The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-13
The President to the NEGROES.

The President to the Negroes.
A few days ago, we, published a
paragraph, stating that deputation
of colored men waited on President
johnson, asking him to interfere in
their behalf. The following is a full
report of the Presidents reply: d
,''In reply to some of your inqui-
ries not to make q speech about
this matter, for it is always Eest to
talk plainly and distinctly about such
questions will say, that if I have
not given evidence in nv former
course that / am a friend of human
ity, and to that portion of it which
constitutes the colored population, I
can give no evidence here. Every
thing that I have had, both as re-
CARDS life and property, has been
perilled in this cause, and I feel and
think thatI understand-not to be
egotisttio-what should be the true
direction of this question, and what
course of policy would result in the
ameioration and ultimate elevation,
not only of the colored, but of the
great mass of the people of the
United States. 1 say, that if I have
not given evidence that 1 am friend
of humanity, and especially the friend
of the colored man, in my past con-
duct. there is nothing that can do
more that would. I repeat, that all
that I possessed-life, liberty, and
property-have been put up in con-
nection with that question, when
had every inducement held out to
take the other course; by adopting
which I would have accomplished,
perhaps, all that the most ambitious
could have desired: If I know
myself, and the feelings of my own
heart, they have been for the colored
men. I have owned slaves and
bought slaves, but [ never sold one.
1 might say, however, that, practi-
cally, so fer as my connection with
slaves has gone, I have been their
slave instead of their being mine
Some have even followed me here,
while others are occupying and enjoy
ing my property with my consent.
For the colored race, my means, my
time, my all, have been perilled; and
now, at this late day, after giving
evidence that is tangible, that is prac-
tlcal, l am free to say to you that I
do not like to be arraigned by some
who can get up ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
periods and deal in rhetorical talk
about abstract ideas of liberty, who
never perilled life, liberty, or pro-
perty. This kind of theoretical, hol-
low, impractical friendship amounts
to but very little. While I say that
am frienu to the colored man, I do
not want to adopt policy that /
believe will end in contest between
the races, which, if persisted in, will
result in the determination of one or
the other. God forbid that I should
be engaged IN such work.
Now, it is best to talk practically
and in a common sense way. Yes,
have said, and I repeat here, that il
the colored men in the United States
could find no other Moses, or any
Moses that would be more able and
efficient than myself, would be his
Moses to lead him from bondage tc
freedom; that I would pass him from
land where he had lived in slavery
to land-if it were in our reach-o1
freedom. Yes, 1 would be wiling tc
pass with him throughout the Red
Sea and the Land of Promise to the
land of liberty. But I am not will.
ing, under either circumstance, tc
adopt policy which L believe viii
only result in the sacrifice of his life
and the shedding of his blood.
think I know what I say. I feel what
say, and [ feel well assured that il
the policy urged by some be persisted
in, it will result in great injury to the
white as well as to the colored man
There is a great deal of talk about the
sword in one hand accomplishing an
end, and the ballot accomplishing
another ut the ballot-box. These
things all do very well, and sometimes
have forcible application. We tall
about justice. We talk about right
We say that the white man has been
in the wrong in keeping the black
man in slavery as long as he has.
That is all true. Again, we talk about
the Declaration Of Independence and
equality before the law. You under.
stand all that, and know how to ap.
preciate it. Butnow let us look each
other in the face; let us go to the
great mass of colored people through.
out the slave States; let us take the
condition in which they are at the
present time-and it is bad enough,
we all know-and suppose you could
say to every one, you shall vote to-
morrow, how would it ameliorate
their condition at this time? Now, lei
us get closer up to this subject and