The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-20
EXODUS TO AFRICA.
The south Carolina Negroes Proposing Ia
Leave for their Native Land.

Il
The south Carolina Negroes Proposing t.
Leave for their Native Land.
IN. Y. SUM-
| CHARLESTON, July 1O.--The negroes are
alive at present with antfcipations OF O
return to their ancestral jungles. Ever
since the last election the popular senti.
ment among them has been in favor OF
an exodus to Africa. Here, lately, the
sentiment has taken definite shape, and
| organized efforts are being made to OBJ.
tain assistance from the Liberian and
American governments to assist In fur
| nishing vessels to transport the emf
grants. An agency has been estab-
lished In this city, purportino to be a.
branch of the Colonization Society of
Philadelphia, at which the emigrants
enroll themselves and pay their fees to
defray preliminary expenses. Some OF
the colored churches have taken up the
matter. and in every one Of them every
member has signi6ed his or her in.
tention to accompany their pastor.
Every idle negro Is loud In his assertion,
L am gwine on de fust ship which
starts"
On the 4th OF July the negroes held q
mass meeting on the Battery green In
this city for the propagation of their
emigration policy. There were from ten
to fifteen thousand colored persons in
attendance. Every speaker who adj
dressed them spoke favorably of the
exodus, except a white missionary from
Vermont, who was scarcely allowed to
proceed after he was found to dissent
determined to adopt the old Jewish
precedent, and send two men to spy out
the land. Accordingly an assessment OF
a nickel was levied upon each poll for
that purpose, and collected on the spot.
The Battery is beautiful spot, COW
cred with grass and regularly shaded by
oak trees. Over the head Of the nation g
wards doated the beautiful flag Of the
Union. On the green sward they were
gathered In groups OF 100 or 200, enjoy
Ing their peculiar dance OF "Tula, Lula
Lu." They were 80 intent on this enjoy
ment that they paid little attention to
the speakers, except to throw in the
nickel, and thus confirm their readiness
for the expedition: As I strolled among
those crowds OF happy beings, could
not refrain from asking sedate old me-
gro, SIS not this better than Liberia?"
The old man answered, BOSS, dis is
berry nice but dey say we must go. back
to our peoples home"
The .propagandists tell the negroes
that Africa has a golden shore, upon
whose beach old ocean daily throws the |
golden sands she digs from the deep sea. |
Diamonds are said to pave the rivulets |
Bread grows on the trees. Meat runs
wild In the woods, and one elephant will |
suffice whole family for year. Mon
keys nurse the babies while the mother |
rides In golden chariot drawn by white |
ostriches.
The less credulous and more industri-
ous people are told that cotton and rice
grow without replanting, so that two
crops are gathered each year; that cof-
Zee is perennial, and only requires pick
ing and sacking, and that in few years
they will all be as rich as their cid mas
ters were before the war.
The most intelligent are appealed to |
upon social principles. They are told |
they may stay among the white people |
q thousand years and they never will be |
more than "niggers," and IL
they go to Africa among their own peo-
pie their superior intelligence will soon |
give them place and position in their
queens, lords and ladies, among a peo-
pie whom they will elevate by their as
ISOLATION.
My own experience among the color |
I'd people leads me to believe that the |
most intelligent are those who are most |
In earnest about going. The mulattoes
seem anxious to return to |
,he land of their forefathers." They
are cut off from all social aspirations
n America, and now that political pre-
,erment, with it's compulsory social re-
is closed against them by the
OF the negro party in the late
elections. they yearn for other fields in
which to pasture. Some of them, who !
ire property holders, anticipate selling
heir property and joining the expedi-
ion.
The whites look on with different
IDEAS as to the effect of an exodus. Most
70, and then the country will fiji up
With white people, and the old State will
commence new lease Of life." Some,
however, cannot see how they are going
% get along without negro labor, and
many Of them, who yet look on their
I'D slaves as foster children, cannot
'ear the idea Of parting with them to
eturn to barbarism.