, 1862-08-19
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS ON COL
0NjzATlQMx
Interview with 4 Committee of
C0lOred Men.

unjZATl0M.
Interview with 4 Committee of
Colered Men.
He Urges them to Co1onlze in Central
America.
WAsunsGToA, Thursday, Ju1y Il, 1B5a
This afternoon the President Of the United I
States gave audience to Q committee Of col
0fed men st the White House. They were ID /
troduced BY the Rev. j. Mitchell, Comrnis-
eione1 Of Emigration. E. M. Thomas, the |
chairman, remarked that they were there by
eay to them. Having all been seated, the |
p1ealdent, after few preliminary obser7a- |
tions, informed them that sum of money |
had been appropriated by Congress, and placed |
at bis disposition for the purpose OF aiding the
colonization In some country Of the people, |
or portion Of them, Of African descent, !
thereby making It bis duty, Is It had been
for q long tine his inclination, to favor that
cause, and why, be aaked, should the people |
should they leave this country7 This Is, per
hnps, the first question tor proper considers
ton: You and We are different races. We
have between us a broader difference than e1-
lists between almost any other. two races
Whether II is right or wrong need not dis
disadvantage to us both, as think your race
suffer very greatly, many Of them by living
among US, while ours suffer from your pres
enee. In word we suffer on each side. If
this is admitted, 1t affords reason, at least,
Why We should be separated You here aze
frcemen. suppose
A yoice-Yes, sir.
The PresfdanE-Perhsps sou have long been
free, or all your lives. Your r.ce are suffer
t,sted st On any people. Bus ever when you
cease to be slaves, you are yet far removed
from being placed on an equality with the
advantages which the other race enjay. The
| aspiration Of men is to enjoy equality with
| the best when free, but on this broad cont.
nent, not single man Of your 1ace is made
the equal Of single man Of OUTS. Go where
! you are t1eated the best, and the ban Is still
| upon you
lido not propose to discuss this, but to pre-
sent 1t o. = fact with which we hare to Geal-
| cannot alter it if would II is fact, aboHt
| which NE all think and feel alike, and you.
! Ne look to our condition, owing to the ex-
istence of the two races on this continent.
need not recount to yon the efecls upon white
men, growing out ot the institution Ut slavery.
| believe in it's general evil efsc's Oh the
white race See our present condition-the
| country engaged in war! our white men cut
ting one another's throa1s, none kno wing how
far it will extend; and then consider what We
| know to be the truth. Bnt for your race
among Us there could not be war, although
! many men engaged on e1ther side do not Gaze
for you one way or the other. Nevertheless,
I repeat, without the Institution Of slavery
and the coloted race SO basis, the War could
Lot have an existence.
| It is better for Us both, therefore, to be sep
arated. know that there are free men among
you, who, even 1t they could better their con-
dition, are NOT ~ nuch inclined TO go out Of
The county as those, who being slaves could
| .fhS71 %kAi1{
suppose one Of the principal difficulties in the
| Way Of colonization is that the free colored
man cannot see that bis comfort would be
advanced By it. You may belteve Jon can live
ia Washington or elsewhere in the United
States The remainder Of yonr nfe, perhaps
more go than you can in nny foreign
county, and hence you, may come 1o
the conclusion that Jou have nothing te
do with the idea Of going to foreign
J country. This Is Il speak in no unki1d
sense) anI.e3treme1y selfish view of the case.
BnI son ought to do something to heiI
those who are not go fortunate as You1selve $
, There is an unw1llirgness on the part Of oul
people, harth as it may be, for you free color
, I'd people TO remain with us. Now, if yor
J could give start to white people, you would
| open . wide door for many to be made free.
, live deal with those rho are not free 1t ths
I beginning, and whose intcllects are cloudet
, by slavery, We hive very poor materials tt
/ eta1t with. Hintelligent colored men, sucl
, as are before me, would move In this matter
much might be accomplished. It Is exceed
| ing1y important that We have men at the be
ginning capable Of thinking as white men
+ and not those who have been systematicall,
oppressed.
