The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-06
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
fThe DEMOCRAT is responsible for none Of
the views expressed In the communications
under this head but no communications will
be- printed except from responsible parties.l
THE EXODUS.
Views Of Practical Sugar Planter On its
Cause and Effect.
TEnnEBoNNE PARISH, July s, 1879.

Kellogg proving his assertions by reference
to the New Orleans Times, reminds. me Of @
performance by a mountebank In Paris, as
related by Addison. The mountebapk's son
marched In front of the father through the
streets, crying, my father cures all sorts OF
distemgersl" The father responded, "The
little boy saps true" The claim OF either to
speak for the people of Louisiana rests upon
the same authority
The Times has some readers here, but that
1t ever was the organ Of any party or any
thing except the monopolists, Is an assump-
ton as barefaced as Kellogg's own preten-
sions to represent the wishes and purposes OF
our people In the United States Senate or
| elsewhere.
/ remember, when the exodus began to
assume noticeable proportions, the Times ad-
vised that no concessions be made to the col
ored people; but advised that the Governor
issue proclamation, assuring them OF the
honest Intentions Of the administration, and
Of the whole people generally, toward their
race. On the point as to what concessions it
was possible to make the Times was silent.
1 What rights of the coored people had been
ignored; what grievances they had, for which
they could get no redress, we're points upon
which we we're anxious to be informed. But
seeking for the information In the columns of
| the Times, we sought In vain.
4 Nowhere on earth can employees vote
against the dearest rights and interests OF
employers with such perfect freedom as In
Loulsana, and nobody knows this better than
4 the editor of the Iintes.
We can forgive Mrs. Stowe for having writ
ten Uncle Toms Cabin, when we consider the
| sources whence she derived her information,
especially us she makes honorable amends by
bearing cheerful testimony to our patience
and torbearance under terrible provocation.
/ The Times editor Is well aware that no people
under the blue concavtty Of the heavens were
ever SO terribly tried as we have teen; and no
people ever 80 patiently waited for that better
day, which after long and dreary night, at
length dawned upon US.
And since the accession to power of our
own people has any spirit OF revenge or vim
dcttveness been manifested The Times
i leaves it to be inferred that there had been
else why hint at possibilities Of concessions
/ Tt Id the bitter and not nnfonnded complaint
| OF the poorer class OF whites that the negro
has greater facilities for the education of his
children and greater freedom In the enjoy
msnt Of the elective franchise than he (the
laboring white NAM has This Is one OF the
results Of the mistaken and absurd attempts
at Cancellation.
| The advice 70 the Governor to issue a procla-
nation IS only equaed In It's profound wis
dom and far-reaching sagaeity by the Pope,s
bull against the comet Or Don Quixotes at
tack against the windmill.
| II assume Il superior knowledge on this
exodus question, the Times editor WILL / am
sure, excuse me when | assert that am In
| daily and hourly contact with q large number
| OF coiOred people, and often overhear their con-
versations Indeed, am consulted by them,
not because they intend following my advice.
but with the hope Of extracting information
from me.
Beyond a vague, underlined dread, natural
to ignorant and stupid people just redeemed
from slavery, no apprehension whatever ex-
! lists. There are people here and elsewhere but
| little, Ii any, superior to the negro who take
delight In working on his fears, but too easily
excited, for no purpose whatever except to
amuse themselves at the negroes expense.
| Negroes here got hold of some Idle runor to
the effect that they were about to be deprived
Of the elective franchise. This. rumor proba-
bly, grew out Of resolution offered, think,
| by T. L. Land, to the effect that the Conven-
| ton should avail themselves Of the opportu-
nifty, which they then had, to forever prevent
our people from being turned over to horde
| of plundererS.
| But the fact is the origin Of property is to
the average negro mind (not being familiar
with Blackstone) an unsolvable mystery.
| That some own property, and are even rich,
| is entirely incomprehensible to him on any
other hypothesis than that some unseen
power bestowed those gifts on the white race.
| The accumulation OF property by the tedious
processes OF labor, economy and sell denial Is
an idea which has never occurred to him.
| The idea OF buried treasure Is never absent
from his mind. Every one living on planta
tions knows that some dead owner of the
property secreted treasure somewhere on the
| premises.
Any one can see with what avidlty an
| ignorant people OF any race, In this frame OF
| mind, would seize the idea Of sudden opulence
III d land concerning which they know moth
ing, especially II presented In the glowing
coors which the designing sharpers now en-
ticing our labOrers from our cane and cotton
fields know SO well how to present 1t. There
is no reasoning with this blind fanaticlsm.
The advice Of the Times Is wasted on US and
the coored people alike Any exhibition OF
uneasiness or alarm only adds food to the
flame.
The dark forebodings Of the Times do not
inspire us with any alarm. It is question
which, like most others, has two sides to 1t.
At the risk OF becoming prolix | will briefly
consider the question as to whether this exo
dus, even if it continues till there is not ne
gro left In the Southern States, will prove an
unmitigated evil. In answer to this | will
state some propositions, which may be re-
garded as postulates:
l. The entire population of the South and
their progeny, white and colored, are wholly
Inadequate to successfully develop the bound
less resources Of the Southern States.
2. The continued residence OF the negro
flux Of desirable immigrants In considerable
numbers.
3. The rising generation of negroes is un-
reliable to a much greater degree than the
OLD negroes now passing away. Inc time is,
hence, near at hand when we will be wholly
without rural laboring population, II the
few whites who till their own lands be ex-
cepted.
l. The price of cotton, Of which we have
practically the monopoly, will Immediately
become vastly enhanced. Stock, and es-
pecially sheep husbandry, will become Inn
mensely profitable, because no longer preyed
upon, by worthless ours. biped and quad
ruped.
S. The bonanza thus developed will draw to
us, and that speedily, the most desirable i'm
migrants from all countries With their knowl-
edge of the different industries, their money
their industry their thrift, their enterprise,
they will do for this country that which we
with our friends OF the negro race can never,
and will never, 1euer accomplish.
sugar interest, and that Is precisely the inter-
est with which am identified, and yet can
take this hopeful view Of the situation. Hope
full or not, this la the inevitable and only ra-
tinnal uiaM [ am not q nnlitician hut en-