Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1877 — Colored Men in Congress. [ARTICLE]

Colored Men in Congress.

The day of colored representatives in < Congress is numbered. It has been a matter of very general remark that there are but three colored members in the present House—Cain, Rainey and Smalls, of South Carolina, all of whose seats are contested by white men. In the last House there were seven colored members, and in the Congress before that more. It is the general impression that hereafter, unless colored members are elected in the Northern States, none will ever again be seen in Congress. As the three in the present Congress have only been admitted on prima facie cases, on certificates manipulated by the notorious Chamberlain and Cardoza, cooked up by the fraudulent Returning Board of South Carolina, it would not be at all strange that the House Elections Committee, after a consideration of their cases, should give their seats to the contestants in each instance. The colored Congressman has been a very decided failure, Elliott, of South Carolina, was the most prominent one that ever held a seat. His speeches were remarkably good, and it was generally believed that they were prepared for him by Ben Butler. Smalls, who now represents a South Carolina constituency, has just emerged from jail, where he was confined for frauds in that State. If the juries of that State do their duty they will have him in the penitentiary before long. Southern States will not elect any more colored Congressmen, as even the negroes are opposed to them.— Hartford Tinies.