, 1866-02-13
rha FfesSAeat's Interview WIN sAe
NeHT0NS.

The following Is the concluding PORTION OF
the President's Interview With Fred. Douglas
sud bis fellow petitioners, which was not
transmitted to Us BY telegraph We copy It
from the Washington Chronicle: ...
Tho president-Each community Is better
nrenared TO dete,nine tho deposltary OF it,
polftlcal power than snybody else, and 1t -
7or ne LEGISLATURE, for the people Of Ohio to
aay Who shall yote. md not for tho Consreas
Of the United States- might 50 do"n here
to the ballot.bo1 to-morrow and 1oteo o1lec.y
al the people said no, should consider It
would be tyrsnnical IN me- tokttamPt to foree
such ppon them without their will. II y =
fundamental tenet in my creed that the "u
Of the people must be obeycd. Is thefn any
thing wrong or nnfaiE IN that! ,.,
wrong. Mas 9e Psesident, Viii Ill respect.
The President-1t Is the people Of the States
that must for themselves determine this thing.
DO not want to be engaged ID work that
VIII commence a wnF Of races want 70 oe-
en er I'M Inc neon' mosS Of snd shs
aemeans hirnseN well, and shows evidence
that this new state Of aflairs will operate, will
protect him In all his rights, and give him
every possible advantage when they beconao
state Of shings. Then viii his new order
OF things work harmoniousty: but forced
upon ths people before they are prepared for
Ii, It Will BE- resisted, and work inharnaoui-
ousIy. I feel 8 conviction that diving this
matter upon the people, upon the conmunt-
the ruin Of the one or The other. God knows
I have no desire bnt the good Of the whole
human race. would 1t were so that all you
advocate could be done In the twinkling OF an
eye but 1t is not In the nature OF things. md
do not assume or pretend to be wiser than
Provfipnce at r0Uupt an ha tawa nf M.
ture.
Let Us now seek to discover the laws gov
ernfng this thing. Tiers Is = great law COD
trolling 1t let US endeavor TO and out what
An the details Will then properly adjust
themselves and work out weil IN thu end
God knows that anything can do viii
do. In the mighty process By which tha
great end is to be reached. anything can DO
10 elevate the races, to soften and anel1orate
their condition l will do, and to be able to
do so Is the sincere desire ofmy heart.
lam glad 10 have met you, and thank JON
for the compliment you have paid me.
Mr.. Douglass. have to return to you our
thanks, Mr. President, for 50 kindly granting
us this interview: We did not come here e.
cellcney, but simply to state what weEe our
yiews and wishes In the premtses. II wo
were disposed to argue tho question, aud
You would grant US permission, Of coutse we
would enleAvOr 10 coutlofttt aouo u tao
positions you have assumed.
M. Downing. Mr. Douglass, I take 1t that
| the President, by his kind expressions and
| his yeYy full treatment OF the subject, must
| have contemplated some reply to the views
| which he has advanced, and In which We Ger
tainly do not concur, and say this with due
respect.
Tbs President. I thought you expected
me to Indicate to some extent what MY
| views werc on the subjects touched upon IN
your statement
II: Dovni2e: We are happy, indeed to
lit. Douglass. If the President will al
low me, Wonld like to say one or two woFis
In reply. You enftanchise your enemies aud
d1sfsanchise your friends.
The President All I have done Is simply
to Indicate what my views are, Is supposed
Mr. Douglass. Ny own impression Is that
the very thing that your Excellency would
avoid IN the Southefn States can only bc
avoided by the very measure that We pro-
pose, and would state to my brother dele
gates that because perceive the President
policy, aud dlstrusting my own ability 10 re-
move any OF those Impressions which he has
expressed, / thought we had better end the
interview with the expression Of thanks. lad
dressing the President) But If your Excel
leucy viii be pleased to hear, would like to
| q
ter of the enhanchisement Of the blacks as
means Of preventing the very thing which
your Excellency seems to ap2renend-that is
conflict Of races
The President. Irepeat, merely wanted To
indicate my views in reply to your address,
and not to enter into any general controversy,
as could not well do so under the ciEcuu1-
stAnces.
Your statement WAS q very frank one, and l
thought It was due to you to meet 1t in the
came spirit.
Nj. Douglass Thank you, sir.
The President. think you will find, 30 &ar
as the South is concerned, that II you all
inculcate there the Idea In connection with
the one you urge, that the colored people can
live and advance In civilization to better Ad-
there in the South, It would be better for
I them.
SIr. Douglass. But the masters have the
muking Of the laws, and we cannot get away
! from the Plantations
The President. What prevents yous
Mr. Douglass. We have not The single
right Of locomot1on through the Southern
| States now.
The President, Why not the Government
| furnishes you With every tactlitys
3fr. Douglass. There arc six dBY5 tn the
year that the negro Is free IN the South now.
and his master then decides for him where he
shall go. where he shall wnrks how raueh ha
shall work-in fact, he Is diyesred Of oil po-
OF those meD-
The President. If the master low controls
him or bis action, would ha not control him
In his vote?
Mr. Douglaas. Let the negro once under.
stand that he has an organic right to vote, aud
he will raise up party In the Southern
/ States among the poor, who will rally with
him. Thesc u this conf1ic. TINT you speak Of
between the wealthy stakeholder and the
/ poor man.
The President. Yon touch right upon the
point there. There Is this conflict, and hence
suggest emigration. If be cannot get enl~
ployment In the South, he has 1t In his power
| to 70 where he can get It.
In parting, the President said that they
were both desIrous Of accomplishing the same
ends, but proposed to do 80 by following dlf-
ferent roads,
1lr. Douglass, on turning to Leave, remarked
to his fellow delegates: The President sends
lis TO the people, and We 60 to the people,
The President-Yes. sir; have great faith
in the people. believe they will DO what Is
right.