Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-05-14

In all our reading concerning the fight of
the freedmen from the land of persecution to
that of promise, we have seen nothing which
gives more graphic and apparently truth
full account of their grievances and aims
than is contained in the following from st.
Louis correspondent of the Springfield Re
publican:
ST. LOUIS, May A, 1879.
spent day among the negro refugees in St
Louis. The principal colony was located at 81
South Levee street They had come upon the
Golden City from Tensas parish and from the river
plantations along the Mississippi, Many of the
negroes who seem very poor really have some
money hidden away. From St. Louis they are
going in all directions. Farmers write letters
from Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois asking for
family to be sent to them. The negroes who come
away from the South are hard working, sturdy
laborers-men who want a home and want to
work for it. They all say they expect TO suffer
and expect to work
In the group is Orange Pickett, who brought his
wife and two strong handsome sisters from Tensas
parish When ask him why he came, he says:
81 came because every time masr John went
away dey'd come over from Helltown and allow'd
dey'd kill us" &c.,. ,.,,..o,,,
"The poor whtes-the bulldozers. They'd get
drunk and then 90 to shootin' de colored people.
Dey killed my two brothers. had twenty-five
acres of cotton and good many nights laid out
in de woods all night and my wife a erwin"
"Then the planters did not harm you?"
"No, de planters, when we signed de contrack,
allowed dey'd protect us, but de yeller fever come
on and dey went Norf and den de bulldozers
came in
Orange Packets contract last year, which he
showed to me, was as follows; He was to make
twenty-five acres of cotton and three acres of
corn. lie was to pay FIVE bales of cotton for the
OF the land, two bales for the use of two mules,
two bales for the feed for the mules and one bale
1t TO- aalat. anita In. all
was to pay ten bales Of cotton for the use of
twenty-five acres OF land and the of two mules.
In his passbook provisions were charged to him
at the following prices.
Louis. Meal per barrel, 50, worth SO in St. Louis.
Molasses per gallon, 81, worth thirtyfive cents in
st. Louis. Shoes, -. go worth 81 20 in St Louis.
Domestic cloth, twenty-five cents, worth ten cents
in st. Louis.
The crop resulted in Orange making eleven
bales of cotton, a half bale to the acre-an aver
age crop-which left him in debt over a hundred
dollars, and which was charged up to him for the
year. The fallacy that deceives the negro is the
idea that he can make bale of cotton to the
acre This can be done, but a half bale is a good
average. bale Of cotton is worth $40. So you
see it is big income $40 for an acre OF land
worth itself only about $40.
The only way the planter will be able to keep
the negroes is to rent them land at ~ or 80 per
acre The absolute rent that Orange Pickett was
required to pay really about $50 per acre, II
we count tne prOut maze on supplies ana tne ex-
travagant rent asked for mules and tools.
The negroes are generally poor, though saw
one man who had $1,000 with which to buy land
| in Kansas There is no wood in Kansas and coal
| is dear, and when Winter comes misery will fol-
| low. 1t were much better for them to stay in the
cotton states il they could be protected there Bnt
unless the planters rise up en- pldSse and squelch
the poor white hoodlums who kill and scare the
negro, the entire cotton states will be depopulated
| next year, The ten thousand that have come out
| are only the forerunners of a general stampede
| next year, il things do not mend in the South.
"Did you have any trouble in getting away
| from Louisiana" | asked George Holiday, who
brought his three sisters and little brother out
"Yes, he said, 1--WE had to come off in the
| night, The white folks swore In Tensas parish
that they'd kill the first niger that tried to get on
| a steamboat. So sent my brother and sisters to
| landing ten miles above, and went five miles be-
low with my, two mules to get on myself
did you bring out your mulesP'
| years; but a white man saw me put EN- on the
| Golden City, and he ran his horse car TO de next
| landn, got lot Of fellows, and, when de boat
landed at the woodward, dey come on with pistols
and stole my mules and took EN- oil.
" How did you escapeY
81 hid between some cotton-bales and saved my
| life. And now I've got my brother and sister:
here, I'm happy II am hungry, because know
| can get work somewhere and ] know IN safe al
| last Bless God for dat"
Eyes, bless de good Lord for dat" responded
Georges sisters as the tears came TO their eyes
" Bless him for dat"
"Did you see many colored people along the
banks as you came up2' asked George
eyes, dey is camped all along up. At Green
| vile the capt'n allowed TO stop and take somt
on but de white men drew their yolyers and
told him To back de boat away or deyd shoot"
From dozens OF sources learn that the river II
lined with colored people from Memphis to New
Orleans, who are being shot down or ku-kluxec
like dogs simply because they want to leave /
people and country which deny them peace ant
food TO eat.
To show what idea the average planter has o
personal liberty in the South; When boat-loa'
Of six hundred negroes left Louisiana a few week
ago, dozen planters took the cars, hurried to 81
Louis and actually asked the mayor TO send tn
boat and negroes straight back. The stupi'
mayor did quarantine the boat for two days an,
the colored people OF st. Louis had TO go and tel
this mayor that he had no right To send these PEG
pie back-that even President Hayes had no RICH
or power TO do II.
What will be the end OF this exodus
think 1t will awaken the South TO knowledge
of the real worth of the negro. They will b
content to let worthless land to them for reason
able price,-say SO an acre, and sell piece O
land now and then. As it Is, no negro has
chance to buy an acre Of land OF the old planter
lie will not sell it, There is a league between III
4, planters no TO sell land TO negro The negr
/ can never become a landholder In the South unit
{ he begins 10 go away, and the planter must sci
! rent or starye. The exodus Is God $ last lesson
Q teach the Southern white man that the LAHORE
has rights as well as he