Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-08
Morning Edition.

The President further said: There ia a
great deal of talk about the sword on one
hand accomplishing one thing and the ball
lot accomplishing another at the ballot box.
Ihese things are all very we'll and some
times have forcible application. We talk
ABOUT Jus1ee, We talk about right, we say
| that the white man has been in the wrono
in keeping the blacks in slavery as LONG as
he has: That is all true. Again we tax
about the Declaration of Independence and
quallty before law. You understand all
tnat and know how to appreciate it, but
| now let US look each other in the face. let
US go to the great mass of eolored men
throughout the slave States, let us take the
condition in which they are at the present
time' ana 1t is bad enough we all know, and
suppose that by some magic touch you
e1uid say to every one you shall vote to-
morrow, how much would that ameliorate
tnelr condition at this time? Now let us get
closer up to the subject and talk about it.
What relation has the colored man and
the white man heretofore occupied in the
South. oppose slavery on two grounds
FIrst--lt was great monopoly, enabling
those who controlled it to constitute an
arlstocracy enabling the few to derive great
prot1ts and rule the many with an iron rod
as 1t were, and that is one great objection to
II, and from that fact was opposed to it.
Seeond-Upon the abstract principle of
getnng rid OF monopoly We were getting
rid OF slavery at the same time, SO you see
there was two ends accomplished in the &C.
eomplishmentOft of the one.
Douglas-Mr. President, do YOU wish
The President-I am not quite through
yet. Slavery has been abolished. A great
national guarantee has been given, one
that cannot be revoked. l was getting at
the relation that existed between the white
man and the colored man. A very small
proportion of white persons compared with |
the whole number of such owned the |
colored people Of the SoHth. Let Us talk |
ABOUT this matter as it is. AL |
though the eolored man was in slavery |
there, and owned as property in the |
sense and language of that locality, and Of |
that community, yet in comparing his con- |
dltion and his position with the non n-slave-
holder, he usually estimated his import /
ance just in proportion to the number of |
slaves that his master owned, with the non
shareholders. Have you ever lived upon a
plantation?
Mr.. Douglass-I have, your Excelleney.
The President-When you would look
over and see man who had a large family
struggling hard upon poor piece of land,
you thought great deal less of him than
you did of your master.
Mr.. Douglass-Not |.
The President-Well know such was the
case with large majority of you in those Sec
tlons, where that is the case, we know there
is enmity, we know there is a hate; the
peor white man on the other hand was op-
posed to the slave and his master, for the
colored man and his master combined, kept
him in slavery by depriving him of a fair
in the labor and productions
Of the rich lands Of the country. Don't
you know that the eolored man in hunt
nga master, as they called it, for the next
year perferred hiring, to man who owned
slaves rather than. to one who did not. l
know the fact at all events.
Mr.. Douglass-Because they treated him
better.
The President-They did not consider it
quite as respectable to hire to man who
lid not own negroes as to hire to one who
lid. ]
Mr.. Douglass Because he could not be
reated as well.
The President-Then that is another ar
,ument in favor of what am going to say.
It shows that the colored man appreciated {
he owner more highly than he did the man
who did not own slaves, hence the enmity
between the eolored man and the non
laveholder. The white msu was permitted {
o vote before the government was denied !
rom him. He is part and parcel of the {
POLITICAL machinery now by rebellion or s
evolution, and when you come back to the
bjects of this war you find that abolition
# slavery was not one of the objects. Con-
.ress and the President declared that it was
N our part in order to suppress the rebel
ion.
Cup to the hour of going to press, Al this
morning, the report of the above converse
ion was still coming over the wires, and we
we're compelled to close up the forms in {
rider to hit the mails.)