New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-04-18
NO STOP TO THE NEGRO MIGRATION.


CONCENTRATING NOT ENOUGH TO CHECK THE
GREAT MOVEMENT TOWARD FREE KANSAS
WHAT STARTED THE RUSH.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO rRIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON, April 17.-It has been generally ex-
pected that the exodus of negroes from Louisiana
and Mississippi would cease, at least temporarily,
when the season for cotton planting should arrive;
but such does not appear to be the The plant
ing season is now at its busiest and late accounts
from Vicksburg, dated the 7th describing the de-
partu1e of steamer bound for st. Louis, say !:
There were fully 500 negroes on the elevator and
boat wanting to go. but Captain Lenox would only
take 80, the number of deck passengers the boat
Is allowed to carry. The negroes in this vicinity are
rapidly leaving, and in some instances whole plan
tatiOns have been entirely deserted"
1t is reported that Kinds County, Miss, has al
ready lost majority of its colored population,
while Claiborne, Warren and other counties have
suffered severely as have also the river parishes of
Louisiana from Concordia Parish northward Late
accounts show, too. that the movement of colored
people from Mississippi is not confined to the line of
the river but that from BroOkhaven and other in
terror points considerable numbers have already
gone by rail to st. Louis
These facts seem to indicate that the movement
is not local but general and that it Is destined to
continue So great is the alarm among the planters at
the prospect of losing their laborers that those living
near the Mississippi have 1t is said, established
river patrol to prevent the negroes from embarking
on passing steamers and are endeavOring to restrict
the landing Of upwardbOund boats except at GER
tain designated points which can be guarded.
The local newspapers in the regions that are be-
ing depOpulated teen with suggestions 10 prevent
the colored people from leaving. Force is the first
means thought of, as might be expected, but other
i
gests that many of the negroes indebted to their
employers and can be arrested as Ascending
debtors, while others who have not paid
their taxes should not be allowed to leave
until they do. All the newspapers contain accounts
of the inhospitable character of the climate and
people of Kansas One Missouri correspondent of .
Vcksburg journal details the terrible condition Of
the negroes who have already arrived; saying,
among other things, that they are dying by scores
from a disease that at first supposed to be
smallpox but which il is feared is the Russian
plague. the climate Of Kansas being like that Of
Russia when the plague broke out a few months
ago. These and similar stories do not seem TO make
any impression on the minds of the negroes, whose
experience has taught them to dist1ust everything
said in the interests of their employers.
Ii appears that for several years the negroes that
have suffered most from bulldOzing in Mississippi
and portions of Louisiana have talked of migrating
As one of them remarked, there seemed only three
courses for them to pursue-to leave the country,
10 submit to practical enslayement, or 10 meet vo-
lence with violence. In portions of Mississippi this
feeling was especially strong. single occurrence
coming at time when the cOlored people were dis
hearened by the poor results of a years labor, and
angered by the extOrtOns pTactised on them by
their employers, seems to have spurred them 10
cti IN wi inch
still continues.
Readers of The TRIBUNE will recall the account
published last December of the murder of part of
the Page family near Port Gibson, Miss On the
same day III adjoining neghborh00d three other
colored men were shot down bv the same Demo
cratic club that killed Page. The survivors of
Pages family were driven from the state. Page
owned a large plantation, on which were several
good dwellings, cOuOn-gin, blacksmitl-shOp,
labOrcrs quarters, etc. all OF which were burned to
the ground. His horses mules, cattle and other
personal property, of which lie had several thou
sand dollars worth, stolen or destroyed. He
had not been even accused OF any crime, and was
one OF the best and most prosperous citizens OF the
county; but he was black. This tragedy, and the
violence and intimidation that followed together
with the fact that 10 attempt was made to arrest
the perpetrators of the outrage, though they were
well known, destroyed the last hope OF the cOlored
people in that locality, and within a few weeks
several hundred of them started from that county
(ClaibOrne) 10 Kansas.
The Kansas fever spread rapidly among the
1T is estimated that up to this time at least 6O0O
persons have sought homes where therlives. at least
will be safe. 1t IS said good authority that the
negroes who have thus fled to the North are among
the most industrious of their race. The fact that
they have been able 10 pay from Sl2 To so per
head for passage 10 St. Louis alone shows that they
are not idlers VINO never work. The fact that they
have overcome the strong local attachments for
which the negro Is provcrblal proves that they are
impelied by some motive more powerful than a
within.
MISLED BY NAME.