Year: 1862

The House being in Committee of the Whole
on the State of the Union, Mr.. Richardson said:


Mr.. CHAIRMAN:-1he annual message recently
sent to this House by the President OF the United
States, is the most remarkable of any that has
ever been delivered to Congress IL is remarka-
BILE for what il says. and it is stil more remarka-
bic for what it omits 10 say. One half Of the
twenty -one pages which it covers is devoted to
negroes. No page, no sentence. no line, no word,
is given to laud, or even to mention, the bravery,
the gallantry, even the good conduct of our
soldiers in the various bloody battles which have
been fought. No sorrow is expressed for the la
mented dead. No alusion is made 10 the
MANNED and wounded. No sympathy is rendered
&c the sorrowing widow and to the helpless or
phan made during the progress OF this war, which
could have been avoided by honorable compro-
mise, il the President and his friends had chosen
so To do


Sir, it is a remarkable document 1t is an ex-
traordinary message, when come TO think of
its sum and substance To feed, clothe, buy and
cOlOnize the negro we are to tax aud mortgage
the white aud his children. The white race
is to be burdened to the earth for the benefit of
the black race.


friend of mine from New England the other
day madea mathematical analysis of the message.
He said, one from one and naught remains.
Naught from naught and the message is the re
suit Laughter.l


So fac as il relates to the white race that math-
ematcal calculation is right SO far as it re
laies to the negro. or in the Court language Of
the President. the "free American of African
descent, rivers of blood and counties millions
OF treasure are not enough for his benefit and adj
vantage.


Now, sir, when our people have anxiousy
looked to the message IRON the President of the
United States TO learn what they have to hope Of
restored Union, and n return OF the blessings of
peace once more Go their tresides by inference
we learn, If not dir city that, il we will carry out
all the Presidents plans; il will carry mis-
schemes, thirty years from now the people
may again behold the restoration Of the Union
and the return of peace. True, the message
states al the end of those thirty seven wears but
ieS of US will then be living to enjoy the bless.
ings W. once enjoyed in this now distracted and
divided country.


But, Mr.. Chairman, there are few passages
in the message SO extraordinary, so wonderful
that they require at least passing notice. There
has been, aud still is great anxiety felt and ex
pressed by our people that this negro population
shall not interfere with them; that il shall not
jostle them in the occupations they have hereto
fore pursued in the various industrial pursuits OF
life ia the great fertile rsgions OF the West. The
President, on that head, uses the following Ian.
guage:


"And yet wish to say there is an objection
urged against free eolorec persons remaining in
the country, which is largely imaginary, If not
sometimes malicious. It is insisted that their
presence would injGre and displace white labor
and white iaborers. If there ever could be
proper time for mere catch arguments, that time
surely is not now. In times like the present, men
should utter nothing for whirh they would not


llingly be responsible through time and in eter-
nifty. Is it true, then, that colored people can
displace any more white labor, by being free,
than 10y remaining slaves? If they stay in their
old places they jnstle no white laborers; it, they
leave their old places. they leave them open to
white laborers Logically. there is neither more.
nor less of it,


Now, sir. will not do logic the violence to
say that that is an argument. He tells our peo-
Pile, those who supported bim because they be
lieved he and his party intenC ed to keep the nom
slaveholding States and all the Territories of the
Union for the sole occupation of the white race,
ii you DO not like my plan of diSposing of this
black race; ii You fear from their introduction
among you, That their labor will be brought into
competition with that of your own, all you have
to do 10 avoid this competition is to quietly leave
your present fields of labor, homes 10 which, per
haps, you may be attached, and the graves of
your kindred. and migrate Southwark, and
cupy the places made vacant by the exodus of
what His Excellency terms the "free Americans
of Africant descent" This is the sum and sub
stance of IT,


But, for the sake of argument, admit, if you
chOOse. that all the plans of the President touch
ing emancipation and colonization of the negro
were to day successfully carried out, what would
il accomplish in the great work Of restoring the
UDlOnI NUthng-woTse than nothing.


The President recommends in his annual mes
gage three propositions to amend the Constitution
of the United States. will not trouble the com
mittee with reading them; every gentleman here
is familiar with the articles he propose to adopt
for amendments. The first, second and third are
for the benefit of the negro. The people are sick
and tired of this eternal talk upon the negro and
they have expressed that disgust unmistakabls in
the recent elections The Presidents proposed
amendments. as whole, or either of them, could
not receive the suffrages Of majority of the peo-
pie of more than two States of this Union.


While upon this subject, desire to call the at
tentiOn of the committee TO a single feature in
relation to these amendments In the message
he recommends an amendment to the Constitu
ton as follows:


CART -. Congress may appropriate money,
and otherwise provide for colonizing free colored
persons. with their own consent. at any place or
places within the United States"


In this recommendation he seeks to give power
to do what he claims he has the power to do with





has been exercising unauthorized and Illegal au-
thority. Is not this in itself an admission that
the Constitution. unamended, grants no power to
Congress or the Executive to appropriate or use
the money of the people for any purposes contem-
plated in this amendment? He calls upon US to
compromise. What compromise is that2 For
whom does he propose COMPROMISED What forl
In order that you may have more power to ad-
vance the negro. That is all there is to it, and
tbo =, Lee Il Ho aIl tba
differences of opinion among the friends of the
Union Sin regard to slavery and the African race
among us" He says to all of those who differ
with him, surrender your convictions and come
to my plan-and he calls that COMPROMISED Com
promised Yes, trust in God the day is not far
distant when the people.of this country will com
promise and save the Constitution and the Union
for the white people, and not for the black people
Our people for no other compromise than
that.


There are other portions of the message upon
which | should like to bestow some attention
but will forbear to do so now for | desire to
call the attention of the committee to another
proportions of the President connected with thi:
subject.


The proclamation of the 23d of September last
issued by the President, took the country by
SURPRISE and 20 one of the citizens more thar
mvself | had fondly hoped and been anxious
that the President of the United States should
so conduct himself in the high Office as Chic
Magistrate, that l could lend him my supper.
] have been driven with thousands of others
into opposition to the policy contained in tina
proclamation, for reasons which must coEimers
themselves TO every rejecting man sincerely de
sirous of terminating this war and suppressing tn
rebellion.


Mr. Lincoln. on the 4th Of March. 1861, on tn
east portico of this Capitol. took vow, which b
said was registered in Heaven, TO support tn