
can Republic from the galaxy of nations.
And then turning on another antagonist
of the bill, he said:
To the diatribe of the gentleman from vir.
ginia, who so far transcribed the limits Of
decency and prOpriety rs to announce that
his remarks were addressed to white men
alone, / have no word of reply. Let him feel
that negro was not only too magnanlmou5
to smite him in his weakness, but was even
charitable enough to grant him the mercy OF
his silence.
A sCRIPTURAL PERORATIoH.
He closed one of the most remarkable
speeches ever heard in the Halls of Con.
yress with the following peroration, which
brought down the House; at least the Re
publican side of it, in deafening applausei
Mr.. 6PEAKER-The Holy Scriptures tell rs
of an humble handmaiden who long faith.
July cleaned in the rich fields Of her
wealthy kinsman, and we are told further
that at last, in spite of her humble ante.
,edents, she found complete favor in his
sight. For over two centuries my race has
.eaped down your fields. The cries and
y oes which we have uttered have entered
MO the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, j." and
We are at last politically free. The last ves-
1iture, civil rights, only is needed. Having
.ained this we may, with hearts overflow
ng with gratitude, and thankful that our
prayer has been granted, repeat the prayer
,f Ruth: "Entreat me not to leave Thee,
Tor return from following after Thee; for
yhither Thou goest I will CO. and WHITTIER
Thou lodgest will lodge: Thy people shall
'e my people, and Thy God my God. Where
'hou diest will die, and there will I be
uried. The Lord do so to me- and more
lso If aught but death part Thee and me-
The Forty-ninth Congress witnessed the
asst representative of the race in that body
kept John NJ Langston, who was ad-
litted to a seat in the Fifty-6rst within
sw weeks of its close. 1t is not at all prob
BILE that we shall ever see another returned
S duly elected, and if one ever does get
eat it will only be after q double contest
ne before the people and the other in the
Iouse. CLINTON LLOYD.
ODfHi0M 1901 bU the n,tkhor