Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-02-27
COLONIZATION.

Distress of Coiored People i'm Mississippi
"a Memorial Asking Aid to Emigrate
to Lib.ria--A \ Reply by Hon. william
ID. Kelley --Shali We Export Our Pro-
ductive labor.
Hon. William d. Kelley has received Il
communication from Mississippi enclosing
the following memorial from three thousand
colorcd people in that State appealing for
aid to emgrate to Liberia. The following
is a copy Of the memorial, with Judge
KclleJ's reply to the writer -
CoLuMBus, Miss, January 27, 1868.
To the Hon0rttbie .Sendte and House OF
Representatives of the United States:
The undersigned citizens of the State of
Mississippi humbly entrcat your favorable
consideration of our petition. We want to
go to Liberia. We want to go because we
see no prospect of success here The white
people have too much the advantage Of us.
They have all the land, all the money, and
all the education.
These things might soon be remedied ii
there was plenty of work for us to do and
the people were disposed to favor us, but
there are so many OF us that we cannot all
get work to do, unless we will work for
almost nothing. Many have to beg the
privilege to work for their victuals and
clothes to-day. Besides this, many of the
people are disposed to reduce us as low as
possible, and get our work for as nearly
othing as possible.
For proof of these statements We need
only refer you to the well known facts of
the last three three years. Great numbers
of the planters have refused the laborers
their pay altogether. More than this: the
people generally have labored to prevent
the education of our children. Few pl,nters
will allow us a teacher of our choice on
their plantations, and those who teach us in
the cities are scorned and hated.
These things being 30, how can we hope
to secure homes of our own, or even to
provide for our childrsn? Much less can
we hope to give them that education which
is necessary to fit them for usefulness in life.
How can we hope that our children will be
any better off than we are If they grow up
as they are growing up now!
If we could get to Liberia, we probably
could do better for ourselves and vastly bet
ter for our children hut we have no money,
and cannot go without help. We suppose,
from all we can learn, it will require about
| one hundred dollars apiece to send us there
Therefore we humbly pray and beseech
| your honorable bodies to look favorably
upon our petition, and either send us to the
home Of our fathers yourselves, or enable
the American Colonization Society to do so
and for your prosperity and happiness W.
will ever pay.
JUDGE KELLy's REPLY.
WAsHlNGroN, D, c., February l6, 1868.
Rev II. Ryan. Pastor, M. e. Church
Columbus, Mississippi:-
DEAR SIR Your favor covering the pc
titien of 5000 American citizens praying t.
be transported. at the cost of the Govern
ment, to the Republic of Liberia, came t.
hand yesterday. The petition will be prompt
ly presented to morrow. have meanwhil,
caused several copies of it to be made ant
sent to leading newspapers, that your praye
may be heard by the people of the countr,
as well as by their representatives
What sad commentary it offers upon th
fatal infatuation of the old master class il
the State of Mississippi! What Mississippi
needs at this time is laborers who are skillet
in the cultivation of her great staples. With
out labor land is valueless with it, il is thu
source of all earthly wealth. Were the liant
owners of the South to stimulate the indust
ry of her laborers by just reward, they woul'
find that it is the annual productions of la
Dor that gives value to land and create
towns and cities, for in three years, witt
broad planting, if the seasons shall favor tn
growth and gathering of crops, they woul
probably be as rich as they were before th
, war. Their present course tends to the
, own impoverishment.
, As said to gentleman of South Care