On this day in 1874, Congressman Robert Brown Elliot delivered

one of the most eloquent speeches of the times in defense of

Charles Sumner's civil rights bill. Elliot's hour-long speech

began: 'I regred, sir, the dark hue of my skin may lend color to

the imputation that I am controlled by motives personal to myself

in advocacy of this great measure of national justice. Sir, the

motive that impels me is restricted to no such narrow boundary,

but is as broad as your Constitution. I advocate it, sir, because

it is right.' A major sourthern Reconstruction politician, Elliot

was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives at the age of 38 and

was among the first African-Americans in the U.S. government.