The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-02-20
INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE PREsI-
DENT AND A NEGRO DELEGATION.

DENT AND A NEGRO DELEGATlCN
T. A body of negroes, headed by Fred. Douglass
on Wednesday the 7th inst, visited the White
House and were ushered into reception.
- Fred Douglass advanced and addressed the
h "Mr President-We are not, here to enlight
/ you sir, as to your duties as the Chief Mag
istrate of this republic, but to show our respect
/ and present. in brief, the claims Of our race to
! your favorable consideration. LII the order of
Divine Providence you placed in position
where you have the power to save or destroy us
to bless or blast US. | mean our whole race.
I our noble and humane predecessor placed in
our hands the sword to assist In saving the ma
ton, and we do hope that yo1, his able success
sor, will tavorably regard the placing in our
hands the ballot with which to save ourselves
We shall submit no argument on that point
The fact that we are the subjects of Govern
ment, and subject to taxation, subject to voun-
teer in the service Of the country, subject to be
drafted, subject to bear the burdens of the State,
make it not improper that we should ask to
share in the privilege of this condition I have
no speech to submit on this occasion. simply
submit these observations as a limited express
sion of the views and feelings Of the delegation
with which [ have come"
l.
was friend to all men, both black and white
said ..
off [ know myself and the feelings Of my own
heart they have been for the coored man. [
have owned slaves and bought slaves, but.I new
er sold one. [ might say, however, that prac-
tically, so far as my connection with slaycsshas
gone, [ have been their slave, instead of their
being mine Some have even followed me here
while others are occupying and enjoying my
property with my consent. For the colored
race, my means, my time; my all hye been per-
ied and now, at this late day, after giving
evidence that is tangible, that is practical, I am
free to say to you that | do not like to be ar
ragncd by some who can get up handsomely
rounded periods and deal in rhetorical talk
about abstract ideas Of liberty, who never perill
ed life, liberty and property. This kind Of theo-
ret;cal, hollow, Impractical friendship amounts
to but very little. While say that [ am
friend to the colored man, do not want to adopt
policy that | believe will end in contest be-
tween the races, which, if persisted in, will re-
suit 10 the determination Of one or the other
God forbid that [ should be engaged in such a
work
Now, it is best to talk practically and in
common sense way. Yes, [ have said and [ re-
peat here, that if the colored men in the United
States could fnd no other Moses or any Moses
that would be more able and efficient than N.Y.
self, | would be his Moses to lead him from bon
dage to freedom; that [ would pass him from
land where he had lived in slavery, to land
if it were in our rcach-of freedom. Yes, |
would be willing to pass with him through the
Red Sea and the land of promise to the land Of
liberty. But | am net willing updcr either cir
cumsance, to adopt policy which | believe
will only result in the sacrifice of his life and
the shedding of his blood. | thiDk | know
What | say. 4 feel what l say, and | feel we'll
assured that if the policy urged by some be per
sisted In, it will result in great injury to the
white as we'll as the colOred, man. There is a
great deal Of talk about the sword 10 one hand
accomplishing end, and he ballot accomplish
ing another at the baiIot-box. These things all
do very we'll, and sometimes have forcible appl-
cation We talk about Justice We talk about
right. We say that the white man has been in
the wrong 10 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 understand all
that and know how to appreciate it, But now
let US look each other in the face let us 60 to
the great mass Of colored people throughout 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 amellorate their condition at this time
Now, let US get closer up to this sub ject and
talk about it. What relations have the cclored
man and the white man occupied in the South
heretofore? [ opposed slavery upon two
grounds First, it great monopoly, ena
bling those who controlled and owned it to con-
stitute an aristocracy; enabling the few to drive
great profits and rule the many with an iron rod
as it we're And that is one great objection to
it in a government, its being monopoly. |
was opposed to it secondly upon the abstract
principle of slavery. lIence in getting clear of
monopoly, we were getting clear OF slavery at
the same time So you see there were two right
ends accomplished in the accom- plishment OF the
"'-r
Doug elass-Mr President do you wish
The Presieent,-I ain not quite through yet
Slavery has been. abolished; great national
guaranty has been given-one that, cannot be
revoked | was getting at the relation that sub
sisted between the white and tho coored
man. very small portion of white men, CON-
pared with the whole number Of such, owned
the colored people of the South. | migh il
stance the State of Tennessee in illustration -
There were twenty-seven non shareholders to
one Shareholder, and yet the slave power con-
trolled tha, State. Let US talk abeutthis mat
ter as it is Although the colored man was In
slavery there, and owned property in the
sense and ~ the language of that locality and
of that community, yet in comparing his condl-
ton and his position there " it'll the non slave
holder, he usually estimated his Importance just
in proportion to the number of slaves that his
master OWED, with the non STAKEHOLDER. Have
you ever lived upon plantation
Douglass I have, your ezcelency.