The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-16

and good living have, true TO their natufa
Instincts, been the dupes Of those wire puller
who sought to reap through them some bene
fit even at the expense Of the ignorant Negro
From this came the late Kansas movement
few shrewd men 30 manipulated the poo
laborer that he thought his only salvation
was IN emigration, and 30 from the Northern
parishes OF Louisiana and Mississippi Their
poured forth flood OF deluded men who, t.
use the old story, dumped out OF the frying
pan into the fire."
None Of our river steamers have been NOR
frequently spoken Of In connection
WITH THE EXODUS
than that stately craft, the James Howard
In her trips up and down our river between
New Orleans and st. Louis, by some fatality
she seems to have been fixed upon by thu
ebony voyagers as the vessel OF hope which
was to carry them to their haven.
In order to CLEAN the most reliable infor
nation regarding the recent movement @
representative Of the DEMOCRAT called upor
Capt. James O'Nell, who commands The
Howard, yesterday just after that steamer
had arrived, and learned from him more thar
| we have been able to gather at this point, &c
distant from the Mecca OF the colored men.
| There was het sun pouring down on the
levee when the DEMOCRAT reporter crossed It,
and the cool shade afforded by the steamers
hurricane roof was thoroughly enjoyed by
the clerk the captain was pointed out, and
after an introduction the following enslled
Reporter Captain, ! have called upon you
for the purpose Of learning, Ii 1t Is possible
something about our
KANSAS TRAVELLERS, =.~.
| or rather our colored people who have left
our State for the wilds Of that place As
| you have carried q number up to ST. Louis
we thought perhaps that you might have
some Information not possessed of here.
Capt. ON don't know that can give
| you any more than has already been pub
| Ilshed. The correspondent of the DEMOCRAT
seems to have struck the keynote In this
| whole affair, and / believe he is entirely cor
rect In what he says In his telegram.
Rep You brought on your down trip, how
ever. ! believe. quite . number who were
| anxious to return to their old hOmes2
Capt ON.-Ohl yesl l brought down on
| my last trip some ninety negroes from St.
| Louis who were anxious to get back. They
had with them all the plumber they carried
| away, and were quite elated to get
HOME AGAIN.
We landed them at points from Greenvllle,
Miss, down, and you have no idea how re-
joiced they were to see their old places once
more.
Rep. the climate Of Kansas agree with
them2
board were suffering from pneumonia which
they caught from exposure. Two OF them
died on the trip down, and most were ailing
when they came on board
Rep.-How did the refugees speak Of their
reception In the sunny Kansas
Capt. ON. They were all outraged at their
treatment there. Their reception was COR
dial one, but 1T only extended to hand-shak-
ing and nothing more. AS one said, "the
niger Was imposed upon and has to stand 1T
Rep.-On the trip down did these returning
refugees have money enough to pay their
fares2
Capt ON Yes, sir. That Is to say, all those
we had on board were able to do 3d. or we
would not have taken them. Some paid their
own way, and the others, who had been
. ENGAGED FOR PLANTATIONS
here had their passage paid by firms In st.
Louis. Quite a number came down under the
auspices OF st. Louis merchants
Rep.-On your trip down did you notice
many on the banks waiting to go up2
Capt. O'N.-There were hardly any on the
banks that saw waiting to 20 up. The party
coming down with me will stop any thing like
movement Of that kind now, for the yarn
they Will give them about Kansas will unde
ceiHe those who might feel disposed to leave,
or who had formed an idea OF mmigrating.
Rep At the central towns did you notice
any gathering about the wharf boats!
Capt. ON-At atchez there was party
OF negroes camped on the wharf waiting to
go "fur dat Kansas" and when they heard
the story Of those / had on board who we're
returning from there, they came on board the
boat to come down to New Orleans, where
they thought they might get work on a SUI
gar plantation. They had been
CAMPING OUT
on the wharf for some time waiting for a
boat, but the stories told OF Kansas by those
l had on board cured them or the fever.
Rep.-Captain how did these returning col
ored men talk about their brethren receiving
them2
Capt O'N.-As / have said before, the Kan
sas niggers took them by the hand and well
told them there was nothing there to do and
no lands to spare; that was the extent or
their sympathy. According to the stories
they told me, they had to camp out on the
over them, and hence the number of cases Of
pneumonia amongst them. The promises
thrown out had been violated, and they were
Disguised. All that ! had on board agreed
as to the truth Of this. Further, l want to
tell you that in my opinion the DEMOCRATS
correspondent In Kansas has hit the nail on
the head Id this matter. According to what
my colored passengers told me, the story
about dressing up darkies to ride about the
streets Of Wyandotte was strictly correct
ceive was resorted to.
Rep. How were the negroes received at
the landings in Mississippi and Louisiana?
Capt. O'N.-It was amusing to see with
what anxiety they approached the place of
their destination. The report had been crcu-
lated ia Kansas that IL they came back to
THEIR FORMER HOMES
they would be killed outright, and when they
heard, at several landings, the merchants
oller me Inc passage money for all that /
might bring down. their feelings we're rapidly
| changed. AS squad after squad was landed,
and their old friends greeted them kindly,
they were delighted, and they sang hymns
and rcjoced as only they can. They seemed
to be beside themselves at the reception they
| met, and, as they recognized their old places,
they showed much excitement.
After short conversation on other topics,
| the reporter withdrew.
The Negroes In Kansas Coming south
AfOOt.
ST. Louis, May 15-Thirteen colored
| emigrants arrived in this city to-day from
| Kansas and eagerly desire to be taken to their