New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-30
EMIGRATION FROM THE SLAVE TO
THE FREE STATES.
Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune

EEw-ALBAsY, Ind, Nov. IL 1850.
One of the common sights in this city il forlorn-
looking team" with its freight, creaking and thump
ing at oxen-pace over the street Ii is the whole
earthly property Of poor white man from - down
country" who has just crossed the Ohio River, and
for the first time in his life bresthes the air and tresds
the soil Of Freedom.
"say neighbor, which lie the best road to git out
| into tie State Of Indiana 7"
The needful directions being given the won-lookins
man, dusty, slouchy, and pitful, drags his feet
ward Slowly and YEARLY the wag their heads,
and pull the crazy vehicle toward the North star Two
horses, bony and with patched harness of ropes,
leather and old plow chains lead the team. On one
of them site an astonishingy small boy, holding the
reins his bare legs and feet dangling and his dirty
sod face shaded by the skeleton Of an old straw hat
that descended from his grandfather. The wagon
is covered with patched canvass and the patches are
patched again and the newest patches torn into holes
The day il warm for the season. and The sides OF the
cover tucked up TO let air in upon the nix children
that are packed among the bags Of bran and bedding
Twelve twinking eyes look out, almost ferccly, on
every passenger and way side object az il half fright
ened half suspicious Of being caught cooked and
eaten MP by Black Republicans. The same proverb
that gives luck the fool makes the poor father
of many children 1t IL wonderful 10 look at these, all
apparently the age 10 suggest three at
BIRTH and then at the young, slab-sided draggled
WOMAN holding on the tail Of the wagon 10 keep up
her wearied pace with the moving household. But
girls are married and become mothers almost before
they cease to be children in thnysettled parts Of the
country, where women are scarce; and they breed
rapidly in the rude where all the energies Of life
are gwen TO the animal nature and intellectual
culture.
Nv companion conceived warm interest FOR this
emgratng family and also had curiosity 10 graft
~ az to their whence whittier and why. So he fell
behind for few minutes and reappeared with
load Of cakee which lie gave TO the woman, who was
struck dumb by such and spontaneous gift Her
face, however expressed real gratitude. 8. then
stepped to the aide Of the wagon and held up stick Of
candy to the astonshed twelve twnkling eyes, which
twinked Immediately with less ferceness and moro
pleasure. Six sticks, with that beautiful spiral red
streak on white ground, which is 10 much pretuer
than rainbow all children, converted the troop into
laughing suckers and opened the door wide CONVEX
cation with the father Of the Aock; ..
"Going North, gee"
" Yes, Sir"
" From the South u . 49,
"Yes, Sir-about hundred miles below Louisville,
on the Nashville turnpike"
"Well, you got a lot Of boys and girls there that
will be able to work after awhile Going TO look for
land 7"
"That's what I'm calculatin' on-or to git work of
some kind-work is plenty reckon, In the North.
And amt use tryin TO hveany longer down where
My friend had said enough. A Southern man will
give twenty answers TO one question while Yankee
gives twenty queetions 70 one answer.
81 left Virginia FIVE year, ago to come North, but
in Kentucky, and paid 800 for It. Had % acres in
corn this season and didn't git clean bushei TO the
acre. Drouth killed everything. 1t wasn't mach
better Last year; and the year before that rain killed
everything So determined TO come North. had no
niggers TO work my land, and no money 70 buy en-
faint use for a poor white man to Try and I'VE
down there. ] know good many that's bound TO
starve il they don't away. They'll starve this
Winter if they don't GIT help. tried 10 sell my land
but couldn't at anything for IL 70 rented 1t out Tor
two years at go a year, and I'm going to try the
North, where everything isn't oyenun with nigeers.
This the poor mans history, given nearly In his
own words. To some particular inquiries he an
swered with such fscs abnndanty set forth In
Mr. Olmneads works on Southern life. BE was thor
oughly wearied out with successive years Of hard
work and at finding that every year made him poorer
and sunk him deeper into the ditch Of helpeesDess.
He repeated, unprumpted, and with great emphasis,
81 tell you it's in poor white people trying to
sc, along in thai country. They re Ieayin IT "a fast
az they can and they must leave it. They re actually
staryin worse and worse every year."
g. and myself had get out for walk in another d.
rectioh and were led nearly two mes out Of our way
by this rencounter The last that Of the house.
hold team il wac toing over the top of hill, meas-
uring it, way by slow steps to Land where labor is
respected and where the children Of the poorest labor
err enjoy the opportunity Of common school education
Some days ago, l saw at the New-Albany Railroad
depot another faulty % Southern emigrants' The
man was experimenting the transfer Of his entire prop
erty from the wagon 10 the cars All told was not
one horse-load. His wife stood with seven chill
dren round her the youngest baby in the arms OF the
edert daughter. They had look of "strangers In
strange land that attracted my sympathy, and
asked the mother if they travelling northward.
She answered in the affirmative, and added that they
were just from Kentucky about 10 miles from Louis
vile. Her husband came mp and joined in the con.
yerfation lie had been there slave overseer and
subsequently tried to get along by farming
well" said be, " ] found out that all my labor
went for nothing Then tired working for other REQ