Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-08-22
Che Ohio 6tatesmam
President Lincoln ON ColonIzatlon.
WAeHINGroN. Aug. Ia.

WASHINGTON, Aug. H.
This afternoon, the President OF the United
States gave audience TO committee of coloreC
men, at the White House. Tney were intro
duced by Rev. ] Mitchell, Commissioner OIL
Emigration. e. M. Thomas, the chairman
remarked that they we're there by invitation, tc
hear what the Executive had to say to them
Having all been seated, the President, after a
few preliminary observations, informed them
that q sum OF money had been appropriated by
Congress, and placed at hls disposition, for the
purpose Of aiding the coloniz ition, in some
country, OF the people, or portion of them, Of
African descent, thereby making It his duty, as
Il had for long time been his inclination, to
favor that cause; aud why, he asked, should
tne people OF your race be colonlzed, and where
Why should they leave this country2 This is,
perhaps, the fret question for proper considera-
tion. You and We are different races. We
have between US broader difference than exlsts
between almost any other Two races Wheeler
it Is right or wrong, need not discuss, but this
physical difference 10 great disadvantage TO
Us both, ag / think. Your race suffsr yery
IBreatiyI many OF them by living among US,
while UuIs suffer from your presence 10 a
word. We suffer on eacn eide. Ii thisis admit.
ted, IL affords reason, a. least, why We should
be separated You here are freemeu, cup.
pose.
A Voice-Yes, sir.
Toe Pie esldenI-Perhaps you have long been
free, or all your lives. Your race are suiferog,
In my judgment, the greatest wrong inf lcted on
any people But even when you cease TO be
slaVee,Jo on are yet farre irum being placed
oI 40 ,qu4lity with the white race. You are ous
on iron many OF che advantages which the other
race eDjoy. Toe aspiration OF men is TO eujoy
| vvha fra. h,,
broad continent not single man OF your race
Is made the equal OF single man OF ours. Go
"h' re you are treated the best aud the ban is
still upon you do not propose 70 discuss THE,
Dat TO present 1t 40 iact wllh which We have
70 deal. | caDnoJ alIer IL, II would Il is a
fact 'bvut which we all think and feel alike,
and you We look TO our o 0IudtioD, owing to
the existence OF the TWO races on This continent.
l need lot recount 10 you the effects upon white
men, growing out Of che institution d slavery.
| believe in it's general evil effects upon the
9hite race. Bee our present conditlon-the
country engaged In war! our white men cutting
Que ahother's throats-none knowing how far
1t will extend--and then consider what we know
70 be the truth But for your race among us
there oou'd not, bt war, although may men
engaged on either side do not Care for you one
way or the other. NeverLhslesr, repeat, with
Out the institution Of slavery, and ,he colored
race se q blNs, the var could not have an ex
Ietenee. IL 10 better for Us DO b, therefore, TO
be separated. know that there are free men
among you who, even IL they could better their
condition, are not as much Inclined TO go out Of
the country as those who, being slaves, could
obtain their freedom on this condition. | sup.
poee one Of the principal difficulties in the way
/ OF colonization Is that the tree coloTed man can
not Zee that bis comfort would be advanced by
1T. You may believe you can live tree in
Washington or any where in the United States
the remainder OF your lie, perhaps more 80 than
you can in any foreign country, and hence you
may come 20 the conclusion that you have
noSbing TO do with the idea of going TO for
eign country. This is q speak in no un
kind eense) an extremely eeifsh VieW Of the
Case.
Bat you ought to do something to help those
who are not 30 fortunate as yourselves. There
is on un1illinguess on the part of our people,
harsh as it may be, for you tree oolored people
60 remain with us. Now If you could give a
start 90 the white people, } ou would open vide
door TOR many TO be made free. If we deal with
those who are not free at the beginning, and
whose intelleots are clouded by slavery, we have
very poor material to start with. If intelligent
colored men, such as are before me. would move
in this matter, much might be accomplished -
II Is exceedingly important that We have men
at the beginning capable Of thinking, as white
men, and not those who have been systemati-
cally oppressed. There ia much to encourage
you For the sake of your race you should
sacrifice something OF your present comfort for
the purpose of being as grand In that respect as
the white people. Ii 10 a cheering thought
throughout life that something can be done to
ameliorate the condition of those who have been
subject to the hard ussges Of the world. Il is
difficult to mskea man miserable while he feels
he is worthy OF himself and claims kindred to
the great God who made him. In the American
Revolutionary war sacrifices were made by men
engaged in it, but they were chesred by the fu.
ture. General Washington himself endured
greater physical hardships than II he had re-
mAined British subject Yet he was a happy
man, because be was engaged In benefttiDg his
bors, having none OF bis own.
The Colony of Liberia has been In existence
long time. In certain sense il Is success
The old President OF Liberia, Roberts, has Just
| been with me the first time ever saw him. He
says they have within the bounds OF that colony
between three and four hundred thousand peo-
pie, or more than in some of our old States,
such as Rhode Island or Delaware, or in some
of the newer States, and less than in some of our
larger ones. They are not all American colo,
nists or their descendants. Something less than
twelve thousand have been sent thiIher from
this country Many of the original settlers
have died, yet, like people elsewhere, their of.
epting outnumber those deceased. The cues.
zion is, II she colored people are persuaded to
60 anywhere, why not there O6e reason for
an unwillingness TO do so 10, that some Of you
would rather remain within reach Of the
country of your nativity do not know bow
much attachment you may have toward our
race. /. does not strlke me that you have the
greatest reason to love them But still yon are
attached to them. At all events, the place
am thinkiDg about having for q colony is In
Central America. It 10 nearer to us than L be-
riA--not much more than one.fourth as far az
Liberia, and within seven days ruu BY steam
ere. Unlike Liberia, it Ia on a great line of
travel--it is highway. The country 10 very
excellent one Tor any people, aud with great
natural resources and advantages, and especial.
Ily because of the similarity OF climate with
your native land-thus being suited to your
physical condition. The particular place
have In view ie TO be great highway from the
Atlantic or Caribbean Sea, TO the P P,cific Ocean,
aud this particular place has all the adyan.
taRes for o colony On both sides there are
harbors among the frst In the world Again,
there is evidence OF very rich coal mines. A
certain am unit Of coal is valuable IN any couu.
try. and there may bs more than enough for the
wan of the country. Why attach so much
Importance TO coal is, II will afford an opportu.
nifty 10 the inhabitants for Immediate employ.
mens, till they gst ready 60 settle permanently
in their homes. If you take colonists where
there is no good landing there IL bad ehow, and
so where there is nothing to cultivate, and Of
which 60 make tArm. Bat II something ia