The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-05-17
BACK In DIXIE.
A Large Numbur Of Returning Kan
Has Emigrants Arrive ON
the Howard,
WHAT THEY THINK OF BLEEDING KANSAS AND
THE POOR NEGRO THERE.
Vicksburg Herald.

Vicksburg Herald.
The James Howard which passed dowr
from st. Louis yesterday afternoon, had 8
large number of returning Kansas emf.
grants on their way back to their old South.
ern homes. The Howard left st. Louis
with about one hundred of these poor de-
luded creatures, who have been awakened
to sense of the great and cruel deception
practiced upon them by the knaves and
sharpers, who induced them to sacrifice
their little property, to sunder home ties
and take up their march for strange land
to dwell among strangers in climate as
strange to them as the people who lived
there How cruel the deception may be
judged from one story alone, that of Peters,
of the Carnack place near Point Pleasant.
He had accumulated nice little property
worth probably four thousand dollars,
when he was attacked by the prevailing
Kansas fever, aggravated by some interest
ed parties who made him believe that in
that New Eldorado he would reap harvest
| of wealth in a short time and enjoy greater
| civil, political and religious freedom and
more of social equality. 1t is but few
weeks since he made the move, and behold
the result He arrived here on the James
Howard yesterday, broken down in heart
and spirit and in purse. Since he left here
he has lost five out of a family of seven
children, two of whom he buried on the
banks of the Mississippi river from the
steamer Howard His money is all gone
and now he must commence life anew and
struggle TO regain the start in life which,
unfortunately for him, he gave up so fools
ishly. He doesen't think Kansas q good
place for darkey. He says the Southern
emigrants who landed in Kansas suffered
terribly from pneumonia, and that very
many have died, Thoy have had SHOWS
since he went, there and the Southern dar>
kies, beingavithout homes or houses, suffer-
ing terribly with the cold He was for
tunate enough to save money enough to
get back to the South and he hopes to make
crop and earn living
Henry Clendening, another of the re-
turned refugees, is well known among both
the whites and blacks in Vicksburg, and
was welcomed back by many persons of
both races on his arrival yesterday. He too
sacrificed considerable property to go to
Kansas. We asked him if he had made up
his mind as to what he would do now. He
replied that this was his home and here he
intended to stay in future. ~ had ten
acres of land" he said, (which I didn't
sell before I left here. If it wasn't for
that don't know what I'd do
"You don't think much of Kansas" the |
reporter suggested.
''No sir, not much; it amt no country
to suit me.n
About this time colored drayman. re-
cognizing Clendenning, halloed; "You
back here from Kansas How you do
Jist got back?"
Here Mrs. Clendenning suggested that
there was n good many other people in
Kansas that would like mighty well to get |
back here.
The reporter said it was the general wish
of the white people of this section that
the colored people who are here shall re-
main, and that those who have gone away
should return.
But they won't let en-" she interrupts
ted.
"Who tries to hinder Them" we asked.
''Look at dat man over dere'' she said,
pointing to yellow man in the midst of a
group "Dey like to beat him to death fur
coming away"
"Who," we asked "the whites?'
''No, sah De whites don't care. It's
colored people. Dey don't want to see nos
body come away"
''What do the whites say about it5" we
queried.
ooh dey say it is the railroads and steam
boats dat wants to make money out'n 1T,
and the government has nothing to do
with it.
A further conversation with her and her
husband, and with other of the emigrants
corroborated the statements previously
made that large numbers Of colored people
who emigrated to Kansas have been sleeps
ing on the ground without any other shelter
than the blue sky of Heaven above them
because there were no houses for them. AS
for finding shelter they say that was impos-
sible, for those who might have desired
to help them were poor like themselves and
could offer them neither houses nor employ
ment.
One darkey in a group remarked to a
crowd of eager listeners, 81 amt agwine |
to wise none of you not to go to Kansas,
but tell you dis much, if you go you'll
wish you WIS back here; and when you git |
back here you won't want to go TO Kansas
no more"
We tried to catch up with the man who
had been so badly used up by some of his |
colored brethren who objected to his leaving |
Kansas, but he got out of our way before
we had done talking, at random, with such
as we came upon. We, however, heard at
second hand that he said they had chosen
the only way to keep him in Kansas when
they tried to kill him, as he could not be
made to stay there alive.
Some CT the darkies were of opinion that
Kansas was good enough country for poo
pie who have box full of money before
they go there, but their sallow compilations
and jaundiced eyes showed that with some
Of the speakers at least, an opinion pre-
vailed that even with box full Of money
they might find some other place preferable
10 Kansas.