Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-09


of your remarkable address. The Arst
point to which we feel especially bound
to take exception, is your attempt to
found policy opposed to our enfranchise-
ment upon the alleged ground of an exist
ing hostility on the part off the former slaves
toward the poor white people Of the South.
We admit the existence Of this hostility
and hold it is entirely reciprocal but you
obviously commit an errCr by drawing an
argument from an incident Of slavery and
making it basis for policy adopted 70 a
state Of freedom. Hostility between the
whites and blacks is easily explained. 1t
has its root and sap in relation to slavery
and war melted on both sides by the cum
ming of the slaye-masters. Those masters
secured their .aseendeney over both poor
whites and blacks by putting enmity be-
tween them. They divided both TO conquer
each. There was no earthly reason why
blacks should not hate and dread the poor
whites when in a state of slavery. for it was
from this GLASS that their masters received
their slave-eatchers, slave-drivers and
oTerseers. -sf1i r.fi-a....f ----
They were the men called in upon all oc-
casions by their masters when fendish
outrage was to be committed upon a slave.
Now, Sir, you cannot but perceive that the
cause of this hatred has been removed, as
slavery is abolished. The cause of antago-
nism- is removed and you must see that
it is altogether illogical putting new wine in
old bottles, mending new clothes with old
ones, to legislate from slave holding and
slave-driving premises for a people whom
you have repeatedly declared your purpose
to maintain freedom. Even if itwere true,
as you allege that hostility of the blacks to-
wards the poor whites must necessarily be
the same in Il state of freedom as in state
i I 8
erentially ask how can you, in view of your
professed desire TO promote the welfare of
the black man, deprive him Of all means of
defense, and clothe him whom you regard
his enemy in the panOply of political powerl
Can it be that you would recommend a
policy which would arm the strong and cast
down the defenceless? Can you by any
possibility of reasoning regard this as Just,
fair or wise Experience proves that those
are oftenest abused who can be abused with
the greatest impunity. Men are whipped
oftenest who are whipped easiest. Peace
between races is not TO be secured by de-
grading one race and exalting another, by
giving power to one race and Withholding
It from another; but by maintaining a state
of equal justice between all parties, first
pure, then peaceable.
On the colonization theory that you were
pleased TO brOach very much could be said.
1t is impossible to suppose, in view of the
usefulness of the black man in time Of
peace as a laborer in the South, and in time
of war as a soldier at the North, and the
growing respect for his rights among the
people and his increasing adaptation to a
high state of civilization in this his native
land, there can come a time when he can
be removed from this country without a
terrible shock to its prosperity and peace.
Besides the worst enemies of the nation
should not cast upon its fair name
greater infamy than to suppose that the
negroes could be tolerated among them in
state of degrading slavery and oppression,
and must be cast away and driven into
exile for no other cause than having been
freed from chains.
Isignedl GEO. 7. DOWNING,
JOHN JONES,
VIM. WHIPPER,
FRED. DOUGLASS, =
LEWIS II. DOUGLASS
And others