You have had a
great deal of experience in moving bodies of men by water--your
movement up the James was a magnificent one. Now we shall have no use
for our very large navy. What then are our difficulties in sending the
blacks away?... I wish you would examine the question and give me your
views upon it and go into the figures as you did before in some degree
as to show whether the Negroes can be exported." Butler replied: "I
will go over this matter with all diligence and tell you my
conclusions as soon as I can." The second day after that Butler called
early in the morning and said: "Mr. President, I have gone very
carefully over my calculations as to the power of the country to
export the Negroes of the South and I assure you that, using all your
naval vessels and all the merchant marines fit to cross the seas with
safety, it will be impossible for you to transport to the nearest
place that can be found fit for them--and that is the Island of San
Domingo, half as fast as Negro children will be born here."[33]

This completes all of the evidence obtainable concerning Lincoln's
thought and plan for the colonization of the slaves freed by his
proclamation. From the earliest period of his public life it is easily
discernable that Abraham Lincoln was an ardent believer and supporter
of the colonization idea. It was his plan not only to emancipate the
Negro, but to colonize him in some foreign land. His views were
presented not only to interested men of the white race, but to persons
of color as well. As may have been expected, the plan for colonization
failed, both because in principle such a plan would have been a great
injustice to the newly emancipated race, and in practice it would have
proved an impracticable and unsuccessful solution of the so-called
race problem.

CHARLES H. WESLEY.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Cf. Chapter XVII, Nicolay and Hay, _Abraham Lincoln, a History_.

[2] President Fillmore in his last message to Congress proposed a plan
for Negro colonization and advocated its adoption. This part of his
message was suppressed on the advice of his cabinet; but even had this
not been done, there is no reason to suppose that the plan would have
been adopted. President Buchanan made arrangements with the American
Colonization Society for the transportation of a number of slaves
captured on the slaver, Echo, in 1858.

[3] Eulogy on Henry Clay, delivered in the State House at