The daily gazette., 1879-05-31
THE NEGRO MCMAHON.

brave and appreciasiae men that congre-
gated there.
THE NEGRO MCMAHON.
VISIT OF ExPosTULATIoN-soUT
REPREsENTATIvEs CALLING ON TIE
PRESIDENT.
A Washington correspondent thus de-
scribes the interview We between the me-
bers of the Southern delegations in Con-
gress and the President regarding the
exodus Of Southern negroes:-
Among the callers were Senator La
mar and Representative Chalmers, and
to these gentlemen the President stated
that his remarks had been distorted, and
the publication Of the declaratl on attri-
buted to him was unwarranted. Mr..
Chalmers says that, upon hearing Of the
interview, h, promptly advised the Gov
ernor OF MI sissippi that new agents
were at work to revive the migratory
movement, aud that his information lod
him to believe that the intent of the pro-
jectOrs Of the scheme was to fOment
trouble and disturb the laboring classes
by melting them to strike and abandon
their present employers.
Mr.. Chalmers stated to the President
that his advices were to the effeot that
everything had quieted down, and that
there was no disposition on the part of
the lab1ring class to seek other homes.
If, however, agents should 60 among
them and declare that the President urg-
ed them to emigrate 1t would unsettle
the blacks, cause them to disregard their
contracts and encourage general aban-
donment of the plantations for the pur-
pose OF going nOrthward. 1t was not a
question whether they had the right to
leave the South, but whether interested
parties were authorized to 60 among the
Southern people and announce that the
admiuistrat on at Washington or the
President had recommended the exodus.
The President again assured Mr.. Chal-
mers that no one was authorized to rep
resent his views for any such purpose,
and that the answers he had made to Ger
an alleged condition of affairs. The
President, recognizing the Importance
of checking belief IN the report of the
remarks ascribed to him, authorized a
contradiction.
To-day, Messrs. Gibson, Ellis, and
King, of the Louisiana delegation, had
an interview with the President, prompt
ed by the receipt OF information that
parties had already been along the banks
of the Mississippi telling the blacks to
prepare to leave, as the Government
WAS KOluk W bcuu UOdbo w tohC thOA
away. This Information, together with
the published report of the interview
with the President on Saturday, natur-
ally suggested that the abettors OF the
emigration movement had first taken
steps to encourage dissatisfaction among
| the laboring class along the banks of the
river in Mississippi and Louisiana, and
| then had made this a pretext for appeal
| ing to the President for his word of en-
| couragement and promise of support.
Tho President said most emphatically
| that the declarations ascribed to him by
| Mr.. Conway were UNIV arranted. What
he did say was that the navigation OF
the Mississippi River and the right OF
locomotion were guaranteed by law and
should be protected, but he had no idea
| of sending steam DOats to carry away or
| to induce the colored people to aba ldon
their old homes, to br eak their contracts
or to emigrate In large bodies, because
all such measures would be injurious to
the colored people, their employers and
the communities to which they NIGH
60.
Mr.. King told he President that il
was known that certain persons were
striving TO convince the cOlored people
that II they didn't 60 voluntarily they
would be moved away by the Govern
ment; that they must all get ready, anC
that they would be furnished homes anG
be supported by the Government. The
rumor was widespread that Govern
ment steamboat was coming and that
they must be prepared to move; thai
these rumors had produced profound
impression upon the colored people and
that they were melting q new exodus
after the first had spent its force and 6
counter movement had begun.
The President observed that it was fal
from his purpose to contribute in any
way to unsettle the relations betweeI
the races, and thus to disturb business
and make trouble.
that the President had been grossly mis-
represented, but somehow puzzled Il
undo the evil which the report, alread,
circulated, was calculated to make. Th'
Southern members are satisfied that ;
renewal of the disturbance has been sys
tematically planned for political ant
speculative motives, and that the plant
ers have reason to fear an abandonment
of the crops at a season when the neglec
will be sure to be followed by seriou
loss. 1t Is understood that the Governo
of Mississippi has been fully advised o
the exact understanding ;of the who'll
question by the President, and that step
will be taken to cOunteract all falls
hopes calculated to mislead the ignoran
lahorers. 1t IL known that there are
large number of steamboats, idle at thi
season of the year, and the owners ar
only too ready to enter into any cor
tract that will give their boats employ
meut. Hence 1t is feared that the agent
of the movement will be able to 90 dow
the N ,ssissippi and circulate reports t
the effect that Government boats hav
} come to take all away who wish to fin
better homes ii the Northern States, IAN
thus cause dissatisfaction and restless
ness among large class of the fiel
hands, upon whose labors the planter
|, are dependent.
Mothers Will grow weary and sig
over the baby's troubles when DIR, Bull