New-York tribune., 1879-04-14
HHAT THE NEGROES MED.

the same date last year.
| WHAT THE NEGROES NEED.
| There Is no danger that the quality of mercy
| will die ont among our people for lack OF an
| object to fall upon. The poor we aSsuredly have
| always with us. Onc year it Is besleged Parls
! that calls for help, the next the famlshed Chl-
ncse ; last Summer the plague-strlckcn whites
of the South, and now the negroes, whom they
! have driven out from among them by the
! blindcst and most suicidal of policies to
starvc, and if the North does not come to
| their rescue, to die. The appeal for help 10
| feed and clothe these refugees made by the
colored clergymen of st. Louis was laid be-
fore the country last week, and, Judging by
our knowledge of the readers of The TRIB-
! UyF. we believe that they Will be among the
first to respond heartily to the call. The facts
! are known To every one. There Is n0neeu 10
! 20 back of them just now to discuss the pol
lev of the whites which drove these Ia
! borcr5 to such a step, or the Ignorance of
| the negroes in making IT. IL Is enough that
there they are, in gangs Of thousands, IN ~.
Louis and in Kansas, fresh hOrdcs coming mp
with every steamer. without home on the
earth, without food, money or clothes. They
have suffered for years have been cheated and
outraged. They have left the little patch OF
land which was all they knew Of the world,
and have fed, like the ISracitcs OF Old, into
the wilderness in search of n vague Promised
Land flowing with milk and honey. There is
no Promised Land for them there Is 10 pill
lar of fire and cloud to lead them no bread
from Heaven to feed them; but, in Heavens
baapfpl mn
women among us who can spare dollar from
their own scauty stores, do not let 1t be said
that Gods help has failed for them out of the
world The cOlored people in II. Ions have
acted nobly in tins matter, and have claim
to be heard when they ask for help. The rel
ugees need everything; money, food, or boxes
OF old clothing will be of immediate service. 1t
is n case where many small offerings ready for
use would probably prove more Immediately
effective than large sums of money. hat
ever is given from the North, let political
motives be kept ont of it. These poor crea-
lures are not all martyred saints nor are their
masters all devils. Send your money, not be-
cause Won love liberty and hate the South
clncr but because these people are your
Masters children and are cold, homeless and
starving.
1t is "A well, too that we should consider at
once that money, food and clothes are but Il
small part of what these people require ar our
hands. They need Intelligent advice dIrec-
tion and help to secure homes, aud that
promptly or they will sink, wherever they
land, into hopeless pauperism. a Mississippi
field-haud in Northern town is as utterly
helpless n creature as can be found in Gods
IL IiNvino 4 % III
TRIBUNE suggested that no more Chr stian
work could be undertaken by the churches
than the establishment Of colonies for
the unemployed wOrkmen of the cities. Since
then, several religious sects notably the Cath
Ole, Methodist and Quaker, and many benev-
olent men Of capital, have directed their char
ity into this channel, and, instead of splendid
temples or hospitals in towns, have helped to
bmld MP such colonies. Here is similar
case of need to be relieved by the same
methods. The money and amount of head
worA which would be required to establish
one charitable institution IN New York would
place all of these refugees at work Oh farms.
Ii would not bc advisable that they should go
into separate colonies now. They are too ig
norant as yet for self-gOveTnment alone. The
field hand needs the white man rs the flesh
needs the backbone. But, scattered in q
friendly farming community, with the same
chance as the poor white laborer. the prospect
is fair CROUCH for them, and principally for
the reason that the negro's ono idea of supe-
riority is the owning OF land. That was the
great difference, in his eyes, between him and
"old marse" that Is the first object of his am
bition. He will save money for that and for moth
ING else There are towns in the border free
States the suburbs of winch were refugees. be-
fore the war, for fugitive slaves. Almost
every one of these fucitiyes. however poor
owns now his little cabin and patch.
Throughout Virginia and North Carolina, tho
first effort made by the freedman was always
10 buy an acre or two. and 10 put up hut
on it, 1t is because these people have been
thwarted III their wish to work their little
patches fairly that they have run away from
Mississippi, and IT is this wish, if they are
set down on land which they can till and
possibly buy. which will give them hope. keep
them at work. and make them comparatively
happy, If not Thrifty citizens.
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