, 1879-04-22
Tho Originator Of tho Exodus.


Tho Originator Of tho Exodus.
Cayrs,ynndtnee 81 LoHs G.obs. DsInorrat.
TorEKAs, KAN, April ls, 1S70.-It Is singu-
lar fact that the scheme Of negro immigration
to tho Nortl-a matter which ID lust now at
tractlng national attention, and which threatens
to hecoHlo . problem of deep political and IT.
dussr!al .mportauso-had its origin In the brain
Of a 1nnn who was boru q slave, who malo
three escapes from bondage, who eau neither
read nor write, md who las never nt any time
III ILLS ltfo bad two suits Of cloths Or owned a
foot Of land. This mnn Is here; havo seen
nl,l talked With lin frequently. lie is little
old nan-a mulatto-oycr 20 years Of age, with
wnyv, iS0n.grny lintr, snunro 1aws, full, quick
eyes, sl"l general expression Of honcsty, cour-
sgv. s and no,lcsty; nts na1ne is BENJAMIN
friends mil followers as !" Pap stnglctou."
lie was burn and rn!sth in Nashville, Tenn,
wl,sre sie worked In carty manhood at cabinet
making, ahd from whence be WAS sold q dozen
alwHys escaping and culning bhcK to Tenueskce.
Ffnnliy. he determined to tlce to Canadn, and
only suceected aft er three attempts md through
neElla a1ld nuitctngs TINT only man With SIT.
cd. After tcacl'lng Caheda In sufety he kuon
returned TO DrtroIt nt.l remained there through
Tho WNr, laburfnE as seavosigcr, n1ul keeping q
surt Of board!nE.hoIso ,whcrc fugitive slaves
AN
soon as the War closed lie went back to Tco-
nessce, pour rs e had left save that nuw lie wna
free nun, mid outcrad upon what nc calls hls
"uIlss!on,H
II had studied It all out" 10 says, 'sand Il
wns clear rs day to nc. ! dunno how It como
To ine; but | 'spcrt It Yns Coda do!ns. Any
how, knowcd my peoplc couldn't live thar.
It yas aE'in naturo for tho mastcrs ,nd t!'e
hut lu nilluuln could bring that arnul.d. Tho
whites had tie Eln.la AMI ths selsc, mi the
b!acks bud iotllin' but their freedom, ,-an' II
wns Just l1ko dream to 'em. Umc-by tho
prt-basgers, a'lsl my poor people thought they
wns Roin' to have Cnnaan right OIL. But
ktowcsl better, an Itolt 'em 80. said 10 'cu,.
Hynr you Is a.potteriti round In politics, MAd
and you CAN'T sec that these whito trn'nps from
tho North Is simply nsin' you for to line their
pockets, anl when they got through, they'll
crop you, md tho Rebels WILL conu into power,
it was mol until iSs0.'i0 lint Singleton could
induce bis culorcd brethren to "rct It onto
their lniuas,h as ho expresses It, tint they
ought to bo trying to get homes Of their own,
renting from their former l1.nstcrs, or subsstng
by days' work. And cvcn thrn they wosa nyersU
to leaving tho 6oush. 30 efforts wcro made to
buy lalMls III Tennessee, but tho Landowners
hut cxorbitnnt prices. Then It was, III 1872, that
an exploring committee was sent to KanHns and
'IIlado favorable rcpurt, md several families
camo out. Tic next year Singleton himself
'.Tennesleo Real Estate aud Homestead Aaso-
cation " which he had organtxetl, and was so
well plcased that ho went back to Tennessee
ind gathered up 200 or 300 poople, whom he
the settlement being called Singleton Colony.
This was tho irst colonization movement
among the ucgroes, and ttto iorcrunucr OF tho
present extraordinary exodus. Ihoso who came
and others followed. Soon Tic ratltoad compa.
