Oswald Garrison Villard to Woodrow Wilson

I am indebted to you for two letters, one of August 19th which touched me greatly, and one of August 21st, which equally disappoints me since it brings me your decision not to appoint the Race Commission. I understand, of course, that the difficulties of the Mexican situation prevented your seeing me, and believe me I have no personal feelings to hurt when speaking for millions of the downtrodden. I am sorry, ghowever, that you could not have found time to let me talk this over with you before reaching a final decision. Since this disappointment has come to us there is nothing left but to go ahead as best we can in another direction.
Frankly, I feel very sorry that you find yourself “absolutely blocked by the sentiment of Senators.” I believe that las with your most immediate predecessors, the time will come when you will find it necessary to go ahead and do what is right without considering their feelings. I find it the more difficult to understand this decision because of your promise to stand “for everything by which I could assist in advancing the interest of their race in the United States,” and since, as I explained to you, it involves no appeal to all–powerful senators, no asking for financial aid from them, and leaves you free to lay the report before Congress or not as you see fit. How do Senators enter into this? If it is true that inquiry sometimes means indictment, should we, who search for the truth, only hold off, particularly when, as you yourself told me, you felt it was needed and the right thing to do?
But, if we must for the present bow down to the God Expediency, will you not reconsider the matter of the “Jim–Crowing of the colored clerks in the Departments at Washington? I sent you Dr. Washington’s letter in which he said that never had he seen the colored people so discouraged and embittered as they had become since your Administration began. Is that condition to remain? Are they not to be recognized by you in any way? Are you not going to appoint any one of them to office? Are you going to continue the policy of segregation? With all respect, these are questions, it seems to me, that must be promptly answered, unless the feeling of bitterness among the colored people towards your Administration and the Democratic party shall steadily increase. You will remember that you wrote on October 16, 1912, — “Should I become the President of the United States they may count upon me for absolute fair dealing and for everything by which I could assist in advancing the interest of their race in the United States.” You will surely not alet the sSenators manoeuvre you into such a position that the colored people and their friends can say that you have not lived up to this promise? Your own mail must be showing you, if it is laid before you and you have time to run through it, how intense is the feeling, and how wide the protest against segregation.
You have seen so clearly in the Mexican situation that you will forgive me, I am sure, for wishing that a similar vision might be given you in this matter of our colored fellow citizens. Meanwhile, I shall hope, with you, “that a better aspect may come upon it before many months.” I can only believe, however, that that aspect can be put upon it by courageous and vigorous action on your part. If I speak very frankly please lay it only to my eagerness to be of service to you and to your Administration, and to the high personal regard I have for you.