The Portland daily press., 1881-01-15
GEN. GARFIELD'S ANSWER
To q Colored Delegation Which
Visited Him Yesterday.
EDUCATION THE SURE REMEDY FOR
THEIR TROUBLES.

CLEVELAND, Jan 14.-A colored delegation
visited Mentor today and waited upon Mr..
Garfield. r. B. Elliot of South Carolina spoke
congratulating Mr.. Garfield upon his election
and presenting to him statement OF the con-
dition of the colored men in the South, which
he said was not in the spirit of declaration but
in the belief that fair representation of the
cause can be best made by those who are COM
PEELED to endure grevous wrong for mere
opinions sake. Although clothed with the
rights of citizenship by provisions OF the con-
stitution of the United States and recognized
as such by legislative enactments and judicial
decisions yet still in all the Southern states
we are but citizens in name and not in fact.
He said our right to participate IN ections for
choice of public officers is not only questioned
but absolutely denied, as by means of armed
violence, fraud and intimidation.
In many of the Southern States the rights
of majorities are illegally and wantonly sub
verted by the imperious will of unscrupulous
mnorites for no other reason than this; that
these ajorities consist OF men who are free
and enfranchised by the laws of the land and
prefer to remain loyal to the country Of
which they are citizens and steadfast in sup
port of that political party which saved the
life of the Nation, and to whose charge can
most safely be entrusted the duty of preserving
the results accomplished by the late war. The
speaker bitterly complained of the
wrongs of their rabe in the South
and the denias to them of constitutional rights
and the lack of educational facilities afforded
Them He also complained that the federal an
pointments South in the last four years were
not conducive to the interests of the Republi-
can party and concluded with an expression of
confidence that the incoming administration
would not be unmindful of the rights and in
tereStS of the colored race in common with
those of others. Mr.. Garfield responding. said:
What have done, what have said concern
ing your race and the great problem that your
presence on this continent has raised, 1 have
said as a matter of profound conviction and
hold to it with all the meaning of the words
employed in expressing it. What you have
said in regard to the situation of your
people, the troubles they have encountered,
the events from which they have suffered and
still suffer, listened to with deep attention
and shall give it a full measure of reflection
This is not time, or place, for me to indicate
any thing as to what 1 shall have to saw and
do bye and bye in an official way. But this 1
may say. l noted as peculiarly significant one
sentence in the remarks of Gen. Elliott to the
effect that majority of the citizens, as he al
leges, in some portions of the South are op-
posed by the minority. If this be so, why is it
so? Because trained man is two or three
men in one in comparison with an unframed
man, and outside OF politics and outside of par
ties that suggestion is full, brim full of signif-
canoe, that the way to make the majority al
ways powerful over minority is to make its
members as trained and intelligent as the mi
nority itself. That bring an equality of cit-
zenship and no law can confer and main
tain IN the long run thing that is not upheld
with reasonable degree of culture and intel
ligence. Legislation ought to do all 1t can.
have made three suggestions simply to in
dicate that the education of your race in nv
Judgment lies at the base of final solution Of
your great question, and that cannot be alto
gether in the hands of the State or National
Government. The Government ought to do all
it properly can, but that hungering ana thirst
ing for knowledge that the Creator has planted
in every child must be cultivated by the pa
rents of these children to the best possible de-
gree OF their ability, SO that the hands of the
people shall reach out and grasp in the dark
ness the hand of the Government extended to
help, and by that union of effort the two will
bring what mere legislation alone cannot inn
mediately bring. rejoice that you have ex-
pressed so strongly and earnestly your view in
regard to the necessity for education I have
fet for years that that was the final solution
Gen. Garfield concluded with the declara-
tions that every effort should be made by them
to achieve intelligence and industry and upon
those basis at last see all their rights recogniz
ed, was his personal wish and hope for their
people.
Gen. Elliott then introduced Bishop Hood as
the bearer OF an address from the Board of
Bishops of the African Mount Zion church,
which Bishop Hood read. The address ex
pressed confidence in his intention to redress
the wrongs of the colored race and promised
him the continued prayers of the church for
his successful administration Of the govern
ment.
Gen. Garfield repied:-Please return nv
thanks to the Board of Bishops for their kind
expression and suggestion. After what have
already said no furthur response will be neces-
sary.