Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-04-14
PRIcE OF sURscKIPTIoN.
WHITE LABOR MOVEMENT IN MIS-
SFSSKPPI.
address 30 the People Of Kinds County

WHITE LABOR MOVEMENT IN MIS-
STSSEPPI.
address 90 the People OF Kinds County
At public meeting held at the court
house in Raymond, on the 2d inst, for
the purpose Of devising the best means
Of securing white lab0rers for the ensu-
ing year, the undersigned committee was
sppointed % prepare an address to the
people Of the county, calling their atten-
ton % this important movement, and TO
extend sn invitation To them To attend
an adjourned meeting to be held at the
courthouse in Raymond on the first Mon
day In Nav next, TO take other and fur
Jher steps in this direction.
In attempting 10 discharge this duty
We are at A great loss TO know what argu-
ments 20 make, or what inducements 10
ofer, IN order to arouse YOU from the
iethsrgy which seems to have paralyzed
your energies since the close Of the war,
snd 70 direct your attention To the i'm
portance Of this movement.
And now that the tumults Of war have
suhsided, leaving the people of the South
broken in wealth, almost destitute Of
active means, with their former system
Of slave labor stricken down and des-
ErOyed, we should no longer stand idlv
gazing upon the ruins and desolatiOn by
which we are surrounded, but bestir our
selves in the right direction 10 build up
and repair our broken fortunes and desc
lated plantations, by establishing some
other system Of labor, which VIII most
rapidly develop the great resources Of
our soil and climate, and enable US to
raise ourselves again from our ruined
condition to wealth and political infiu-
ence and power in the State. We owe
this much at least to posterity and those 1
who come after us, and to our beloved 1
and much injured state, il not 10 our I
selves.
But the most important inquiry is, as /
10 the best course now 20 pursue to bring /
about these Important results. Shall we 4
endeavor 10 do this By using the negro 4
population now in our midst as labOrers.
IN their present condition ss freedmen,
dem0ralized, corrupted and degraded by
the influences by which they were sur
rounded during the war and since by the
Federal army and Freedmen's Bureaus
and expect 10 make Of them the prOfita-
bic laborers Necessary to enrich our pe0-
ole and at the same time to give that
rapid increase TO our white population,
which is necessary TO advance our pOlit-
ical sscendency, power and influence in
the councils of the nation, and 10 hold
in the hands Of the white race of the State
the reins OF government Or, should we
not rather begin in time to mark out for
ourselves and State g better destiny, by {
adopting at an early day some policy for
the encouragement OfimmigTation Of free s
white laborers TO supply the great de- 7
mand for iabOreTs, now SO much needed ]
TO cultivate our plantations lying idle, {
and gradually to take the place Of the {
black population now among US, who for J
many reasons cannot and ought not to be {
relied upon as the labOring class Of the Z
State and Of the South, and by these [
means cause the black race gradually to Y
retire from the State from the want of {
employment, the white labOrers being i
preferred 20 seek employment in other {
where their labor may be more
needed and their society more coveted e
and appreciated than here, where they Z
must ever be regarded and esteemed only &
as a degraded race? d
This policy once SAFELY and surely put Z
1n foot, cannot fail to produce the best 4
results; il viii make this emphatically a
white mans country, and viii bring in t
ts train Of events untold aggregated a
wealth 10 the people, and viii certainly L
advance our political power and infu- II
snce TO an extent but little dreamed OF at O
ne present time. The system OF bring b
ng into the county and State respecta- o
lie white emigrant laborers from the Old II
rUrld which is now OYerfiOWing with =
uch. who are ready and anxious 70 come C.
.mongst Us, if sufficient inducements are Il
leld out 70 them, would soon supply our ;,
,ountv, and the whole State, with the O.
lest and most profitable labOrers in the b
world, Who, by their industry and fru- n
.alify here 70 this generous soil and q
Innate, would soon raise themselves to Is
and wealth; and being Of r,
be same color. and of no degraded race, q.
would soon become by the lawsof nature v
nd affinity, a part and parcel Of our peO- T
,le, and we would then have but one II
ace and but one color, rising gradually el
o great wealth and political importance, Il
uch as we could never expect 70 obtain pl
2 long rs we endeavor 70 hold on and 3,
.eep the negro race in our midst IS the is
avored l8b0rers Of the cOuntry-snd TINS te
,olicy must necessarily have the effect AZ
D cause the black race gradually 20 seek re
Employment IN other, and TO them, more III
avOred countries: and in due course OF ia
lme, their exodus would be complete. so
md we would then be relieved of the of
ears Of black suffrage and negro equality tr
n the State; and then, and not until al
bat time, can we ever expect to be a il
reat and prosperous people again. IN
The negro race, even II they could be Ia
elied on as laborers, and possessed suf- ii
cient industry and frugaiity TO accumu- Va
lte and lay up property, i certainly
Ould not, even then, be wise policy for
be white race 70 extend aid and encour-
cement to them-thus 10 rival us In "a
-ealth and prosperity. For 20 do this, h
-ould be placing in their hands perhaps n
he very means 10 accomplish our own
estruction, by an autag0uism or war of
aces-and il is cleai 10 the minds Of al ~ ~
sfecting men, that in the course Of time @ p
ne or the other Of the races must be eX- - -
eIled from the country, ans II we would "a
et wisely we should take the initiatory ~
.eps that win enable us, without coiiis- y.
M or shock. 20 maintain our position IN 90 -,
De State as the predOminating and gov ~
-ning race, and cause the black race 70 -
stire from the country as Indicated =,
b0ve. -
We therefore most earnestly invite r.
our attention, fell0w-citizens Of Hinds N
lunty, 10 this very important move ~
lent, involving, as we humbly believe, ~
le salvation 81 our much loved people ~
Id Statel, and request YOU 20 meet and y.
,-operate with u on the first Monday -
Nav next. - these incipient steps 10 =
remote and carry out the great under II
.AluR' DeilekluB as We 03 tnal the klto- Ia
e Of the whole State viii soon become -,
i've 10 the importance Of this mOYs- -,
ent and in due time, II deemed nenes- ~
Z -, ,,i,-s 80 t-,i,,l;s. - Co
le people Of the county and STATE invoke I -
gisiative aid and assistance 10 carry i 70
rward t0 completion. ~
}. ~ HAWKINs, IOf
81 ~ HEARD. tGUmmiftee. ! IN
GEO a.. PORTER / d