MICS began offering special Inducements; and
during tho lust tllros years there has becna
aten1y immigration TO- Kansas. Singleton las
brought nsar!Y 5000 # them, oil from Tennes-
tucky-nn "Assoctotl,n" similar to Singleton
nayit,g hcan orgauizc1 In that State. Tll1 total
number 10 lar utriyed may safely be esttlnatel
ut not less than 5000: mud they arc coming by
Thu Singleton Colony, In Cherokee County
and one OF the salno unue In Morris County,
are the principal coiorctl scttlomcuts though
tie kcntucksans llaTo quIte colony in Graham
GUS smaller settlements IN barton mud Hodge
n,an Counties. Ticsu colorcti. su.tle1s arc In
dussruus nrd wcll,bchased, and sretn tobo
eettn,E along o. well Us white psone In corre-
aud all pay tl.eis osn way to Kan:as: Some Of
them have means enough 10 buy littc tracts Of
cheap raflrond lands; others enter hunacstcnds
On tl,o public don,au;. n1!d still othcss work by
the dny for farmers: IN their ne!ghborAoutl, Or
rent ss1.all plnts aNt farm tlseR "oli sl,arcs."
unt!l they can buy and Improve pncca Ut tlclr
own. Very few Of them sto? in tliu towns; sin-
Eleton constantly advises agunst 1t, uni also, ho
lntorns me. does his best to keep those from
coming who hare not ltttloAoucthins to start
With. "I9ut, Lord bless yau,n hu says, "you
can't keen 'csn back nov. The movtn' foycr mas
got hold Of TN, all over the so,ith."
lie inessts, ths quant old patriarch, that theirs
are lholsasi'ts Of Euod peopla among tic South
eFti whites who wish tH blacks we'll, nnl would
bc glal to givo them chance, but Tint The bull
dozers ARG IN tho sna1ority. ind that 1t is no
lonEer sato for white man to assist negro,
Or allow hin, Rny special kindness. The ruling
Glass IN thu South, he says, are plainly deter
mined 70 reduces tile ex.slAycz to d sort Of help
isss and homeless scrfaoand tllc negroes under
stand It. anl common scnec tells theau that their
only cllancn Is to quit the country, t'lust as I
tnld 'eIn years ago." ho exclaimed, "nn1 now
they say Old Eau was right. OF course ! was
right, Do leopard can't change his spots. Dc
men WHO used 70 log tlr!r slaves aint agoin' to
ever treat 'cn fatr, now that thry're frcc Au!,bo
I'LL bo different hundred years from now,
when all Tue present gencratton's deasl and gone,
~ s'ot aio1c, s1r, not, afoEo ntla naat's aTou
count to US In this present. year u dc Lord. It's
what H., and not What may be, tllnt I'm thnkiu'
of. don't wnata no tlma oothertn' about
WMtIl happen when rm In my grave"
Singleton IL la no seuse n politician. and lays
but little stress upon The political aspcct Of af-
teirs In the Soutt; Ills Views nro wholly Of MI
industrial turn, nt,a ha idea Of emigration is
:he llndig u llo,nes and tlls accumulation Of
property. llo aImits, to b. sure, that Que great
advantage to the ncgro in con.lAK North ID tlut
h0 Gau hero exercise his polIttca! rights aul
privileges without restraint or peril; but. upon
tl.o whole, he nttactes primo importance to tho
piuin, practical business OF making a living us,1
securing tioIue Indeed. Mn tucllned 10 be-
lieyo tllt ut heart thr ahtcwtl old t,aa,, doubts
II tl,s franchise llas been moro Of y tlcss!ng
than disadvantage 10 Ills brethren. And yet
hs understands current politics quits ~ we'll as
Tho average voter. Though hc cannot read u
word. tlu knows what II gutns on In Congress,
he coinpreheuds ttlu uttilutle Ut tho two pattles
u!lA lIo Ia Ter Grant.
Tho EmgrAnts In Kansas.
D.zpufch 10 81, kau,s 0iab<. f1enlaeys1t ks3RH