The New York herald., 1874-09-11
The Attempt TO Get Rid of
Negro Voters by Exile.
"THE COLOR LINE"
Tactics Of the Whites to In
timidate the Blacks.
CAUSES OF THE MASSACRES.
Prejudice and Ignorance of the
Southern Young Men.

6oaCQe1u OuuS 1A0u.
ATTITUDE OF THE FREEDMEN.
TUsculBIA, Ala, Sept. s. 1874
sat at my hotel In Memphis yesterday morning
wondering where should 90 next Three things
determined me TO come nere:-
!. had read In one Of the newspapers that Il
was matter OF great Importance to the industrial
interests OF Tennessee to get rid OF her surplus
negro population. II was limited that the drought
OF the present season might do lor western Ten
pessee what the drought Of 1878 had done for
Northern Alabama-namely, drive O large part OF
the unemployed negroes into the Mississippi
bottoms. Having already inquired into the neces-
sity OF the partial depopulation OF Tennessee
wanted 10 know the reason OF such result IN Ala
bama
2 Another reason why wanted to come here
was some talk had seen In o Memphis journal OF
the way In which the people Of this section cling
to the color line.
8. An interview ] was to have with q gentleman
OF Memphis In the end became my chief motive ior
the journey.
All these reasons are closely bound together,
and 1t s in the relation OF all that have learned
In connection with them 40 whole that expect
to be able to throw some light on the present con-
diton OF the South. No better district can be
iound anywhere for studying the great question OF
the hour-the race connict in the Southern
Statesman on the borders or the three Common
wealths which lie along the line OF the Memphis
and Charleston Railroad. This Is the Mason and
Dixon's line Of the South-the belt which divides
the corn from the cotton districts. On account Of
Its peculiar geographical position 1t was the early
battle ground in the Southwest during the war Of
the rebellion. 1t was along the line OF this road
that Sherman fought some Of his most sanguinary
battles. Corinth and Iuka are not many miles dis
tant from where / write. Beyond are the
most important railway centres OF the
entire Southwest, and stlii further TO
the west is Memphis, which commands the
upper and lower Mississippi 1t is not singular
that this should have been a hotly contested line
OF attack and defence for tue hostile armies. and
II may be regarded as more than q coincidence
that 1t IL now the battle ground OF the races That
1t Is so in no mere imaginary sense recent events
abundantly prove All the conflicts OF the last two
months-Austln, Somerville, Trent0n-toOk place
within this belt, Even here. at Tpscumbis and at
Forerce only six miles away, there were great
expectations some weeks ago OF rivallipg tho
other places. II noed not be surprising to the
readers Of the HERALD to hear OF riots ct any time
10 any OF the towns OF rhta new border land, and
tuoeo G1O(S uArc ouiy oh0 Hbipob9-tAo 0kAvAhB
away OF the negro and the consequent destruction
OF his political influence.
TIE QuRsTIpN OF 4 SURPLUS NH0Ro POPULATION.
Before begin to relate the political conditions
which render the absence Of the negro desirable,
wish to show how ABSURD 10 all this talk OF sur.
Plus negro population. In many OF the counties
along this belt the whites outnumbec the blacks
three one. In very lew counties, indeed, all the
way from Memphis to Decatur and Chattanooga,
are the negroes equal In number TO the white
population Agriculi 10 almost the only pursuit
OF the people, and the blacks do all the farm labor
1t IL 20 more honorable nov for white man In
the South to work with bis hands than it was DO.
fore the war. The question Of o surplus negro
population, then, is only question OF iole nands,
unemployed laoorers. l can obtain no testimony
which even tends to prove that there 10 an excess
OF negroes in this direction There was no mgra.
tion OF any consequence from Alabama into the
Mississippi bottoms last year, ana what there was
was induced BY higher prices for labor,
owing TO temporary causes, In that State
than In this The labor that went
there was only seeking better market, Just
a. the Pennsylvania workingmen In the border
counties often 60 to Maryland for the harvest be-
cause the prices are higher In the latter State
than in the former. l am told by wen informed
gentlemen here tnat as soon ss the temporary
demand Tor labor in Mississippi ceased the ne.
groes all returned to their old homes, and that
practically there has been no migration at all.
From Tennessee there has been no migration
Whatever, and am told upon the best authority
that none is needed. casually suggested this
question to the Hon. Emerson Etheridge, who
happened TO be In Memphis. having returned to
that city from Trenton, where he was at the time
OF the massacre. Nobody knows the condition OF
this part OF the South better than Mr. Etheridge
eotA
negroes In any Of the agricultural counties OF this
section than are necessary TO manage the crops
Upon this point the testimony ID universal, when
divorced from all political considerations, and
there are no reasons for this cry except such as
are found In political causes. The theory OF sur.
plus negro population Is myth. and there would
oe no complaints OF this kind II It were not for the
nconvenient prsssnSs ox o. negro 6S votes
1t 1t peculiarity OF the democracy OF this sec.
sssiles ION tie % color line" 1T The phrase @ psca.
iar but 1t Is iuli OF meaning ior ike most phrases
Who ms
that he object; TO acting Win the democratic ns Tn
Mr.. Hewett, the democratic candidate Tor Con-
gress from this district, was nominated because
lie stands squarely on the color line. The phrase
It appears as Q '.catchwordo In the newsps.
pers. Its significance Is not 10 be overlooked,
q war Of races in the south. Like the famous
croas-bones and skull, II Is warning TO those
whom II most concerns and IL Is likely to prove
most damaging to those by whom II was invented.
But its iui meaning is not conveyed to the mind
Sy the words themselves. Anybody can see that
II implies the organization or political parties on
the basis OF color, but It means more than this its
full significance Is that the whites are to be forced
on the one side and that even the negroes are TO
vote the other way at their peril. l would not
make this assertion except after the fullest inves
tigatton and upon the ciearest understanding of
the situation. have 1t upon knowledge entirely
apart from radical sources The radicals IN this
part oil the South have little or nothing TO say
about politics. some occult power akin 10 social
ostraclsm closes their mouths The exercise OF
this power Is very simple. A gentleman OF intel
ligence ana standing, republican, told me yes:
asked him the reason, ana his answer shows very
clearly why white republicans are so reticent In