, 1879-06-07

owod tho magnificent destiny OF our neigh
bors over tho limo. :.
AN APPEAL FROM THE SOUTH
TIM TRtBuNE Inns published tho appanl
issued by tho cotton-planters Of Washington
County, Miss, TO tho people Of tho North,
begging tho latter not to lend their MD to
tho emigration Of tho negroes on the ground
that auch assistance would bo ut onoe IN
injury and injustice to tho landowners in
the South. Tho document fairly represents
the convictions of largo portion Of tho
native whits population Of Louisiana and
a1tssiasippf, and Is therefore entitled
to moro consideration than II It wero
q nero local manifesto. TnE' Tn1nusE,
on tho bnsls Of the information which
It hns gathered. has alroady oounselod
that no bonts DO aont South for tho FREQ
transportation Of the btacks this summer.
But this advice wns not prompted by tho
reason Mr. CHALMERS gavo, that such
nsHiptanco would be rcsiated by tho nuthori-
tics and population Of Mississippi, nor
because TuE TRIBUNE believes in tho inter
probation put upon tho exodus by tho native
whites. but because 1t believes that the black
laborera have gonerally returned to tho plan-
tations with the purpose Of working out tho
present aoason, md because II hopos that, II
the exodus shall tako now sthrt noxt
wintor, tho pooplo Of tho South viii hayo
tho good Judgment not to attempt
my violent Interference with voluntary emt-
grafton. Il, next winter, after the present
crops sitall have beon harvested md tho
negroes shall have discharged the obligations
they hare incurred on account Of nd
vances made to them. there ahn1l bo any
number Of blacks, bo 1t many or fow, who
dosire to migrate from tho South, but are de-
tained by tho rofusal Of the steamboats, to
carry tlem, or by any other illegitimato I'M
pediment thrown In their way, tho land
ownors OF Mississippi and Louisiana may bo
convinced TINT tho people of tho North, with
moro impartial notion Of Justice in all
mattors in which tho negro is concerned, will
provide tho voluntary omigrants with tho
means Of escape.
Having thus diaclnimcd any desire to en-
courage Bnch assistance to tho moycmont Of
the blacks as would work injury or injustice
to tho landowners Of tlo South, it may bo
we'll to point out tho tallacics upon which
tho appeal to tho North ia bnsed. "Tho
negro has no causo for dissatisfaction here," J"
says this address, "otlter than what is COM
mon to tho labor class everywhere It is
charitable to suppose that Ignorance of tho
condition and treatment Of tho 1nboring
classos elsewhere Is accountable for
30 palpablo perversion Of tho fact. Labor
outside tho Southern Statos Inns certainly
suffered from tho hard timos Of the past fow
years 10 considerable cxtont, but not In
tho ,saua way rs tho black plantation
laborota. Laborsra at the North, though
employment has not boon sos steady nor
wagcs SO large, havo enjoyed tho reduction
in prioo OF nll tho commodities they consume
mud in tho amount Of rent md taxes they
pay in tile san,e proportion as their om-
ployorB. This ia not the oase at tho
South. Tho negro tenant pays as high n
rent to-day rs he did some ye%rs ago, When
tho value Of tho land rstod double what II is
now mud when tho landowner paid nearly
twica as much in taxes. As to tho cost Of
living, thoro is no osler large section in this
world, so far as NO know, where tho in
famous practics prevails Of charging tho
laboror at 1enst 100 por cont too much for
everything ho buys, oven though ho buy on
credit. 10 long as this system is maintained
| in tho South, 1t cannot DO fairly claimed
that black labor thero is placoa upon tho
same footing rs whito labor elsewhere.
| Finally, thero is ono constant aud essential
difference between tho trea.mont Of tho
nogro ut tho South nud tho whito laboror at
tho North, viz: Tho latter's political at
taohmonts uevor subject him to diso1im1na-
tiona and prosecutions; tho bulldozing II
suffered by tho negro Is t'causo for
dissatisfaction unknown In other pazts oi
tie country.
It is also asserted that tho Legislation Of
tho State docs not operate unfairly, that tho
population Ia divided into tho two classes ot
landlords and tenants, and that the rights
and wrongs Of tho Inter aro tho samo, wheth.
or they bo blaok or white. 1hls statement
is true so far as It goes, but IT concoa!a cer
tain facta TINT have au important bearing or
| tho oase. Tho landlords arc almost without
exception white, and tho tonauta almost in'
yariably black. Tho oppression Of the planta'
ton System, ~ consequence, falla rnaiuty
upon the blaoks and, with the administra
tion Of the police authority and courts In tht
hausla Of the whitcs, tho black tanants do moi
gooura any too favorable construction oI
tto laws rs they stand; Willie the statonen
is tr1le that tho laws 0ro tho same for botl
races, the division Of these races into the twt
clhsses of landlords and tenants, and the con
| etruotion md administration Of tho laws by