Year: 1862

"
ed States gave audience to a committee o
| colored men at the White House. The,


were introduced by Rev j. Mitchell, Com


missioner of Emigration. E. NJ. Thomas


the chairman, remarked that they wer,


there by invitation, to hear what the Exec
utive had to say to them. Having all be, I
seated, the President, after few prclmin
ary observations, informed them that
sum Of money had been appropriated b,
Congress and placed at his disposal for thu
purpose Of aiding the colonization in some
country of the people, or portion of them
of African descent, thereby making it hi.
duty, as it had for long time been his in
clination, t. favor that cause and why, h,
asked, should the people of your race b,
colonized and where? Why should The,
leave the countryy This is perhaps tn,
first question for proper considerations


You and We arc different races. We hav,
between us broader difference than exist.
between almost any other two races


Whether it is right or wrong I need no
discuss; but this physical difference is 9
great disadvantage to us both, as | think
your race suffer very greatly-many o
them living among us-while ours suffer
from your presence. In word, we suffe,
on each side. If this is admitted , it afford:
a reason, at least, why we should be sepa
rated: You are freemen, suppose?


A Voice-Yes, sir.


The President-Perhap you have LONG
been free, all your lives. Your race are
suffering, in my judgment, the greatest
wrong inflicted on any people. But even
when you cease to be slaves you are yet ia,
removed from being placed on an equality ,
with the white race. You are cut off from
many of the advantages which the othe,
race enjoy. The aspiration of men is to
enjoy equality with the best when free, bu,
on this broad continent not single man o
your race is made the equal Of single man
OF ours. 60 where you arc treated the
best, and the ban is still upon you. I dc
not propose to discuss this, but to present
it as fact with which we have to deal.
cannot defer it if | would. 1t is a fac,
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 recount to YOU the
effects upon white men growing out of the
institution of slavery. | believe in its gen.
eral evil effects on the white race. See our
present condition-the country engaged in
war; our white men cutting one another's
threats, none knowing how far it will ex
tend-and then consider what we know to
be the truth. But for your race among us
there could not be war, although many men
engaged on either side do not care for YOU
one way or the other. Nevertheless I re.
peat, without the institution Of slavery,
and the colored race as a basis, the war
could not have an existence. 1t is better
for us both, therefore, to be separated. I
know that there are free men among you
who, even if 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 condition.
suppose one Of the principal difficulties in
the way of colinization, is, that the free
colored men cannot see that his his comfort
would be advanced by it. You may believe
you can live in Washington, or elsewhere
IN the United States, the remainder of your
i'te-pcrhaps better so than you can remain
IN any foreign country, and hence you NAV
come to the conclusion that you have moth
ing to DO with the idea Of going to a for
eign country. This is Ct speak in no unkind
sense) an extremely selfish view of the
case.


But you ought to do sotr ething to .elp
those who are not so fortunate as your
selves. There is an unwillingness on the
part OF our people, harsh as 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 wide door for
many to be free. If we deal with those
who are not free at the beginning, and
whose intellects are clouded by slavery, we
have very poor material to start with II
intelligent colored men, such as are before
me, would move in this matter, much might
be accomplished 1t is exceedingly impor-
tant that we have men at the beginning
capable of thinking as white men, and not
those who have been systematically op-
pressed.


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. 1t is cheering tho't,
throughout life, that something can be done
to amcliorate the condition Of these who
have been subject to the hard usages Of the
world. 1t is difficult to make man mis-
cradle who feels worthy Of himself and
claims kindred to the great God who n ade
him. In the American revolutionary war
sacrifices were made by the men engaged
in it, but they were cheered by the future
Gen. Washington himself endured greater
physical hardships than if he had remained
British subject, yet he was a happy man,
because he was engaged in benctiting his
ace--something for the children OF his
neighbors, having none Of his own The
colony of Liberia has been in existence a
long time. In a certain sense it is a sue.
cess. The old President Of Liberia, Rob
erts, has just been with me-the first time
ever saw him. He says they have with,
in the bounds ofthat colony between three
and four hundred thousand people, or more
than in some of our old States, such as
Rhode Island and Delaware, or in some of
our larger ones. They are not all Ameri-
can colonists or their descendants. Some.
thing less than twelve thousand have been
sent th'ther from this country Many of
the original settlers have died, yet like peo-
pie elsewhere, their offspring outnumber
those deceased. The question is, if the
coiored people are persuaded to 60 any
where, why not there? One reason for an
unwillngneSs to do so is, that some of you
would rather remain within reach Of the
country Of your nativity. do not know
how much attachment you may have to-
ward our race. 1t does not strike me that
you have the greatest reason to love them.
But still you are attached to them at all
events. The place am thinking about
having for colony is in Central America.
1t is nearer to us than Libera-not much
more than one -fouth as far as Liberia, and
within seven days run by steamers. Tn
like Liberia, it is on great line Of travel
it is highway. The country is very
excellent one for any people, and with great
natural resources and advantages. and es.
pec'ally because of the similarity Of climate
with your native land-thuS being suited
to your physical condition. The particular
nj / Ia, t, hn hipt,