The Charlotte Democrat., 1890-01-31
Lincoln's Plan Of Negro Emigration.
From the New Orleans Times-Democrat.]
lPUBLIsHED BY REQUEST.

From the New Orleans Democrat
published BY REQUEST.
Senator Buffers speech on the negro
question in the Senate last week was one
of the most complete and thorough discus
sions of that subject that Congress has
ever heard He went over the matter
from beginning to end, and pointed out to
the Republicans that their own leaders
had seen aud appreciated the present sit
uation years ago; had taken the strongest
position against any equality OF the races,
and had favored some separation. He
quoted literally from Lincoln's speeches
and public documents on this subject, and
showed that the Republican President had
favored the very policy that Senators But
ler, Morgan and others urge today.
"What most DESIRE" said Mr.. Lincoln
in one OF bis greatest speeches on the ne.
gro question, "would be the separation of
the white and black races. There is q
phyLical difference between them, which,
/ believe, will forever forbid the two races
living together on terms of social or polit-
ical equality, and iuasmuch as they cannot
80 live. while they do remain together,
there must be the position of superior and
inferior, and /, as much as any other man,
am 10 favor of having the superior position
assigned to the white race. have never
seen, to my>knowledge, q man. woman or
child who was in favor of producing per-
fect equality, social and political, between
negroes and white men,"
Mr.. Butler showed further that Lincoln
had cherished this idea of separating the
two races. He dismissed the proposition
that the negroes should be sent back to
Liberia on the ground that it was imprac-
ticable as all the shipping in this country
could not take them to Africa; and pro-
posed instead that they should be trans
ported to another portion OF this contl-
uent.
He submitted the matter to Secretary
Chase, and desired him to investigate it
and report on the best location for negro
colony. When finally Central America
had been selected as the future home for
the Southern negroes, Mr.. Lincoln sum.
moned delegation of prominent negroes
before him, and addressed them as fol-
lows:
"The place am thinking of for colony
is Central America. 1t is nearer than Lii
IBERIA, and within seven days run by
steamers. Unlike Liberia, it is on great
line of travel; it is highway. The coun-
try is q very excellent one tor any people,
| with great natural resources, and especi-
| ally because of the similarity of the eli
mate with your own land-thus being
suited to your physical condition. The
particular place have in view is to be a
great highw way from the Atlantic or Carib-
can sea to the Pacific Ocean, and this
| Ill ho n1u of
a colony. On both sides there are har-
bors, among the finest in the world.
Again, there are evidences of very rich
coal mines"
And he closed the interview with this
simple and characteristic appeal:
"Could get number of tolerably in.
telligeut men, with their wives and chill
dren, l think l could make a satisfactory
commencement. l want you to let me
know whether this can be done or not.
These subjects are of very great import
ance, worthy of a months study. Issk
you, then, to consider seriously, for your
| selves, for your race, for the good of man
kind"
Had Mr.. Lincoln lived he would in all
probability have made a sincere attempt
to carry out this fsvorite project of his,
the separation of the two races. The Re-
publican leaders who came to the front on
his death hid very different ideas. They
wanted the negroes to remain because
they wanted their votes, and because they
stirred up strife iu the South, and thus
furnished the Republicans with campaign
material; and to day these Republican
chiefs repudiate the doctrines and ideas
urged so earnestly by the emaucipator of
the negroes, the man to whom they owe
more than to all the rest of the party,
who, with his great foresight, saw thirty
years ahead, that it was impossible for the
two races to live together on terms OF
equality. and therefore favored their sep
ar8tion.
Senator Butler has shown very clearly
that the idea he advances to-day is the
idea of Lincoln himself, earnestly pressed
by the latter in the interest of both whites
| and blacks