The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-05-17
speech OF Hon. James Hill, of Jack
SON, Before the tabor Con-
VeHtiOm.

: Fellow CITIZENS l am here in respon
, to call from many of the most promine
! and influential citizens of the Mississip
, Valley, to take into consideration the ex,
dus of the colored people, and to assist
devising means whereby this exodus NAV
: stopped.
understand that this Convention is callt
without regard topoIitics or race, and pur
ly IN the interest Of the whole people, an
In this spirit / come to commune with yc
to-day. That which | say will be what
consider to be for the best interest of al
shall speak TO you i'll the spirit of ii
call which has caused this gathering, franl
ly, earnestly, and freely. We wish to kno
in the first place, whether it is desirabl
that the colored laborers shall remain !
the South. And the next question to b
considered is, what is the real cause of th
emigration of our colored people, and if W
can ascertain the cause, what is the remedy
The first question is easily answered.
imagine the voice of the whole people
almost unit in the affirmative. The as
sembling of this Convention is alone sig
nificant, an earnest and sufficient answe
that the remaining of the colored people il
the South, and especially in this Valley, il
| desirable, but assuming that there NAV b,
some who doubt this, will ask, why should
| we not want these laborers to remain
What have they done toward building III
your cities and towns, clearing and cult
vating your plantations What are they
now doing in keeping alive your CONNER
cial and agricultural interest? The fact il
they have done and are now doing almost
the whole of the labor in agriculture which
is the very bed rock and foundation for the
prosperity of all peoples and governments
under the sun. If this labor depart to an.
other country, from whence will come those
to take the place of the black hands and
brawny arms that have cleared up nine,
teen out of every twenty acres of open
land in the South, and in every year by the
sweat of their brows dig ont of the ground
twoAthirds of all the agricultural products
of the land? Without these black hands
what would be grown in the fertile fields
where in Autumn the whit9ness of the
heecy staple almost rivals the mid>winter
snow mantle of chilly New England?
Weeds and sedge-grass would alone greet
the eye. 1t is almost useless to discuss
this phase of the question. l only touch
upon it that the whole matter may be
thought upon in all of its depth and the
gravity of the situation be fully considered.
Some of our white fellow citizens say there
is no good cause for the emigration of the
cOlored people, no substantial reason for
their leaving the dear old homes which
they love SO well. | humhly dissent from
this expressed opinion, and think l will
show not only good cause but reasona-
BILE and easy remedy. Suppose we admit
for momel4 1t there is no cause, does that
stop the exodus? We know the colored
people are going almost every day, and we
know that there must be some reason for
their going, either real or imaginary, and
is it not the duty Of every well-wisher of
the country that the reason, whatever it
may be, should be inquired into and nsces-
sary measures devised to keep them from
going away?
The man who could answer no to this
in my deliberate opinion,
thinks very lightly of the real and best in
terest of the people and State. The negro
loves this Southland as much as anyone,
and has a peculiar affection for the white
people of this section, with whom he was
born and raised, and nothing can make
him turn his back on his old home and all
his past associations without the deepest
conviction that some things which prevail
are wrongs which may be gotten rid Of only
in new and distant land. You must re-
solve to dispel henceforth and forever the
clouds which l will mention, and let the
sunlight of liberty shine equally on all. In
| word, you men of strength determine
o secure land secured it will be if you
)ut so determine for those whose labor
low is in your own keeping, free and hap
Dy homes for them with al! this term inn
)lies. and my word for it we will have pass
I'd the midnight hour, and ere long the
oyous and contented song of the colored
nan of this Valley will attend the dawning
If liberty's new risen sun. What are the
,auses for the emigration of the colored
people from this section? l will attempt
o tell you some of them, and 1 believe
hey are the principal ones. l associate |
md converse daily with my colored breth-
EN- and l think know their thoughts and |
lesires.
They think the rents are entirely too high. !
The merchant charges them exortionate in
crest for what supplies he furnishes, and
Though they work hard all the year, be-
ween the planter and merchant they cam
OF at the end of the year buy their wives
nd children the poorest Christmas present.
hey bow their heads in humiliation, and
ssolve to strive harder the next year, but
hen the heat of summer has been again
injured, and the harvest, which their horny
ards has titled from the dews of early
forming until the shade of night, is again
altered, they find that again they have no
lare in the fruits of their toll. The idea
,ems to prevail among most of our plant
IS and merchants that squeezing tile poor
boring man, white and black, as if he
ere a lemon, and at the end of the year
ssing the dry skin to some one else for
lrther squeezing is the main principle upon
hich business should be conducted. So
ey have realized all their profits. it seems
sver to have entered the minds of the
anters and merchants that the prosperity l
the laboring class was matter of the
asst moment. This thing has been going l
| from year to year. The negro sees no |
ospect for a change. He is sick at heart ,
the dreary future which is spread before
m. Our school system is not beginning ]
be what it ought to be, take it as a whole,
is only little better than an excuse for i
lrning. In many instances the teachers are l
tirely unqualified for the work, but they {
e kept in the school room because he or a
e has an influential friend somewher in B
e community. The colored people often i
ar some of the men who are placed in II
thority to administer justice, speaking of I
EN- and their political rights as if they u
re aliens, and IL not 50 speaking them u
YES, upholding and supporting men for
lltical positions who do so declare.
Coupled with this, we have had very bit
political e1citements Night riding for a
3 purpose of frightening the innocent '
4 ignorant negro, in some instances
liping and actually killing them. Telling c
colored people they must not and shall q
I vote for the men Of their choice on cleo ?
n day, and il they do vote for the men $
y prefer, their ballots are often over ! e