The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-09-10
aueech ofthe President I'm favor
oc cCOtOnizntInn.
WAsuINoToN. Thursdav AUG. u.

ed men at the Wnlle House, lncg WeIe III
troduced by Rev. J. Mitchell Commissioner
of Emigration Il. NJ. Thomas, the Chairman,
remarked that they were there by invitation,
TO hear what the Executive had to say to
them.
Having all been seated the President,
after few preliminary observations, inform
ed them that sum of money had been ap-
propriated by Congress and placed at his
disposition for the purpose of aiding the col
on2aton in some country, OF the people o.
O portion of them of African decent, thereby
making il his duty, as it had been for long
time been his inclination to favor that cause
and why, he asked, should the people Of
your race be colonized, and where? Why
should they leave this country? That is,
perhaps, the first question for proper con.
sideration. You and we are different races.
We have between us a broader difference
than exists between almost any other two
races. Whether it is right or wrong need
not discuss; but this physical difference is a
great disadvantage to us both, as | think.
Your race suffer very greatly. many of them
by living among us, while ours suffer from
your presence. In a word we suffer on
each side. If this is admitted, it affords u
reason at least, why we should be separated.
You, here, are freemen, suppose.
A voice--Yes, sir.
lHO IGCblueIll--l CCndpS you nave IOllP
been free, all your lives. Your race are
suffering, in my judgment, the greatest
wrong inflicted on any people. But even
when you cease to be slaves you are yet far
removed from being placed on an eduality
with the white race, You are cut off from
many of the advantages which the other
race enjoys. The aspiration OF men is to
enjoy equality with the best when free, but
on this broad continent not single man Of
your race is made the equal of single man
of ours. Go where you are treated the best,
and the ban is still upon you. do not
propose to discuss this, but to present ii as
a fact, with which we have to deal cannot
alter it if | would. It is fact about which
we all think and feel alike, | and you We
look to our condition. Owing to the exist
ence of the two races on this continent. |
mend not recount to you the effects upon
white men, growing ort of the institution
of slavery. | believe in its general evil eff
ieCts on the white race. Soc our present
con3ition--the country engaged in war; our
white men cutting one another's throats-
none knowing how far it will eXtend-and
then consider what we know to be the truth
But for your race among us there could not
be war although many men engaged on cith-
cr side do uot care tor you one way or the
other. Nevertheless, / repeat. without the
hntiNuOlOL Va oidNCl dull illb COlOlDu race
as basis, the war could not have an exist
ence. 1t is better for us both, therefore to
be separated. | know that there are free
men among you who, even fthey could bet
ter their condition, are not as much ip"''
to 90 out of the country aa those .rned
slaves, could obtain their : ono, being
condition, | suppose tecdum on this
dihdultes in fl one of the principal
the free c"' .,e way Of colonization is that
tort 1ored man cannot see thai hls COM
would he advanced by it, You may
belevo that YOU can live in Washington, or
nlswbore in the United States the remainder
of vour life; ucrhaps more so than you can
in onv other country. and hence you may
come 10 the conclusion that you have nothing
10 do with the idea of going 10 q foreign
country. ThisisQ speak in no Unlliud sense
an ovtromolv selfish view of the case. But
Won ouoht TO do something to help those
who not so fortuonte as yourself. There
san unwillingness on the part of our people
harsh rs il may he. for you free coloreC
pconle TO remain with ua. Now, il yol
conid give a start to the white people, yol
would spen q wide door for many to h'
made free. If we deal with those who arr
NOT FREQ at the berinnine, and whose intel
lects are clouded by slavery, we have yer,
noor material to start with If inteligcn
colered men, such as are before me- woul,
move in this matter. much might be accom-
nTshed II is exceedingly important tha
we have men Mt the beginning capable O
thinking as white men. and not those VIII
have been systematically oppressed. Their
is much to encourage YOU. For the SAX
of your race YOU should sacrifice somcthin
of your present comfort for the purpose {
being as grand in that respect as the whit
people. 1t is a cheering thought through
ont life that something can be done to amC
lorate the condition of those who have bee
subject to the hard usages of the word.
is difficult to make a man miserable Will
he feels he is worthy of himself, and claim
kindred to the great God who made hin
In the American revolutonary'war sacrifice
were made by men engaged in it, but the
were cheercd by the future. General Nasl
ington himself endured greater phySlC
hardships than if he had remand Britis
subject, vet he was q happy man, beCau
he was engaged in benefitting his race som
thing for the children of his noighbor
having none of his own,
The colony of Liberia has been III eXls
ence a long time. In certain sense It Is
success. The old President of Liberia, Ro
erts, has just been with me the first time
ever saw him. He says they have with
the bounds of that colony between thr
and four hundred thousand people, or mo
than in some of our older States, such
Rhode Island or Delaware, or in some of o
larger ones. They are not all American C
onists, or their descendants Somethu
less than twelve thousand have been sc
thithcr from this country. Many Of the {
iginal settlers have died, yet, like psop
elsewhere, their offspring outnumbcr tho
deceased The question is, if the color
are persuaded TO go anywhere. why II
there? One reason for an unwillingness
do 50 is that some of you would ratho !
main within reach of the country of yo
nativity | do NOT know how much attnC