Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-02-09
From " Y sIa I q . tom.

WASHINGTON, Feb. s.--The President has
recognized Hoeck as Consul of Belgium, al
st. Louis.
WASHINGTON, Feb S.-The following is
the publishei reply of the colofed delegates
TO President johnson, prepared after they
had their interview 18th him, yesterday:
MIR. PRESIDENT: In consideration Of a
delicate sense OF propricty as well as your
own repeated intmatious oil lndisposition to
discuss or to listen 10, or To reply to the
views and opinions you were pleased 10
express to us in you elaborate speech to-t.ay
the undersigned would respectfully take
this method of replying thereto, believing
as we TO The views and opinions expressed
in that address are entirely unsoun1 and
prcjudicial to the highest interest OF or race
as well as of our country, we cannot do
otherwise than expose the same. and far as
may be in our power, arrest Their dangerous
Influences. II is no, necessary at This time
to cali attention to more than two or three
features of your remarkable address The
first point 20 which we feel e pcciaily hound
10 take exec ptiOn is, your attempt 10 found n
policy opposed 10 our cnirant hsement upon
the alleged ground OF al existing hostility
on the part OF the former slaves toward rlc
poor white people Of Tie South. We admit
he existence OF this hostility and and hold
that 1t is " rcciprocatcd but you oh
viously commit an error by deriving an ar
cunicni from an incident OF state oil slave
rs and making il "a basis Tor Il policy as re
CARDS u state of freedom. The hostility
between the whites and blacks of the
South is easily explained. 1t has lis
root and sap IN the routine of slavery
and was mertcd ON both sides by the
cunning of the slave masters Those masters
secured. their ascendcncy over both the ool
whites and the blacks Ivy putting cnmity be
tween th' m they diminished both to con
uuei each. llcIc Was 10 evidently reason
Why the blacks sh ud not hate and discald
he poor whites. Slavery is abolished
the cause is ania.onis,icai ana
void and you must see that it is allo.ethc.
ILLEGAL, putting new wine into old bottles
maxim. new garments with old clothes;
To lcg;saic from slave holding and slave
driving premises for Il people whom
You have repeatedly dlc!ared your rurI ose
to maintain IN free dom, bt sides even if il
were true, as you alege, that the hostility oil
the blacks towards the poor whites must
III celsarily be The same in state of free
dom as in "A state OF slavery,
We rcyercnlly ask how can you in view
of your prolcssod desire to promote the
welfare OF the black man. deprive him Ol all
uieaHs OF defense, and cloilie him whom
you regard as his cLemy III the panopiy OF
political power Can it be that YOU would
recommend Il polio, which would arm tue
strong and cast down the dctenccless Can
You by any possibility Of reasoning, accord
this as just. fair, or wise. Experience
proves that those are Otcnest abused who
can be abused with the greatest mplnity
Men are whipped cttencst who are whipped
easiest. Peace between races is not to be
secured hv tcerttlln@ one race and cXaltino
another; by giving power to one rece and
Withholding il from another. On the colo
nization subject that you were pleased TO
breach, very much could lie suld. 1t is inn
| possible 10 suppose, in view of the useful
| ness of the black man in time of peace as II
| laborer in the South. aud in time of war as
Il soldier al The Nrfti, ami the CROWN. re-
| Spcct for bis rights amorg Tie people, and
| his increasing adaptation tn II high state OF
| civilization i'll this his native land, the
proud enemy of the nation should not cast
upon its fair name a greater iniamy than
| to suppose that negroes could be tolerated
among them in u state of the most degra-
ding slavery and orprt ssion and must be
cast away and driven into evil for no other
| cause than having been freed from their
chains.
(Signcd) GEORGE |. DOWNING,
JOHN JOKES,
WIN. WHiPrER,
FMEpEuICK DOUGLASS,
LEWIS III DOUGLASS,
and others