Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1866-02-07
.ElkTRA
dill tJpcp the Presidsnt by
Colored Delegation.
Introductory Remarks by
Geo. T. Downipg,lOJ
Speech Of rFrsderIk Douglass.
REPLY OF THE PRESIDENT.
uE POINTS roms FAST RECORD.
Speech Of Frederick Douglass,
REPLY OF THE PRESIDENT
NE POINTS TO HIS FAST REcoRI
Repeats His Promise 10 he the coiored
MANS Moses.

About ono o'clock this Afternoon q delegation
Of the eoIored people Of dinereht States, now In
t,is city, visited The White HouAe for the par
psss Of paying THAR respects to the President Of
| the United States. g....-....r..I.gE aHaIrE.
tn. delegation was headed by GsoRas 7.
Dowstxu. Of Rhode Isiaud, and FnEDERicK
| poueiAss, Of New York, and was introduced 10
the President By Mr.. DowsIss. who said:
Mn PREsIpEsr: We come to you 10 the name
i Of the eolored people Of the united States. We
are delegates from ,iivoi. Wi.son M XnSan ma
six New Bnglsnd States, sad the District OF CO.
Ilumbia, We are not ssiiansd merely with an
amendment prohibiting slavery, but We want II
Waited states, and besr no doubtful record. On
L this fact We base our hope We also cherish the
| hope that we msy be fully epfranchised, not
only here in thi. District, but throughout the
M. Douglas. said: Mr.. President, we SIRE not
/ here 10 eunghtsn you a. 70 your duties az the
Chief Magistrate Of this Republic, but TO show
/ our respect and present the claims Of our race
In ,he order Of Divine Providence you were
placed Ia the position to ssyeor destroy, bless or
blast us Your noble and humane Predecessor
placed In opr hard. the sword 70 assist IN saving
he natiou,snd We DO hope that you, his succes-
sor, VIII place 10 our hands the ballot, that We
i may save ourselves Yves subject to taxes,
and have TO bear the burdens Of the State. and
= I,. ss1 Ds s, sh should ask to
TSs President said. II have not siven evil
denee in my past course that ] am friend 70 hu-
mauity, and especially to the colored population,
hereafter. fsee Presidcnt,s. record on suffrage
elsewhere. I have periled everything for the
cause Of our country; and again say, II have
not given evidence In my past life Of my friend
ship to the eolored man, nothing that can now
i say would be any guarantees for the future.
/ II know myself, aud the feelings OF my own
heart they are for the eolored man. Ny means,
fof him, AID now, at this late day, after giving
evidence that lie practicable and tangible, am
free 70 say that do not like 10 be arraigned BY
persons who talk loudly about these thisgs but
| who have periled nothing. While say this,
that am q friend Of the oolored man, dop 7
| want to adopt policy which will cause DIN
Guilty between the races, injury TO both, and
probably the determination Of the coiorad race.
repeat here what have said before "lf the
eoiored man can and no other Moses, will be
his Moses, aud lead him through the Red ses and
wilderness from bondage to freedom, am
not willing TO adopt a policy which ! believe
| would result in the shedding OF much blood and
the sacrifice Of his life. II the policy persisted
in by acme Is carried out, IL will lead 20 the In
There IL great deal said about the sword ac-
complaining one end and the ballot the other,
bat now let us talk about Justice aud right when
| We talk about Independence aud equality before
the law. You here 70 day know how to aPpre-
| elnte and understand this thing. Let us look
| each other In the face Suppose We should, by
some magic, tell every colored man he could vote
10 morrow how would that ameliorste their
condition to-day, But 10. us get closer up to
this thing was opposed to slavery on two
grounds. It has now been abolished. A great
nation Is guarantees has been given on the sub
jeot, and cannot Be rer0ksd
| In Tennessee there are twenty-seven non
slaveholders to one slaysholder, yet the sLve-
holding power controlled that State. Have you
never lived on a plantation Undressing Mr..
MT. DoroLAss. / have, sir.
| Tho President. When you looked over and
saw poor white man with large family Of
children, did you not think less Of that man
than Of your masters negroesi Dout we know,
furthermore, to get at this great idea and run 1t
out distinctly, that on New Years day they
would hire to o man who owned slaves In pref
erencs to one who did not own themH
Slavery was not the cause Of this war. Its alb
clifton was one Of the natural incidental results
in the great work Of suppreSsiug the rebellion.
The non slayeholder, who was as loyal % tho o
beyond tho State, and who was forced into the
rebel armies, gained nothing, but lost every
thing. On one hand the black man has gained
srea, DEAL while me Tnts man mas i or,
upon the other at the ballot box with all this
hatred bstween the raeesi
think understand this thing. Suppose, for
instance here In this political community, In the
District Of Columbia, we take Into consideration
the former condition Of the white and colored
man, and suppose we give the franchise to sll,
tDnh0W regdrd TO qudtVcMtoH, u. riBht 70
force 1t upon them In opPorition to the majority
We must have q controlling power somewhere.
II We should go to the State Of Ohio with the in
tention Of changing the franchise there, would u
be riRhtf 10 u not for the Government NJ the
United Stdtes 10 do. Zach community can de-
termips their own affairs better. Ii Is fer the
Legislature and people Of Ohio to say who shall
vote and not the Congress Of the United States.
Now 10 anything wrongi
Mr.. DoUaLAss. Yes, Mr.. President, with all
due respect to you, think good deal Is wrong.
The PRRsIDEsr. II I know the feelings Of my
own heart bslieve that forced state Of things,
driven on q community, will result In their rain.
vats the race and soften and ameliorate their
condition.
The President urged upon the delegation to
cultivate the idea that the black man has the
right to emigrate from the State where he has
been held in bondage.if he is'nOt properly treat
cd he 10 not obliged 10 live on the old plantation.
Nj. DOUGLASS. We thank you, Mr.. President,
for kindly giving US an interview. We did not
come to argue, sir; but II your Excollency would
be pleased 10 hear, l would like TO say word or
two In regard to the enfranehisemsnt OF the
blacks, and to show you that the difficulties can
only be avoided by the very measures we pro
pose. Let the black man once have right to
vote, and he will raise up party In the South.
err States who will rally with him. It, 1904.
your time, but will go and give your views to the
people.
The President. I have great faith In the people
and believe they will do right. ,
The interview lasted about thirty Ave or forty
minutes, and at the conclusion each delegate
passed the President, who politely bowed to
them as they retired.
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