Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-05-06
The Negro Exodus.

The Democratic papers are chuckllng
with glee over the recent speech OF
Fred. Douglass, advising the colored
people to stay where they are and not
attempt to hunt home in the cold, in
hospitable North and West. When the
exodus first commenced these same pa
pers said that the negroes were a good
radiance anyhow, and the more that
went the better. Such papers as usual
only looked upon the influence that
such movement had upon Southern
politics. They saw that if the negroes
moved away from Louisiana, Mississip
ri and the other States where they
we're in majority, it would be much
easier to carry such States for the
Democracy with the use of rife clubs
and white league organizations. The
Democrats take no pleasure in wllful
murder, and it is no light thing for
them to go out and shoot down in cold
blood a score or two of colored Republi-
cans, that several thousand others may
be intimidatsd from voting. They no
doubt would much rather net do 1t II
they could only carry their ticket with
out it, but this being impossible they
90 about their bloody work in a we'll
pleased, systematic manner, sorry that
the "darned niggers" are SO stubborn
that such means have to be resorted to.
As we have said, these short sighted
papers at first only saw that this exo-
dus would make the South more solldly
Democratic, but they never thought
that besides these negroes being needed
in the South to raise rice, cotton and
sugar, their emigration made the Dem
ocratic representation in the South less
the Republican representation i'll the
West greater. Politically this emigra-
ton is a double edged sword that cuts
both ways, .and what it carves from the
South it places to the credit OF the
North. This is seen now when 1t Is
too late, and the changed tone OF the
papers backed even with the advice OF
Fred. Douglass, will not stay this dark
flood of emigration from the South to
the West. King Canute sat in state
upon the sandy beach Of the ocean,
vainly imagining that al. his imperial
majesty had to do was to speak to the
ocean and say "Thus far and nc
farther shalt thon go, and here shalt
thou proud waves be stayed :" but the
waves rolled on even until the naughty
King himself was engulfed. So it viii
be with Fred. Douglass and all others
l who stand in the way of this resistless
: tide of emigration. Douglas forgets
5 that his countrymen are doing no more
s than he did once himself when a slave
he flew from his master, his home ana
his kindred at Eastern Maryland anc
d sought a more congenial home in wha
d is now held up to the colored man a
# the cheerless North. 1t is true that tn
Il colored people are not nominally chat
/, tells now as Douglas was when lie mad
r his exodus, hut they are held in ser
j. vitude worse than slavery. They ar
If granted by the constitution freedom
;. and liberty which if they attempt t
e exercise subjects them to persecution
e more terrible than slavery. They ar
If flying from the land Of their birth t.
/, escape assassination and murder, an
e they are willing to brave privation
j. suffering the vigors Of the climate, any
), thing to escape to land where the.
i will be- allowed to enjoy the fruits {
n their freedom. 1t looks like cruelty t
o attempt to check them, and even II III
d South relents and withholds the heav
of hand of persecution it will be but for
70 time, and at the price OF surrender i
N principle on the part of their formt
u slaves. But little mercy and sympath
1t can be expected where so much cruelt
unchecked has been exercised, all
it hence it is folly to expect that the co
ored people will remain in the Sout
while there is chance Of escape. Aft
ct all it may DO for the best if it but opel
tn up the way for an exchange of laborer
as a. has already been contemplated.
err the hardy sons of toll in the North wi
We have white skins can be induced to
II South to fill up the gap thus mad
as then everything may yet 60 right. !
or doubt the South would open wide Ii
ks arms for the reception of the Cel'
I'd race, as they being Democrats as 500
st as they touch our shores, there won
Il be no need of the bull-dozer to COVE
Il them to the Democracy. If this e
he chang can amicaoly be made noho'
tic will be the loser, so IT,. the coiUred ~