Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-11
C0BORED DELEGATION AT TEL
WHIT HOUSE.

as that INTO winch the IftOu39e WOutu
lead them. God help US, if there is not
A oOLORED DELEGATION AT TFTB
WHITE HOUSE
The President talks TO them Frankly ana
tells them somShing mey had no ret's"
for.
wAsHINGroS, Feb. T.
The d-eleration of colored representa-
tivos from the different States OF the
country now in Washington, TO urge the
interests of the colored people before D
Government, had an interview with the
President this afternoon. The delega-
ton was as follows:
Fred. Douglass, Of New York; George
T Downing, representing the Rev Eng
land States; Lewis H. Douglass, son OF
Fred. Douglass; William +. Matthew's, OF
Maryland John Johns, of illinois, Jno.
Z. Cook, Of the District of Columbia A.
J. Raynor, of South Carolina Joseph 4.
Oates, of Florida; A. w. Ross, OF Mis-
sissipDi; VIM. RippOn, of Pennsylvania;
John NJ. Grover and Alex. Dunlap, Of
Virginia, and Calvin White, Of Virginia.
The PresidentsheO handskindly with
each member of the delegation, Fred.
Douglass first advancing for that purpose.
George 4. Downing then addressed the
President as follows:
We present ourselves to your Excel
lency to make known, with pleasure, the
respect which We cherish for you a re-
spect which is YOU due, as our Chief
Magistrate. Il is our desire for you to
know that we come feeling that we are
friends meeting a friend. We should,
however, have manifested our friendship
by not coming 20 further tax your already
much burdened and valuable time, but
we have another object in calling; We
are in a passage to equality before the
law; God hath made it by opening a Red
Sea. We would have your assistance
through the same. We come to you /
the name OF the United States, and we
are delegated TO come by some who have
uniustly worn iron manacles on their
bodies, by some whose minds have been
manacled by class legislation in states
| called free. The colored people OF the
| states Of Illinois, Wisconsin, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Florida, South
| Carolina. North Carolina, Nir-
glnia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New
York. New England States and
| the District of Columbia, have specially
I delegated us to come. Our coming Is
a marked circumstance, noting deter
1 mined hopes, and that we are not salts
fed with an amendment prohibiting
/ slavery, but that We wish it enforced
with appropriate legislation. Thls Is our
/ desire. We ask for il intelligently, with
the knowledge and conviction that the
fathers of the revolution intended Tree
| dom for every American, and that they
| all should be protected in their rights a.
| citizens. equal before the law. We are
| Americans, native born. We are gladto
| have it known 10 the world as bearing no
! doubtful record on this point. On this
fact. and with confidence in triumph OF
/ Justice. we base our hopes. We see no
recognition of race or color in the or
! ganic law of the land. It knows no
privileged class, aud, therefore, We
cherish the hope that we may be iully
e~Dfranchised, not only here, in this Dis
trict. but throughout the land.
we respectfully submit that rendering
ANYTHING less than this would be render
| ing TO US less than our just due, thai
granting anything less than our fuIl
| rights viii be a disregard OF our Just
rights, of due respect for our feelings. II
| the over that be do so, il will be used
as a license, as il were, or an apology Tor
any community, or for individuals mus
disposed to outrage our rights and feel
/ NnLE. IL HIS nEEAl =AAN" Al III N-N L-
war. that the Government may justly
| reach the strong arm into the states, and
demand from those who owe allegiance
their assistance and support. May II
not reach out a ike arm 70 secure ana
/ protect its subjects upon whom 1t has a
| claim ~
Frederick Douglass advanced and ad-
dressed the President. saying;
"Nr. President-We are not here 70
| enlighten YOU, sir, as to your duties as
| Chief Magistrate Of this Republic, but 70
! show our respect, and 10 present in brief
| the claims of our race to your favorable
! consideration. In the order Of Divine
Providence, YOU are placed in a position
where YOU have power to save or destroy
rs. TO bless or blast us-I mean our whole
race. Your noble and humane predeces-
sor placed in our hands the sword 70 as
sist in saving the nation, and we DO hope
that YOU, his able successor, viii tavora-
bly, regard placing in our hands the bal
lot with which to save ourselves. We
shall submit no argument on that point.
