Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-04-25
OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL.

The exodus Of the negroes from the
South IS fast assuming most serious pro-
portions and may yet call for governmental
attention. Were the exodus confined to
certain buli-dozed districts nc one could
depreciate 1t. But it is really strongest
from sections where the negro has never
been troubled on account of any political
action and where he can more easily make
a support for himself and family than in
the West without capital. Little is re-
uuired to maintain colOred family in any
cotton region, but the West with its priva-
tious must necessarily prove disastrous to
the major portions of the blacks going
there. Our reason for apprehending the
need of national inquiry arises from an OBJ
servation of the character of the negro,
given by several Years station in Southern
State, as an officer of the Freedman'S Bu-
reau and cX enSive travel subsequent 10 dis
charge. We found the ex-slave extremely
creduIous and strongly inclined to believed
any statement, 10 matter how absurd, that
would take him away from work. If any
lnischi, yOus fellow, during the political
canv of 1868, in my district, which COW
ereo early one-fourth Of the State. would
ride tnrough any rural district and give out
that every cOlored voter must report on any
designated day to headquarters, the pillow
harvest, tobacco, ETC., would be summarily
abandoned and no power or selt-lnterest
could retain the laborer at his work. be
must go and see for himself, no matter how
much injury was entailed upon his crops or
employer. We had constantly to combat
with the 40 acres and mule which the ne
groes generally believed to be theirs, and
We firmly believe that were some smooth
talking eOlored man permitted to canvass
the Southern States for an army to go west
to get this land and animal, his recruits
would he numbered by the million. His
statements would be accepted implicitly
and his dupes would follow him as blindly
and madly as sheep their leader. The facts
show that back of this exodus are western
swIndling scoundrels who hope to reap
more or less rev ard through fleeing these
emigrants, and in view of our knowledge
of the negroes credulity We fear the time IS
near at hand when higher power than the
unreaSoning instinct Of these eX-slaves must
be expected to prevent wholesale mlgra-
tion which will come if no check be given
to the circulation of lying speeious state
ments among them about free lands and
free homes in the west. Our knowledge OF
his character in his southern home, and OF
the west, teaches us that he is poorly fitted
indeed for battling with the adverse IN
fiuences which obtain in all new countries.
He has no means nor is he by nature or
education qualified to make headWay on
the prairies. The great destitutlon found
among them in st. Louis and Kansas City
is but the beginning of the end, and we
earnestly hope some means will soon be
found to reduce the exodus to that point
- Ill III, dTSfr
women and children.
The Congressional outlook is hardly in
teresting. The Senate is pounding away
at the Army Bill. Senator Withers who
has it in charge promises US a vote on 1t
on the 25th and continuous session from
that date until the bill is disposed Of. 1t
is so farcical to make such big fight on
measure whose fate was decided in advance
that empty benches and galleries greet US
in the Senate Chamber excepting when Mr..
Blaine or Gen. Logan or some big Demo-
cratic gun in reply are announced to speak.
The House pegs away at the Legislative
Bill, and as one hundred members are
booked for speech on it no one can Indl-
cate when the windmill will stop that vote
may be taken. The free coinage Of silver
men are happy over the fact that they have
the majority of House Banking Committee
and the people may expect deluge OF sill
yer as well as greenbacks in so far as this
Committee is able to give it to the country.
Hanging is played out here. Our Juries
have of late persisted in aequiting in every
shooting or murder case save in that OF
colored woman tried for infantcide. But
they strongly recommend her for clemency
inasmuch as she has hardly sense enough
to be responsible being. She was SEN
fenced to be hanged but no one supposes
that she will suffer the penalty, hence our
remark that hanging is played out here.
Fitz John Prrter's friends here are exult-
ant over the finding of the Court Martial
in his favor and all our Democratic papers
announce it as a great victory. We are
rather glad of it too, not that he did not
deserve what ne got but because he was not
half so guilty as others through whom Pope
was crushed. JUNIUs.
Washington, April 81, 1879.