Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-04-26
From the Richmond Enquifer. IL {
Nomadic Character OF the Black P0pula.

| The New York Evening Post calls the at.
tention Of the political calculators to the fac1
that great change has been made in the las,
few years, in the distribution of the negroes
as compared with the census Of 1860. Apart
from those who went Northward, and from
the increased mortality, the more northern
of the Southern States have suffered q large
loss from the tide of emigration that sets
southwark. " ti
with the removal of all restraint the ne
groes have wandered at will, sometimes TO-
wards the cities, but generally southwards.
Late statistics show that in some counties in
Virginia the number Of laborers has been re-
duced full one-half, and throughout the State
the negroes have noticeably thinned out. No
figures are given in Kentucky to show the
extent Of the exodus from that State, but
there is general complaint of the loss of la
Dor, and the local journals say that all the
best field hands are going to the Southern
cotton grounds.
q From States South Of Kentucky and
Virginia the negro movement is still south
ward. Within year the two Carolinas are
estimated to have lost from fourth to one
third of their negro population, though the
Charleston Ne,cs thinks that only $4,000
field hands have gone from South Carolina,
and these went, it says, to Mississippi, Lou
isiana, Alabama, Texas and Florida. Still
further South, the Macon Telegraph is conf
dent that Georgia has lost one-third Of her
negroes, and that the loss Of North Carolina
and South Carolina is still greater. The Au-
gusta Constitutionalist says, s. if correct
census should be taken Of the negro popula-
ton Of Georgia, startling exhibit Of decrease
would be manifest;" and that 90 one of the
chief causes of this decrease is migration to
the South and Southwest" Even in Ala
bama, which would seem, at least in summer,
about as far South as the most aspiring or
perspiring colored laborer would desire to 60,
there is marked scarcity Of labor which the
Selma Times explains by stating that the de-
pletion is due to the agents who are every
where g offering extraordinary inducements
to the negroes to go to Mississippi, Louisiana
and Texas"
This disposition to migrate will interfere
very much with the calculations of the radi-
cal politicians, even could they control the
negro vote as they hope. AS twelve months
residence is requisite to voting, most Of these
rovers will be DISTINGUISHED everywhere so
that while the States which they have left
will have the white preponderance greatly
increased, those to which they have gone will
be but little effected This emigration will
put the States Of Virginia, NORTH Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas,
wholly above any serious interference thro'
colored suffrage; while the whites of South
Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana will be
able to maintain themselves without difficult
ty.
Nor will Texas, which has drawn off so
many Of the blacks, be in any jeopardy Of
coming under their control, as its white pop
ulation exceeds the black nearly three to
one
It will be seen, therefore, that those who
would organize the black population against
the whites, would engage them in an utterly
hopeless contest in every State in the South.
They would be outyoted every where, and
would besides forfeit that good will which is
infinitely more important to them than votes.