Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-04
Suppressing the Exodus.

"The South clings to the negro as vote
more than IL ever chung to him as a slave,
says the New Orleans Picayune, and fraukl,
gives as the reason of this increasing at
tachment the fact that, while the coloret
people are Republicans, and in the minority
(where, by the way, the democrats know
very well how to keep them), they increase
the representation of the states in Congress
and are therefore indispensable. Inspired
by this same uuquenchable love, General
Chalmers, of Mississippi, lately declared
upon the floor of Congress that the South
clngs TO the negro with great tenacity, and
is ready to fight anybody who tries to per
suade it to release its hold. Mr.. Chalmers
says he has written to the governor OF
Mississippi advising him to arrest every one
on board of any steamer that shall appear in
the Mississippi river offering to carry north
ward the colored people who have been re-
fused transportation by the regular boats,
and he thinks the governor will follow his
advice. lie has no doubt that large num-
bers of negroes have gathered on the river
bank, and have been refused passage on the
regular boats, though ready 70 pay for it,
and he justifes the refusal. The white peo-
pie, he says, will resent any attempt to pro
vide means of transport for those people
who want to go and are willing to pay their
way, as incendary and dangerous. They
will regard it as an invasion Of their country
and interference with their laborers, and
whoever attempts it will suffer.
This threat of General Chalmers looks
more like the re-establishment of slavery
than anything we have seen. But it is an
idle and foolish threat. While cruelties
and outrages innumerable can be, and are,
heaped upon the freedmen, this is going
quite too far. If it is understood that the
governor and people of Mississippi really
mean to follow his advice, it will not take
long to fit out fleet of steamboats, to test
the question whether the Mississippi river is
free highway or not, and whether the peo-
pie of Mississippi of all colors, can exercise
their rights to travel whittier and as far as
they can pay their way. II this right is
disputed, the settlement will not be left to
the authorities of the state, nor to those
who arrogantly claim to be the people of
Mississippi, though in fact they are but a
minority of its inhabitants.
Not until the teachings of all human his
tory are reversed will it be possible to sue
cessfully prevent escape from such bloody
prosecutions as are described by those poor
fugitives who have at last trodden the soil
and breathed the air of freedom. Witness
the following from st. Louis correspond
ent, as derived from one of party just
arrived from Mississippi-perhaps from Gen
eral Chalmers own district
A pathetic story was the first one we heard and
it came from gray-haired old negress, who
seemed almost blind | said to her, Aunty,
where is your old man?' With sigh she said,
Use got none"
"Who did you come with p
ovid dat chile, pointing to girl of about
fifteen.
Haven't you any men folks to care for you p
The old creature looked up at me with a sigh,
and answered slowly, yet with the most simple
and pathetic earnestness:
az believe dar's a heaben an hell, an dat dem
dat lies an steals an kills goes to hell. knows
dat. Jes' two weeks afore Christmas my ole
man went out in de cane to look To- de mule, an
he nebber come back no noah. DE white folks
said he gone Norf Den de day arter Christmas
my brudder went out in de cane, an when it got
dark he did't come back no noah, an dey said he
gone Norf too But | was 'fraid he done gone
furder away dan dat, an de next day | tole my
boy-he was oer dan dis gal-to go out and tend
he was looking fur de mule, and see ef he could
find EN-. An he nebber come back no noah,
An when Sunday came dis gal sed she would go
in de cane, fur de grangers wouldn't be out dat
day, an when she got down in de cane to ards de
byou she sees de buzzards sailin round and roun,
and she went ober dar, fur she thought de mule
had got stuck in de mre an died; and when she
got dar she foun de ole man almos ct up by de
buzzards, but she knowed de close. Den she seed
de buzzards sailin roun at nudder place, an she
went dar, an dar was her uncle nose half ct up,
an close TO him was her brudder. Den we come
away sayin we was gwine to fine de ole man an
de boy, an dat gal an me is all dats left"