The Portland daily press., 1869-04-28
Mr.. Helper, of NOrth Carolina, ON North
lern Emigration 10 the south.

TO the Editor of the Press:
Some years ago. when Kansas and other ter
ritories Of the West were seriously threatened
with the degrading and destroying influences
OF negro slavery, New England and the North
saw the danger, and, by wise and patriotic
system Of organized emigration, at once sailed
forth in their might and secured those vast do
mains as the heritage forever of Anglo Amer
ican freemen. Dangers of not precisely the
same nature, but of a similar nature, are now
inperilllng the highest and best interests of
al 'ne southern States, and know of no way
Dy which those dangers can be so speedily
or so efiectually averted as by applying to the
south generally the same system and sort of
emigration as was so successfully applied in
solving the great Kansas problem.
1t augurs well for the future unity. peace
progress of our entire Continent, that emil
grants from the East, from the North, from
the West and from Europe, are already begin
ming to find their way into the South, but 1
regret to know that many of those who have
come among us, Il speak as a Southerner,)
have not come advisedly. In many cases new
comers, especially from the East and from the
North, have manifested a strange preference
for coming into those parts of the South where
there is a preponderating population of ex-
slaves and ex-slaveholders; and it Is in inst
those very places where, as yet emgrants are
certain 10 De made to feel more or less dis
tressful absence of friendly hearts and hands.
Hence, in some instances, their return to the
North, and, as matter of course, unfavorable
accounts
Beyond all doubt, and for many reasons, as
it seems to me, western North Carolina (where
large majority of our population are white
unionists, where the land is cheap the soil
fertile, and the climate one of the most genial
and healthy in the WI rid, is the particular
section of the South in which it is now most
easy and advisable for Northern and Euro
pean emigrants to secure for themselves ON
very reasonable terms, safe permanent and
happy homes.
Let me entreat you and the people of the
North generally without distinction of party)
to give your earnest and active sympathy to
all measures jldiciously calculated to encour-
age emigration to the South-to all parts of
the South. What is needed for most of the
Southern States is organized emigration, emf
grafton in force, emigratio in colonies. Our
national well-being requires it; to you at the
North it will be an advantage; to us at the
South 1t will be blessing. II we could only
turn the whols tide of emigration from the
East, from the North and from the West to
The South, for the next two or three years,
have no doubt it would do vastly more to
bring the South into general harmony of sent
inent and purpose with all other sections of
the country, than anything else that could pos
sibly be done.
Can the North-ean all classes of people at
the North-be induced to take correspond
ing view of the matter, and to act according
ly? If SO, the prosperity and loyalty eff every
Southern State may soon be established be-
yond contingency; and all present apprehen-
sions that any part Of the South may lapse in
to the lamentable condition of Mexico, a
Hayti, or San Domingo, win at once dis
appear. HINTON Rowan HELPER.
PrebLs House, Portland, April 26. 1850