The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-08-29
THE NEGRO QUESTION.
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT TO A
COMMITTEE OF COLORED MEN.
REORGANIZATION SCHEME URGED
ME-. Lincoln I'm favor Of Settling the
Blacks in Central America.

Blacks in Central America.
WASHINGTON, August 14.-This AFTER
noon the President OF the United States
gave audience to committee of colored
men at the White House. They were in
troduced by Rev. j. Mitchell, Oommis-
sioner OF Emigration. E. M. Thomas, the
chairman, remarked that they were there
by invitation, to hear what the Executive
had to say to them. Having all been seat
ed, the President, after a few preliminary
observations, informed them that sum Of
money had been appropriated by Congress
and placed at his disposal for the purpose
of aiding the colonization in some country
of the people, or portion of them, of ARR
can descent, thereby making it bis duty, as
it had for long time been bis inclination,
to favor that cause and why, he asked,
should the people of your race be colonized,
and where T? Why should they leave the
country? This is perhaps the first quess
tiOn for proper consideration Va" .nd we
are different races. We have between Us
broader difference than exists between al
most any other two races. Whether it is
right or wrong need not discuss but this
physical difference is 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
word, we suffer on each side. If this is
admitted, it affords reason, at least, why
we should be separated. You are freemen,
suppose
A Voice-Yes, sir.
The observation-disclosures you have long
been free, or 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 for
removed from being placed on an equality
with the white race. You are cut of from
many of the advantages which the other
race enjoy. The aspiration of men is to en-
joy 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. l do not pro.
pose to discuss this, but to present it as
fact with which we have to deal. 1 cannot
alter it if would. 1t is fact about which
we all think and feel alike, and you. We
look to our condition owing to the existence
of the two races on this continent. l need
not recount to you the effects upon white
men growing out of the institution of slas
very. / believe in its general evil effects
on the white race. See our present condi-
tion-the country engaged in war our
white men cutting one another's threats,
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
either side do not care for you one way or
the other. Nevertheless, repeat, without
the institution of slavery, and the colored
race as basis, the war could not have an
existence. 1t is better for US both, there.
fore, to be separated. l know that there
are free men among you who, even if they
could better their condition, are not as much
inclined to go out of the country as those
who, being slaves, could obtain their free~
dom on this condition. suppose one of
the principal difficulties in the way of colo
Dization is, that the free colored man cannot
see that bis comfort would be advanced by
it. You may believe you can live in WASH
iugton, or elsewhere in the United States,
the remainder of your life--perhaps better
so than you can remain in any foreign
country, and hence you may come to the
conclusion that you have nothing to do with
the idea of going to foreign country. This
is q speak it in no uDkind sense) an ex-
tremely selfish view of the case.
But you ought to do something to help
those who are not so fortunate as yourselves.
There is an unwillipgness on the part Of our
people, harsh as it may be, for you free
coored people to remain with US. Now, if
you could give start to the white people,
you would open wide door for many to be
made free. If we deal with those who are
not free at the beginning, and whose INTEL
lects 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 accom-
plished. 1t is exceedingly important that
we have men at the beginning capable OF
thinking as white men, and not those who
have been systematically oppressed.
There is much to encourage you. For
the sake of your race you should sacrifice
something of your present comfort, for the
parpOse of being as grand in that respect as
the white people. 1t is cheering thought
throughout lite, that something can be done
to ameliorate the condition of those who
have been subject to the hard usages of the
world. 1t is difficult to make man miser-
able who feels worthy OF himself and claims
kindred to the great God who made him In
the American revolutionary war sacrifices
we're made by the men engaged in it, but
they were cheered by the future. General
Washington himself endured greater physi
cal hardships than if he had remained a
British subject, yet be was happy man
because be was engaged in beneftting bis
race-something for the children of his
neigbbors, having none of his own. The
colony of Liberia has been In existence q
long time. Ia certain sense it is success
Tie old President of Liberia, Roberts, has
lust been with me-the first time l ever saw
him. He says they have within the bounds
of that colony between three and four hun
dred thousand people, or more than IN some
of our old States, such as Rhode Island and
Delaware, or in some of our newer States