Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin) (1818-1893) to F. A. Angell

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06660 Author/Creator: Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin) (1818-1893) Place Written: Lowell, Massachusetts Type: Letter signed Date: 11 July 1865 Pagination: 2 p. ; 24.7 x 19.8 cm. Order a Copy

General Butler writes to Angell in Brooklyn, New York. "A mans right to self government is inherent and inalienable. It does not depend on the degree of his intelligence or on other accident. It is the correlative of self defence. Is the negro a man? But it is said that the negro will vote as his late master directs, and thus increase his master's political power. Be it so... I do not see how he or we are worse off if the negro votes with him [the master]... we gain and can loose nothing by giving the negro the right of suffrage."

Lowell Mass.
July 11th 1865
Dear Sir,
Your kind note 7th inst. is received.
A mans right to self government is inherent and inalienable, It does not depend on the degree of his intelligence or on other accident.
It is the correlative of self defence.
Is the negro a man?
But it is said that the negro will vote as his late master directs, and thus increase his masters political power. Be it so.
(over) [2]
As the master will have control of all the voting as he did before the war, if the negro does not vote, I do not see how he or we are worse off if the negro votes with him.
If the master votes right let the negro vote with him. If the master votes wrong then we gain the chance that the negro may not vote with the master. That chance is worth something, Thus we gain and can loose nothing by giving the negro the right of suffrage.
Respectfully,
Benjamin Butler
To
F.A. Angell
Brooklyn, N Y
No 54 Elliott Place

Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893
Angell, F. A., fl. 1865

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources