The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-01-25
the Negro DlstAtBances in Can
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The Negro distuFbakses which were slIu.
ded to 10 our issue Of yesterday were NOS
overrated in Importance, az 10 confirmed bv
subsequent adVIces, while the extent Of the
agitation was much greater than was at the
time surmised. In regard to the fendish
transaction enacted at Anderdon, half Of the
truth was not told. Officers are In pursuit
OF the rescued criminsls, and great indigna.
tion prevails throughout the whole vicinity,
so that, If they are caught and delivered into
the hands Of the poPdlee, they will be &C.
Verely dealt with. . : A,L.'si n g
At Chatham, forty miles from this city, Q
crowd composed OF several hundred negroes
took possession Of the public school houses
early on Monday morning, and, when the
white teachers and scholars arrived, refused
to allow them to enter or in any manner oh.
tain possession of them. AZ there seemed
to be q disposition to carry matters with q
high hand, the authorities were called in,
but, from the fact that the negroes inhabitinR
the town for ovtnumber the white citizens,
there were no means available except those
OF conciliation: The Africans were headed
by one Shadd, q negro who has made him.
self prominent In that vicinity for some time,
having been concerned In the forcible rescue
case whirh occurred there two years ago.
The Mayor and Councilmen assembled on
the spot. accompanied by a msjorlty of the
citizsns. The whole town was in uprosr, in
consequence of the warlike demonstrations
OF the negroes, and the crowd and excite.
ment were consequently very great. The
negroes demanded moi only that the schools
should be thrown open to them, but that
they should be allowed to participate ia their
management, which, on account of their
numbers, is equivalent to giving them the
control. They have hitherto been allotted
schools and teachers by themselves, the lat.
ter being drawn from their own race, but
lhey declared that they were as good 90 the
whites, it not better, and that they must be
allowed to send their children to the white
schools. 1t was not claimed that any supe.
rIor advantages were to be gained BY THE
arrangement, but the negroes considered Il
an ind'gnty that they were not placed In
Immediate contact with the whites, and were
determined to compel the latter to submit
to their society, and that Of their children.
Az the hatred entertained bv the whita
citizens against the whole race is neither
slight nor 10 any manner disguised. IL NAV
DO Imagined what their feelings were upon
being coerced into compliance with such in.
solent demands. The conference continued
sume hours, the authorities maintaining q
conciliatory and peaceful course, and the
negroes asserting their claims with arro.
gance and violent demonstrations. They
were finally quieted by the assurance that
their claims should be taken into considers.
tlon, and such arrangements made as could
with propriety be brought about. This
means nothing, Of course, as the demands of
the negroes must be complied with or resist.
ed' In case they are complied with, the
town, and as consequence the surrounding
country, will be under their rule, and if they
are not conflict may be expected between
the white and the black races, in which the
former will hive great dificulty in maintsin.
ing their ground, as they are in the minority.
ihere are about twenty two hundred negroes
in Chatham alone.
At Sandwich, three miles below this CITY.
there was disturbance growing out of tho
same cause. The whies in opportioninp
the school tax, assessed themselves only.
leaving the negro population out, in order
that they might not control the cause Of ed.
ucatIon ny their votes at the ballot. box.
The negroes were highly incensed at this
and went in body to the polls on the occa
sion OF the election OF school officers. deter.
mined to vote. They were resisted and
driven away, and much i'll feeling and enmi-
ty eDgendered.
II will be seen by sll these indications
That the negro population of our neiphbor.
ing province is becoming organized and bold
in its opposition TO the legitimate institutions
OF the country, and overbeari0g and insolent
toward it's rightful citizens. We NAV safely
say that the hatred with which thew are re.
garded in return is not less violent or open
than their own demonstrations. There arc
very few whites living on the borders, where
thls fugitive race most congregate, so fanatic
as TO close their eyes TO the fact that their
lmmlg' alton is fast tending towards the de.
morallzation OF the country. As citixens
they are worthless to the last degree, while
crime prevails among them to an alarming
extent, and swells the criminal calepdars az
the country with the most revolving offences
- particularly with the violation Of female
chastity. With all this in return for tho
mistaken kindnessos which have been Offer.
ed Them, they are now becoming bold and
violent, and have dared to resort to the hish.
handed measures which We have recorded.
all OF which, we repeat, are obviously the
result OF concerted movement among tho
great body Of negroes inha biting this portion
'f the province. Canada has nursed viper
n its bosom. which is dow preparing to turn
upon it: The hordes oil blacks which have
or years poured into lts border counties are
beginning to ieel their powers and, IL we
mistake not, will give infinite trouble before
hey are egaih crushed down their proper
evel.-Dekr0H Free Press: