The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-02-14
THE FREEDMEN AND THE
KEiHpAeESmENT.
WAsnasafo N Februarx .

60 WAsnlsafoN February Z.
The dclesailph vi ~ lored Representatives
1ffdm tGxoaA 81 Of Tic count ~. now in
Mvashingtohs . dfec the interests Or the col.
ored people before the Government, had an
intervicwYwith the President this afternoon.
The delegatio9 was % follows Fred Doug
lass, ofNcw York; Geo. T. Downing, repre-
senting the New England States; Lewis II.
Douglass, son of Ered. Douglass; William
y. Matthews, Of Maryland; John Jones, OF
Illinois; John f. Cook, of District Column
bin; Az. Rnynor, of South Carolina Jos.
II. Onts, sof Florida; "A, w. Ross, of Missis-
sippi; VIM. Rippon, OF Pennsyl vania; Jno.
M. CROWN, Alex. Dunlop and Calvin White,
OF virginia The President shook hands
kindly with each member Of the delegation,
Fred. Douglass first advancing for that pur-
pose.
Geo. I. Downing then addressed the Pres
idcnt as follows !" We present ourselves to
your Exccllency to make known with pleas
ure tho respect wlich we cherish for you, a
respect which is your due as Chief Magis-
trate. 1t is our desire for you to know that
we come feeling that we are friends meeting
friend. We should, however, have mani
Tested our friendship by not coming tofurthcr
tax your already much burdencd and valua-
ing. We are in q passage to equality before
the law. God hath made il by opening Red
Sea; we would have your assistance through
the same. We come to you in the name Of
the United States, and are delegated to come
by some who have unjustly worn the man
acles on their bodies; by some whose minds
have been manacled by class legislation in
States called free. The coored people Of
the States Of illinois, Wisconsin, Alabama.
Mississippi. Florida, South Carolina, North
Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
New York, New England States, and the
District Of Columbia, have specially dele gat-
ed us to come. Our coming is marked
circumstance, noting determined hope, and
that we are not satisfied with m amendment
prohibiting slavery, but that We wish it en-
forced with appropriate legislation. This
Is our desire. We ask for it intelligently,
with the knowledge and conviction that the
fathers of the Revolution intended freedom
for every American citizen, and that they
all should be protected in their rights Is
citizens equal before the law. We are
Americans, native born. We are glad, to
have it known to the world as bearing no
doubtful record on this point. On this fact,
aud with confidence in the triumph of JUS
tice, we base our hopes. We see no recog-
of the land. 1t knows no privileged class,
and therefore all cherish the hope that We
may be fully franchised, not only in this
District, but throughout the land. We re-
specially submit that rendering anything
else than this would be rendering to US less
than our just due, that granting anything
less than our full Fights will be disregard
Of our just rights and Of due respect for our
feelings. If the powers that be do so, it
will be used as license, as it were, or an
apology for any community or for individu-
ais thus disposed, to outrage our rights and
feelings. 1t has been shown in the present
war that the Government may justly reach
the strong arm into the States and demand
from those who owe allegiance their assist
ance and support. May it not reach out
like arm to secure and protect its subjects
upon whom it has claim" ~
IA Frederick Douglass advanced and adj
dressed the President, saying:
Mr.. President, we are not here to en-
Tighten you Sir. as to your duties as Chief
Magistrate of this Republic, but to show our
respect and to present in brief the claims Of
our race to your favorable consideration.
In tho order of Divine Providence, you are
placed in position where you have power
TO save or destroy us, to bless or blast us--I
mean our whole race Your noble and hui
name predecessor placed in our hands the
sword to assist ia saving the nation, and we
do hope that you, his able successor, will
fayorably regard placing in our hands the
ballot with which 10 save ourselves. We
shall submit no argument on that point. The
fact that we are the subjects Of the Govern
ment and subject to taxation, to volunteer in
the service of the country, subject to being
drafted, and subject to bear the burdens or
the State, makes it not improper that VIC
should ask to share in the privileges Of the
condition. l have no speech to make on
this occasions. simply submit these OBJ
scrvations rs limited expression Of the
views and feelings Of. the delegation with
which have come"
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY
The following is substantially the response
of the President
..In reply to some Of your inquiries, not
to make q speech about this matter-fOr it
is always best to talk plainly and distinctly
about such questions--I will say that if /
have not given evidence in my former course
that am n friend to humanity, and to that
portion of it which constitutes the colored
population, can give no evidence hereafter.
Everything that have had, both as regards
life and property, has been pcrilcd in this
cause, and | feel and think that l under
stand, not TO be egotistic, what should be
the true direction Of this question, and what
course of policy would result in the amelio-
ration and ultimate elevation not only Of the
colored but Of the great mass of the people
of the United States. | say that if l have
not given evidence that am a friend Of hui
mainly, and especially friend Of the colored
man, in my past conduct, there is nothing
that can do that would; repeat, all that
l possessed-life, liberty, and property
have been put in connection with that ques-
ton, when had every inducement held out
to take the other course, by adopting which
l would have accomplished all that the most
ambitious could have desired.
If know myself and the feeling Of my
own heart, they have been for the colored
man. have owned slaves and bought
slaves, but never, never sold one. might
say, however, that practically, go far as my
connection with slaves has gone. l have
been their slave instead ofthcir being NINE
Some have even followed me here, while
others are occupying and enjoying my prop-
erty with my consent. For the colored
race my means, my time, my all, have been
perilled, and now, at this late day, after
giving evidence that is tangible, and that is
practical I am free to say that do not like
to be arraigned by some who can get up
handsomely rounded periods, and deal In
rhetoric, and talk about abstract ideas of
liberty, who mover periled life, liberty, or.
property. This kind Of theoretical, hollow
Friendship amounts TO but very little While