Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro)
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro)
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) made a notable point on Memorial Day about her district.
Bryant began noting how former Sen. John Logan, also a general, was the very man who commemorated the annual holiday 150 years ago this week.
“He is a native son of Murphysboro and was born in Murphysboro,” Bryant said.
What is unique about Logan, she said, is prior to the Civil War, he was a far different man than how he turned out. “I think we would have labeled him today as a racist,” Bryant said.
She detailed how when he served in Congress, he passed the Black Code that prohibited African-Americans from entering Illinois and blocked the passage of a bill that would have allowed African-Americans to testify in court.
She said after serving in the Civil War, Logan helped past the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution and was later noted by African-American social reformist Frederick Douglas as a champion for minorities.
“He is a great testament to us that sometimes we can have very poor ideas and thoughts in our early lives and as we progress we can learn to love our fellow man,” Bryant said.
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