Year: 1862

His Speech to a Deputation of Color.
fnA is1VnVssoA ed Men. hHs Trss zsi -
lsoi1AssauBs "a. TrgR. i1r,tafts.
Thursday afternoon President Lincoln


received Reputation of colored men in


Washington, and made them long al


dress on the subject Of colonizing the ne
groes. E. NJ. Thomas, the chairman OF
the. delegation. remarked that they were
there By invitation. to hear what the Exc
cutiye had to say to them. ra-.1 -.


| tfI1An - - t5f'As y 1spIH0s ~ 90 l.iEf


=, Having all been seatel., the President,


after few. preliminary observations, in
formed them that sum of mony had been
appropriated by Congress, and placed at
his disposition. for the purpose Of aiding
the colonization in some country Of the
people. or 9 portion of them, of African
descent. thereby making it his duty. as it
had for a long time been his inclination. to
favor that cause; and why. he asked. should
the people Of your race be colonized. and
where? Why should they leave this coun-


try? This is. perhaps. the first question


for proper consideration. You and we arc
different races. We have between us a
broader difference than exist between al
most any other races. Whether it is right
or. wrong l need not discuss; but this
physical difference is great disadvantage
to us both, as think Your race suffer
very greatly. many OF them, by living
among us. while ours suffer from your pres
ence. In word. we suffer on each side.
Ii this is admitted. it affords o reason, at
least, why We should be separated. You.
here. are fieemen. l suppose. A voice
yes, sir. go tu s.Gl.e ai


The President-Perhaps you have long
been free, or all your lives. Your race are
suffering. in my judgment, the greatest
wrong inflicted on any people. But even
when yon cease to be slaves you are yet
far removed from being placed on an equal
ity with the white race. You are cut off
from many of the advantages which the
other race enjoys. The aspiration of men
is to enjoy equality with the best when free,
but on this broad continent not single
man of your race is made the equal of


single man of ours. Go where you are
treated the best and the ban is still upon


you. / do not propose to discuss this, but
to present il as fact with which we have
to deal. about which we all think and
feel alike. and you. We look to our
condition. Owing to the existence of the
two races on this continent, need not re-
count to you the effects upon white men
growing out of the institution of
slavery 1 believe in its general evil effects
on the. white race. See our present con-
dition-the country engaged in war-our
white men cutting one another's throats--
none knowing how far it will extend-and
then consider what we know to be the
truth. But for your race among rs there
could not be war. although many men en-
gagged on either side do not care for you
one way OF the other. Nevertheless. 1 re-
peat, without the institution OF Slavery.
and the colored race as basis. the war
could not have an existence. II is better
for us both. therefore. 20 be separated. I
know that there are free men among you
who. even il they could better their condi-
ton, are not as much inclined to go out of
the country as those who. being slaves.
could obtain their freedom on this condi-
ton. suppose one of the principle diff
fculties in the way Of colonization is. that
the free colore1 man cannot see that his
comfort would be advanced by it. You
may believe that you can prosper in Wash
ington or elsewhere in the United States,
the remainder Of your life; perhaps more
SO than you can in any foreign country.
and hence you may come to the conclusion
that you have nothing TO do with the idea
of going to q foreign country. This is Il
speak in no unkind sense)t an extremely
selfish view of the case. But you ought
to do something to help those who are not
SO fortunate as yourselves. There is an
unwillinghess on the part of our people.
harsh ss it may be. for you free colored
people to remain with us. Now If you
could give a start to the white people, you
would open q wide door for many to be
made Free If we deal with those who are
not free at the beginning. and whose intel
lects are clouded by Slavery. we have very
poor material to start with, Ifintelligent
colored men, such as are before me, would
move in this matter, much might be &C.
complished.J Il is exceedingly important
that we have men at the beginning, oapa-.
bic of thinking as white men. and not those
who have been systematically oppressed
There is much to encourage you. For the
sake Of your race you should sacrifice
something of your present comfort for the
purpose Of being as grand in that respect
as the white people, II is q cheering
thought throughout life that something
can be done to ameliorate the condition Of
those who have been subject to the hard
usages ofthe world. It is difficult TO make
a man miserable while he feels he is a
worthy Of himself, and claims kindred TO
the great God who made him. In the
American Revolutionary war, sacrifices
were made by men engaged in II, but~they
were cheered by the future. Seen. Wash !
ingtons himselfoendured greater physical
Ihardships than # he had remained. a. Brit
ish subject, yet be was a happy man. be-
cause he was engaged IN bene6ting his
race: something for the ciliIdrens of his
neighboss. having none of his'own.' saw :
!" The colony ofsEibers has been in sexis,s
tenee q long time In o certain sense il is
success. The old President Of Libers,


Roberts. has Just been with me-the first
Etime1 ever saw him. He says they have
within the bounds of that colony between
three apdifoar hundred ,theusandk people.
or more than, in some. of our old States,
such as Rhode Island. or Delaware. or In