The fact that we are the subjects OF the
Government, and subject 10 taxation, to
volunteer in the service Of country,
subject to being drafted, subject 10 bear
the burdens OF the State, makes 1t not
improper chat We should : 10 share IN
the privileges Of condition. ] have no
speech to make on this occasion. 1 sim
Dlv submit these observations as a linn
tied expression of the views and feelings
Of the delegation with which l have
come"
The following IS substantially the re-
Spouse Of the President:
an reply 10 some of your inquiries
not to make a speech about this matter,
for il is always best TO talk plainly and
distinctly about such questions viii
saw that If ] have not given evidence, IN
NV former career, that | am a friend OF
humanity, and TO that portion Of II
which constitutes h colored population,
can give noevidence hereafter. Every
thing that l have had, both rs regards
life and property, has been periled in this
cause; and I feel and think that
derstand. not TO be egotistic, what should
be the true doctrine Of this question, and
what course Of policy would result in the
a~melioration and ultimate elevation, not
only Of the colOred, but Of b. great
mass Of people of the United States. l
say that If have not given evil
dence that I am a friend OF hui
mainly, and especially a friend OF
the coIored. in my past conduct there
is nothing that ! can do that
would. ! repeat that all that | possessed,
life. liberty and prosperity, have been
put in jeopardy, when / had every in
ducement held out to take the other
course; by adopting which, would have
accomplished, perhaps, all that the most
ambitious might have desired. III know
myself, and the feelings Of myown heart,
they have teen for the colOred man. |
have owned slaves and bought slaves,
but I never sold one. 1 might say, how
ever, that practically, so far as my con-
nection with slaves has gone, / have
been their slave instead Of their being
mine. Some have even followed me
here, while others are occupying and en-
jOying my property with my consent.
For the colored race my means, my
time, my all. have been periled. And
now, al this late day, after giving evil
denee that is tangible, that is practical, |
/ an free to san that / do not like to Dc
arrqiqned Jy some uchO u get up hand
s0mely rounded periods, and deal IA
rhetoric and talk about abstract ideas Of
liberty, JChO RcUcr perjied NE, liberty or
property. This kind of theoretical fell
lo~w-friendship amounts 70 hut veryhttle.
While I say that ! am a friend 10 the
race, / DO not want TO adopt q
p0IcV that I6ciiege tCW end n a contest
DtIAtftN tftt s0atnf EstAAF - LffHNAt@ fH
5CU result ia the determination Of the one
ar he other. God forbid that I should be
engaged in such a work. Now, il is al
WAYS best 70 talk practically, and in a
common-sense way. I have said, and /
repeat it here, that if the colored men I'm
the United states could find no other
Moses, nor any Moses, that would be
more able and efficient than myself, /
would be their Moses 10 lead them from
bondage 20 freedom: that 1 would pass
them from the land where they had lived
IN slavery, to a land, if it vas in our
reach, Of freedom. / would be willing TO
pass them through the Red Sea TO the
and OF promise-to the land Of liberty.
But / am not willing, under either cir
.umstance, 10 adopt a policy which I be-
viii only result in a sacrifice OF his
ife and the shedding Of his blood. /
hfnk I know what / say. / feel what
and / feel well assured that, if the
urged by some be persisted in, it
viii result in great injury 70 the white as
veil as the colored man.
There is a great deal Of talk about the {
word in one hand accomplishing an end,
the ballot accomplishing another al f,
he ballot box. These things are all very
veil, and sometimes have a fOrcibie ap- !
llcatlon. We talk about Justice; we ]
ak about right; we say that the white
nan has been in the wrong in keeDinp Z
he black man in slavery as long as he
TT at il all frue q