LINCOLN At once---- [LINCOLN _turns to his desk and takes up a document containing his plan of Colonization and examines it as_ NICOLAY _and three well-dressed colored men enter. They are typical Africans._] FIRST NEGRO [_Bowing deferentially._] Mr. President----! SECOND NEGRO [_Tenderly._] _Our_ Father Abraham---- THIRD NEGRO [_With religious feeling._] We salute our Savior! LINCOLN Welcome, my friends. I have sent for you this morning to place in your hands a copy of my plan for colonization and to ask your help---- FIRST NEGRO Yes, sir---- [_The ebony faces with their cream white teeth showing in smiles and their wide rolling eyes make a striking contrast to the rugged face and poise of the President._] LINCOLN Your race is suffering, in my judgment, the greatest wrong inflicted on any people. But even when you cease to be slaves, you are yet far removed from being placed on an equality with the white race. On this broad continent, not a single man of your race is made the equal of a single man of ours---- FIRST NEGRO It's so--yes, it's so----! LINCOLN Go where you are treated best and the ban is still upon you. I cannot alter it if I would. It is better for us both, therefore, to be separated. For the sake of your people you should sacrifice something of your present comfort. FIRST NEGRO Let our great leader show us the way---- LINCOLN The Colony of Liberia is an old one, and it is open to you. I am now arranging to open another in Central America. You are intelligent and know that success does not so much depend on external help as on self-reliance. If you will engage in the enterprise I will spend the money Congress has entrusted to me for this purpose. I ask you to consider it seriously, not for yourselves merely, nor for your race and ours for the present time, BUT FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND. FIRST NEGRO We will, sir----! LINCOLN The practical thing I want to ascertain is whether I can get a number of able-bodied men with their wives and children to go at once--men who "can cut their own fodder" so to speak----? Take this plan, show it to your people---- [_Hands the document to the First Negro._] --and find this out for me---- FIRST NEGRO We'll do our best---- THIRD NEGRO [_Bowing out with religious ecstasy._] Praise God forever for our Savior-Leader----!