The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-12
Reply of the Colored Delegation to President
e gtttsge'EN johnson.

Reply of the Colored Delegation to President
Z SSU'ss. johnson.
WASHINGTON, February 8.-The following
is the published reply ofthe colored delegation
to President johnson, prepared after they had
their interview with him yesterday:
sMr. President: In consideration of a deli
cate sense of propriety. as well as your own re-
peated intimations OF indisposition to discuss
or to listen to reply to the views and opln-
ions you were pleased to express to us IN your
elaborate speech to-day, the Undersigned
would respectfully take this method Oh reply
thereto IS ,s..af rzrss --' .N no .oHu'..fP Nr's
"Belieyino as we do, that the views and
oninious EXPRESSED in that address, are entire
lv unsound and prejudcial to the highest in
terests of our race, as well as of our country.
we cannot do otherwise than expose the same,
and so far as may be in, our power, arrest their
dangerous influence.
at is not necessary at this time to call at
tention to more than two or three features of
your remarkable address. 81 e.,;f.yil.--a,s,.J /
The first point, to which we feel especially
bound to take exception, is your attempt to
found policy opposed to our enffanchise-
ement, upon the alleged ground of an existing
hostility on the part of the former slaves TO-
wards the poor white people of the South.
ave admit the existence of this hostility,
and hold that it is entirely reciprocal. a.
"But you obviously commit an error by
drawing an argument from an incident OF a
| state Of slavery, and making it a basis for
policy adapted to a state of freedom. go.
"The hostility between the whites and blacks
of the South is easily explained. 1t has IFS
! root and sap in the relation of slavery, and
was melted ON both sides by the cunning OF
| the slave masters. These masters secured
their ascendency over both the poor whites
and the blacks by putting enmity between
| them. They divided both to conquer each.
r. "There was no earthly reason why the blacks
should not hate and dread the poor whites
when in a state of slavery. for it was from this
4 class that their masters received their slave
catchers, slave-drivers and overseers. They
were the men called in upon all occasions by
the masters when any fiendish outrage was to
| be committed upon the slave. bic -l.0t ~
"Now, sir, you cannot but perceive that the
cause of this hatred removed, the effect must
be removed also. Slavery is abolished. The
cause Of antagonism is removed, and you must
see that tits altogether illogical-sputtingn new
wine into old bottles, mending new garments
with old clothes'-to legislate from slavehold-
whom you have repeatedly declared your pur-
pose to maintain in freedom. Besides, even il
it were true as you allege, that the hostility OF
the blacks toward the poor whites must neces-
! sarily be the same in state Of freedom, as in
a state of slavery, in the name of heaven, we
reverently ask, how can you, in view of your
protested desire to promote the welfare OF the
black man, deprive him of all means of de-
| fence, and clothe him whom you regard as his
| enemy in the panoply of political power.
rCan 1t be that you would recommend pol
ICY which would arm the strong ana cast down
the defenceless? Can you, by any possibility
of reasoning, regard this as just, fair or wise !?