Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-15
RICHMOND WHIG.
MONDAY MORNING. s.. MAY l6, 1866.
PRESIDENT JOHNs Ms
VIE WS ON THE "NEGRO
QUESTION"
HIS REPLY TO THE ADDRESS OF A
DELEGATION OF COLORED PAS
TORS.

According to appointment, delegation of
colored pastors waited upon the President
at O'Clock on Thursday, and were received
In his usual urbane manner. The Rev. DR..
Turney introduced the delegation in abrief
address, in the course of which he said:
It is but natural that they should desire,
in behalf of themselves and Of those whom
they shall labor, position equally favorable
to that of others for the enjoyment of these
facilities and OF all others which pertain to
the rights and privileges of common man
hood. They wish me 10 say TO you, sir, that,
if the Government will "deal truly" with
the colored people Of these States, it will,
for all the purposes for which the nation ex-
lists, bind them to itself as with three-fold
cord that is not easily broken.
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY.
In response to what you have said on this
occasion as the representative and organ OF
those colored men who stand about you, l
presume 1t is hardly necessary for me to In.
form them Of as to what my course has been
ia reference 10 their condition. imagine
there is not q colored man within the reach
If information but has to some extent been
informed upon, and placed in possession OF
knowledge of the course / have pursued
in the past in reference to their present. co.,
ditiO1.
Now shall talk TO them plainly. They
know | have been born and raised in slave
State; that / have owned slaves, raised
slaves, but never sold one.
They know, l presume, that my slaves
have been made Tree, and that there is
l.. a.. ri hat
have taken in reference to emancipation
when living in or out of slave States. Ii Is
very easy for man who lives beyond the
borders to talk about the condition OF color
ed men, when in fact they know little about
il. They know they have some friends who
feel as cordially toward them, and who live
beyond the Southern lines. They know,
too, there are men who, though they have
been masters, yet feel as deep an interest in
and regard for them, and would do as much
for their elevation and amelioration as those
who live anywhere else.
feel il would be unnecessary for me to
state what have done in this great cause
of emancipation. | have stood in their
midst, met their taunts and jeers, and risk
cd all Ia the stape OF property, life, aud
limb-not that l would clsim anything to
rying out the great principle that man could
not own property in man. l was the first
that stood in slave community and an.
nounced the great fact that the slaves of
Tennessee were free upon the same princi-
ole as those were who assumed to own them.
[ know it is easy to talk and proclaim SEN
timents upon paper, but II is one thing to
have theories and another to reduce them
| to practice and | must say here, what
have no doubt is permanently fixed in your
minds, and the impression deep, that there
Il one thing you ought to teach, and they
should understand, that in transition state,
passing from bond TO free, when the tyrant's
| rod has been bent and the yoke broken, We
| find too many--it is best TO talk plain-there
are, | say, too many in this transition state,
passing from bondage 10 freedom, who feel
as if they should have nothing to do, and
| tall back upon the, Government for support
too many inclined to become loaf.rs and de-
pend upon the Government to take care of
them. They seem 10 think that with free
dom everything they need is to come like
mama from Heaven.
Now, want to impress this upon your
minds, that freedom simply means liberty
to work and enjoy the product of your own
hands. This is the correct definition of
freedom, in the most extensive sense OF the
term.
There ia another thing; and | have been
surprised that people beyond the lines have
not pressed upon you this important idea.
1t is easy in Congress and from the pulpit
North and South to talk about polygsmy and
Brigham Young, and debauchery Of various
kinds, but there is also one great fact, that
four millions of people lived in open and
notorious concubinage. The time has come
when you must correct this thing. You
know what say is true, and you must do
something to correct it by example as well
as by words and professions.
IL is not necessary for me TO give you any
assurance of what my future course will | e
in reference to your condition. Now, when
the ordeal is passed, there can be no reason
to think that | shall turn back in the great
cause in which have sacrificed much, and
perilled all.
| can give you no assurance worth more
than my course heretofore, and l shall con-
tnue to do all that can for the elevation
aud ameioration Of your condition; and |
trust in God the time may soon come when
you shall he gathered together, in cline
and country suited to you, should il bo
found that the two races cannot get along
together.
trust God will continue TO conduct us
till the great end shall be accomplished, and
the work reach its great contamination.
Accept my thanks tor this manifestation
of vour rnanpct and reCard