The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-02-09
praphed as follows /:
THE NEGROES ANSWER.

grapned as 1oilows:
THE NEGROES ANSWER. aA
WAsHINaroN. Feb. s.-The following is
the published reply Of the colored delegates
to President johnson, prepared after they
had their interview with him, yesterday.
Ma. PREsrDESr: In consideration Of deli
cate sense OF proPrsty, a. well a. your ewn re-
peated limitations OF indispositon to discuss or
listen to a reply to the views and opinions YOU
were pleased to express to us in your elaborate
speech to day, the undersigned would respectful
| ly take this method of replying thereto. Beiev-
ing as we do that the Vows and opinions express
| ed in that address are entirely unsonnd and pre-
| judicial to the highest interests OF our race as
| we'll OF our country, we cannot do otherwise
than xpose the same, and as tar may be in our
power arrest theiI dangerous Influences
1t is not necessary at this time to call attention
| to more than two or three features of your re-
| markatle address.
bound to take exception is, your attemp, TO found
| a policy opposed to our enffanchisement, upon
| the alleged ground of an existing hostility the
part of the former slaves towards the poor white
| people of the south. We admit the existence of
this hostility and hold that is entirely recpro-
| Gated but you obviously commit an error by de-
| irving ar argument from incident OF state
of slavery and max ing it basis ,Or a policy, as
l regards a state of freedom.
The hostility between the whites and blacks OF
the south is easily explained. 1t has root and
| sap the routine of slavery, and was merited on
| both sides. BY the cunning of Of the slave mast
| ers those masters secured their ascendency over
| both the poor whites and the blacks. By putting
| enmity between them they diminished both to con
| auer each. There evident reason why the
| blacks should not hate and discard the poor
! whites.
Slavery is abolished the cause is antag onis,ica
and void, and you must see that it Is altogether H.
legal, putting new wine into old bottles, making
new garments with old clothes; to legislate from
l 81, hold and Ia n rlyI
pie whom you have repeatedly declared your pur
| pose to maintain in reedom. Besides, even if il
were true, you allege, that the hostility of the
blacks towards the poor whites must necessarily
be the same in a state OF freedom a state of sla
| very, we reverently ask how can you IN view
of your professed desire TO promote the welfare o.
| the black man, deprive him OF all means OF de.
| Tense, and clothe him, whom you regard his en-.
envy, in the panoply of political power7 Can il
be that you would recommend policy which
would arm the strong and cast down the defence-
less Can you by any possibility of reasoning, &C
cord this jurst, fair wise
Experience proves that those ofteHest abus
ed who can be abused with the greatest impunitv
Men are whipped oflenest who are whipped east.
est. .'eace between races Is not to be secured by
degrading one race and exaltiBg anbther: BY Civ
ing power TO one race and withholding it from an
other.
On the colonization So becs that you were pleas
ed to breach, very much could be sand. II is in
possible to suppose, In view of the usefulness oil
the black man in time OF peace a laborer in the
south, and in time of war soldier the north;
and the growing respect for hrs rights among the
the people; and his increasing adaptation to a
high state fertilization this his native land tina
any scheme of colonization could be successful
The proudest enemy OF the nation could not cas-,
upon Its fair name a greater inamy than to sup
pose that negroes could be tolerated among them
in a state of the most degrading slavery aud op-
preston, and must be cast away and be driven n
TO exile for other canse than having been freed
! from their chains
t>gned) George /. Downing,
John Jones,
VIM. RIppon.
Frederick Douglass,
Lewis II. Douglass,
and others.