! There is much to encourage you. For th,
/ sake Of your race you should sacrifice some
I thing OF our present comfort for the purpos
Of being IS grand In that respect Rs the whit
! people. 1t Is u cheering thought th1ouzhou
life that something can Do done to amellorat
the condition Of Lhose who have been subj.c
: to the hard usage of the world. It is dlfcul
e to make man miserable while he feels he
:, worthy Of hims Il, and claiming kindred
0 the great God who made him. In the Amer
:. can Revolutionary war sacrifices were mad
y By men engaged III it; but they we're cheere
e dured greater physical hardehips than if b
i had remained 3 British snbje1t. Yet he was
It happy man, because he was engaged In benz
: fitting his race-somethiug for the childte
9 OF mis- neighbors, having none OF nfs OWL.
! The colony OF Liberia has been in e1lstenc
u long time. In q certain een6e it ts SUCCESS
!. The old President of Liberia, Roberts, ha
d just been with me-the first Lime ever 50
= him. He says they have within the bounds
= that colony between 800, GOO and 400, 900 pei
II such as Rhode Island Or Delaware, or in SON
T. of our newer States, and less than in some
,e our larger ones. They are not all America
7, colonists. or their descendants somethin
le 1ees than Il, 600 have been sent thiEher frol
<. this country. Msny Of the original settlel
le offspring outnumbers those deceased.
d u The question is II the coloTed people a
+ persuaded to 60 anywhere, why not thcrt
ct One reason for an unWiilingness to do 80
T. reach Of fhe country Of your nativity. *
IT not know how much attachment yon n;
Of have toward our race It does not strike d
at that sou have the greatest reason to lore thsz
ae But still ron are attached to them ut all event
s, The place am thinking about having for
90 colony is In Central America. 1t is nearer
us thsu L1beria-n0t much more than on
fourth rs far as Liberia, and within seven da
run By steamers Unlike Liberia it is on
stt crest line Of travelEit is q Highway. Z
" country is very excellent one forany peop
eI eI and with great natural resources and adyan!
y ges, aud especially because Of the eimilarl
9l '93il ot climate with your native land-thus bel
~ suited to your pbykica1 condition.
'a, The particular place have ia view is to
40 40 great highway from the Atlantic OF Carr
ne jan Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and this psrtit
~ lar place has all the advantages for color
~ On both sides there are 1arbors among t
~ first in the world. Again, there is evidence
tt.a very rich coal mines. a certain amount
y. cos1 Is valuable in any country, aud there n
u; u, be more than enough for The wants Of I
10 country. Why attach so much importar
~ to coal Is, 1t Nill afford an opportunity to
ID; inhabitants for immediate employment
u they get ready to settle permanently In th
ny homes.
,er II you take colonists where there is no &c
ne landing, there is o bad show; and 20 VII
-, there Is nothing to cultivate, and Of which
vi ulake farm. But if something ID stari
OF so that you can get your daily bread as &C
ave as Gou reach there, it is great adVanta
e. e. Coal land is the best thing know Of II
t tle which to commence an enterprise.
'eu To return, you have been talked to NJ
this subject, and told that q speculation is
:. ter ded by gentlemen, who have NJ inte1
in the country, including the coal mines.
have been mistaken all our lives If We do
know wbitts as well SIS blacks Look to Il
is. self-ints rest Unless among those defci
Of intellect evtg body you trade with ma
something. You meet Hith these things b
and as elsewhere.
ly's II such persons have what will be an adv
to tage to them, the question is whether it G
ap- not be made Of advantage to you. You
F. intelligent, and know that success does
as much depend on external help as On S
ap- reliance. Much, therefore, depends u
the yourself As to the coal Mines think I
N. The means available for your self.reliance.
ich- Z shall, if get sufficient number Of
ton engaged, have provisions made that you s
not be Wronged. If you will engage in
the enterprise ! will spend some ct the mo
int1nsted to me. 1 am not sure you will {
pre- ceed. The government may lose the moi
AMI but ne cannot succeed unless we try; but
think, with care, we can succeed
inge The political affairs In Central America
the not in quite as satisfactory condition
and wish. There are contending factions in
ssn- quarter; but it is true all the factions