Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-02-16
THE PRESIDENT AND THE BLACKS.

1t is something novel in our experience, that
| a deputation representing the most despised and
| abused portion of our people should stand face
to face with the Chief Magistrate of the Re-
public, demanding, with all courtesy yet with
out seryility, that to their race, as to others
the Rights of Manhood shall be accorded. This
conference will figure in history as not the
least memorable of the many striking events
| which have illustrated the recent annals of our
| country.
These men faithfully represent Four Millions
| of our fellow -countrymen-Four Millions hith-
erto wronged and degraded (as the President
avers); yet who in heart and soul are human
and rational as we are-children of the same
| God, redeemed by the same Saviour, and heirs
of the same immortality. Why should they
| not present their case to the President2 and
why should he not hear and heed them?
Yet there is very much to be urged in favor
of the Presidents position. There IS a preiu-
dice against the Blacks on the part of many of
| the Whites. True, these (whether at the
| South or North) are neither the wisest nor the
| best of their race-on the contrary, the baser
i and viler the White, the intenser and bitterer
his negro-hate, real or simulated, as all men
| know. A Washington or Jefferson, though
born and bred a STAKEHOLDER, lives in relations
of familiarity, kindness and mutual regard,
with his Blacks; but 'sand-hiller," clay eat
er, or ''cracker," must at every step proclaim
his scorn and loathing of ''niggers,' or he might
be mistaken for low-caste himself And as
these creatures have not only votes but fists
their preiudices are facts to be weighed-ugly,
hateful facts, if you will-but not therefore to
be disregarded.
If then, the President had seen fit to say,
"Messrs. Downing, Douglas and Co., you must
patiently bide your time. We have abolished
Slavery-be content with that for the present
and we will take another step forward Just SO
soon as we can: meantime, your people must
help us, by setting conspicuous example of
industry frugality, knowledge seeking and vir-
tue''-we should have felt that he had fully
held his own with them, in the Judgment of
dispassionate, intelligent men. As it is, we
think they have the best of the argument
When he tells them that he deprecates their full
enfranchisement fearing that it will lead to IA
tai collisions between the races-their answer is
too obvious: ''Mr. johnson, zoe shall break no
laws because the laws are made Just to us, and
wrong no Whites because they have given us
our rights; and if you mean that Whites will
abuse and assault as if we are enfranchised,
that is an argument against White Suffrage, not
Black" The ''liberty to work" already ac-
corded to the late Slaves is paralyzed and Grip
pied if the utmost patience, thrift, intelligence
and virtue, evinced by them can never elevate
them to the common level of Manhood.
But the Blacks have no reason to despair
Their enfranchisement depends on themselves.
''The meek shall inherit the carth'' They
have but to stand forth examples of patience
under injustice, of sobriety, industry and
thrift, while they educate their children even
at the cost of some self-denial, and they will
assuredly be recognized by their and our coun-
try as rightful inheritors of all her blessings
'.It is the first step that COSTS" and that has
been conclusively taken in the Abolition of
Slavery. There is no longer gigantic Inter- |
est which suppresses inquiry and sternly for |
bids the dispensation of equal and exact justice.
Henceforth, Impartial Liberty and Right are !
only every mans interest. We iniure our
selves we imperl our future, by denying the !
Rights of Man to loyal eighth of our entire
population for no better reason than their color
And this We cannot afford to persist in, and
shall not.-N 7. TTibu,,c f