The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1866-02-15
The President and Colored Men on
Negro Suffrage. .E"a

On the It'll inst. a delegation of colored
men, consisting of Geo. J. Downing,
Fred. Douglass, and others, had an inter
view with the President, touching the
question of negro suffrage. We have
not space for all that was said by the dele
CATION. We give extracts of the address
of the delegation, with the Presidents
answer and the reply If the colored men
in full leaving our readers TO judge OF the
merits of the respective arguments; and
only asking whetherthe President, in the
first paragraph Of his answer, means to
intimate that high seat in the Southern
Confederacy would have been '.ali that
the most ambitious might have desired, 1"
or that he lost anything by being loyal to
his government, and thereby gaining the
highest position in the gift ofthe Ameri-
can people:
Mr.. Downing, among other things,
said:
The colorcd people in the State Of 1lli-
nois, Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi,
Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New
York the New England States, and the
Dist let of Columbia, have specially del !
egated IT'S to come. Our coming is q
marked circumstance noting determined
hope. and that we are not satisfied with
an amendment prohibiting slavery, but
that we wish it enforced with appropsi-
ate legislation. This is our desire. We
IL k 10 it intelligently. with the knowl-
edge and conviction that the fathers of
The revolution intended freedom for eve
y Anne lean. and that they all should
lie p detected in their rights as citizens
co III hcso.e the law. We are Ameri-
cans. native born. We are glad to have
it known to the world ~ bearing no
doubtful record Oh this point. On this
fact, ana with confidence in the triumph
Of Justice. we base our hopes.
We see no recognition of race or color.
in the organized law Of the land. 1t
knows no privileged classes. and. there
fore. we ci,,ri..! the hope that we may
bc fully enfranr,:ise1, not only here In
this District, bat throughout the iahu.
1t has been shown in the rr'e~eht war
that the Government NAV Justly each
the strong arm into the states. and de
rnand from tho-e who owe allegiance
their a--l.tance and support May IL 10.
reach !ts .1tt. es:t- s!<,u @lsoEa IL h1-- q
cts.sfas
NJ D.sl, aa-ss remarked:
Ms g.s,assosms We are ~ here ~
I'll. IE.ss:fs ytFl, cit. ~ ~ y<t1g dystes a.
IN q NAgt~.Fase ~ his EsIsss,.Ic hit u,
show our .c>j<Tt and u, r. esen,. In brief.
, the claims Of our rab-c tn your favorable
consideration. In the order Of Divine
In, a
whc.e YOU have power to save or destroy
us, to bless Or blast us. mean our whole
race. Your noble and humane p. edeces-
sor placed in our hand the sword to as
sist in saving the nation, and we do hope
that out like arm to secure and project
you, his successor, will favorably regard
placing in our hands the ballot with
which to save ourselves. We submit no
argument on that point. The fact that
we are the subjects of Government and
subject to taxation, to volunteer in the
service OF the country, subject to being
drafted, subject to bear the burdens OF
the State, makes it not improper that we
should share in privilege of condition.
A. have no speech to make OH this ucca-
sion. simply submit these observa-
tons as limited expression of the views
andieelings OF this delegation with which
l have come. .L.
PRESIDENT johnson replied to them as
follows:
, IN reply to some of your inquiries, no,
~ ~ maze I a speech about this matter, fol
: !: IS Always best to talk plainly and dis
tilcuy ABOUT such questions, l viii sa,
tnat u nave not given evidences in M
: former course that ! am friend Of IN;
mainly, and to that portion of it whicl
} constitutes the colo.ed population. / en-,
; give no evidence here.,sf. Eyervthin,
that have had, both a. regards life an,
property, has been peri.en IN this cans.
and I feel and think that UNDERSTAND
mot tn be k6ptisficl what soonlh ~ 81