IN T E R V IE W W IT H A B R A H A M L IN C O L N
ED. NOTE: Reference has been made to the statements of Abraham Lin·coIn by both Civil Rights groups and their opponents in an effort to justifythe position taken by each side. In order to set the record straight, we haveobtained a photostatic copy of the
New York Daily Tribune
for Friday,August 15, 1862, in which a report of an interview between a committeeof colored men and President Lincoln appeared, which took place in Wash-ington on July 14, 1862. The
New York Daily Tribune
carried the follow-ing headline introducing the interview:
T H E C O L O N IZ A T IO N O F PE O PL EO F A FR IC A N D E SC E N T .
H e H olds that W hite and B lack RacesCannot Dw ell Together.
H e U rg es In tellig en t C o lo red M en toE xert T h em selves fo r C o lo n iza tio n .H e Sug g ests C en tra l A m erica a s th eC o lo n y.
Washington,Thursday, July 14, 1862This afternoon the President of the United States gaveal,ldienceto a Committee of colored men at the White House. They wereintroduced by the ReverendJ. Mitchell,Commissionerof Emigra-tion. E. M.Thomas,the Chairman,remarked that they were thereby invitation to hear what the Executivehad to sayto them. Hav-ing all been seated, the President, after a few preliminary observa-tions, informed them that a sumof money had been appropriatedby Congressand placed at his disposition for the purpose of aid-ing the colonization in some country of the people, or a portionof them, of African descent, thereby makingit his duty, asit hadfor a long time been his inclination, to favorthat cause.Why, he asked, should the people of your race be colonized,and where? Why should they leavethis country? Thisis, perhaps,the ftrst question for proper consideration. You and we are differ-ent races.Wehavebetween us abroader difference than existsbe-tween almost any other two races. Whether it is right or wrong Ineed not discuss,but this physical difference is a great disadvan-tage to us both, as I think your race suffersvery greatly, many of them by livingamong us, while ours suffers from your presence.In a word, we suffer on each side_If this isadmitted, it affords areason at least why we should be separated. You here are freemen, I suppose.Avoice: Yes, sir.The President - Perhaps you have long been free, or all yourlives.Your race is suffering,in my judgment, the greatest wronginflicted on any people. But even when you choose to be slaves,you are yet far removed from being placed on an equality withthe white race. You are cut off from many of the advantageswhich the other race enjoys. The aspiration of men is to enjoyequality with
the
best when free, but on this broad continent, nota single man of your race is made the equal of a singleman of ours.-Go wnere you are treated the best, and the
- b - a n : l s - s f r u
uponyou.I do not propose to discussthis but to present it asa fact withwhich we have to deal. I cannot alter it if I would. It is a fact,about which we allthink and feel alike, I andyou. Welook to ourcondition, owing to the existence of the two races on this con-tinent. I need not recount to you the effects upon white men,growing out of the institution of Slavery. I believe in its generalevil effects on the white race. See our present condition - thecountry engaged in war! Our white men cutting one another'sthroats, none knowing how far it will extend; and then considerwhat we know to be the truth. But for your race among usthere could not be war, although many men engagedon eitherside do not care for you one way or the other. Nevertheless,I re-peat, without the institution of Slaveryand the colored race asabasis,the war could not have an existence.It is better for us both, therefore, to be separated. I know thatthere are free men among you who, .even if they could bettertheir condition, are not asmuch inclined to go out of the countryas those who, being sl1ves,could obtain their freedom on thiscondition. I supposeone of the principaldifficulties in the way of colonization is that the free colored man cannot seethat his com-fort would be advanced by it. You may believe you can live inWashington 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 noth-ing to do with the idea of going to a foreign country. This is (Ispeakin no unkind sense)an extremely selfishviewof the case.But you ought to do something to help those who are not sofortunate as yourselves. There is an unwillingnesson the part of our people, harsh as it may be, for you free colored people to re-main with us. Now, if you could give a start to colored people,you would open a wide door for many to be made free. If we dealwith those who arenot free at the beginning,and whose intellectsare clouded by Slavery,wehave verypoor materialsto start with.If intelligent colored men, such as are before me, would moveinthis matter, much might be accomplished. It is exceedingly im-portant that we have men at the beginningcapableof thinking aswhite men, and not those who have been systematically op-pressed.There is much to encourage you. For the sake of your raceyou should sacrifice something of your present comfort for thepurpose of being as grand in that respect as the white people.It is a cheering thought throughout life that something can be
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