, 1879-04-26

MERolLEsS 1NHUMAN1TY.
Tho flight Of the negroes from the South
hns attained largo proportions. Wo have al-
roady referrsl to tho efforts made by tho
whito planters to arrost tho departure Of
tboso people.
Yesterday VIC published Tho account OF tho
refusal OF tho river steamboat owners to
transport those people. The white popula-
tion refuse to permit thom to go on board
tho boats at tho city md town lautungs, aud
camp out along the river aud hall
the boats coming North to take them
of. In these camps aro gathered men,
women, md childron, With their little house,
hold effocts mud their bundles Of scanty
clothing. To defeat tho flight OF these peo-
plo even in this way tho merchants Of the
cities and the planters who furnish the gon-
libition Oh tho stoamboat officers forbidding
then, taking these negroes on board. All
along tho river the accustomed signals to
tho boats ara Aying,-those people patiently
waiting for boats to curry thon literally ont
Of the lind Of bondago. Tho boata disre-
gard the signals. refusing to accept tho no
groes rs passongers, leayiug the latter to
perish and starye by tho river banAs.
There Is something horrible tho way in
which the Southern people trcat these negroes,
For fourteen yaars, though they hayo been
free, they layo been subjected to cr,,oltics
which would not have been tolerated In tho
worst days of slavery. After these long
ycars Of freedom, during which they havo
suffered d life Of barbarism, tlioir flight 10 n
land where they :nny live and lnhor in peace
Ia arrested, and they aro forced to die of
starvation on tile road.
Humanity appenls in no feeble voice for
these people. The cries of women and chill
.lron and Of strong men dying because Of tho
want of food almost in sight Of tie promised
lind, md certainly in sight Of land whore
storehonsos Of broad arc actually overflow
ing, appeal to all men in tones which touch
overY hcnrt.
In Cincinnati tho pnpers haYo proposed
that steamboat, or moro thau one, DO
loaded with food nnd dispatched to snccor
these starving emigrants, who aro parisbing
! along tic riyor aud whom tho Southnrn bouts
roftlso to tako on board. In case suols
a course be adopted, ns VIC 1lRyo no doubt 1t
will, can ChIcago do nothing to feed the
hungry, clo.ho the naked, and give shelter
to tho homeless who hayo been left to die
by their inl,nman uaighbors? Last yeas
this city aud vicinity sent hunlro1 thou
snnd dollars in money to aid the sick aud
fsyor-stricken people Of the Southwest; to-
day thoro ara from 10000 10 10000 people
scattered along tho banks Of the great rive,
destitute and starving, appealing will. out
strotohed aruls to avory passing boat to carry
them to tho North, and thoy aro told to stay
where they aro alld starvo. Tho action al
Cincinnati Is most praiseworthy; II is M ac
Of mercy and, though Chicago is not OIL tle
river nnd cannot net directly III ths
rolief, tho generous people Of this city cal
corporate with those In Cincinnati by con
tributipg something to pny the expense o.
tho relief expedition. Fivc hundred aollars
given promptly ,pay DO tile means Of anyine
many lives, and tho lives Of honest people
flying for personal safety to d lnl.sl where, b,
their own lard labor, they eau support
themselves. We muoh mistake tho feoling
Of the people Of this city II they lenye thi
work OF rescuo mud relief to bo slono b.
others without my all from thena TIL
Cincinnati Commercial In its correspondence
from Me,nphis thus tells the story,
"It wond 10 hialcutt 70 describe tho suffering
10 which tho colorel paopse Of the South ure sub
jtcttng theMsolyes IN their efforts to gain thoI
promised homes Of peace aud comfort IN tho Nort
and West. This b0uthern planters aFo thorough
alarmed at tho exudna, and Aasu tssued their hum
b!r-obeycd cltct to Northern. bouMa steamboat
that they shall not atop for Tho fleeing colorcd PEG
pie between Vicksbusy mid Arkansas City ascend
Ing tue Mlsslssipp! K!y0E. Yesterday your CORR
spondent counted twsnty.four different eneamr
ments of coiorod people on thu banks OF the rlyci
with thets pour, battered, aud uttered hoH1ehol
gooda stacked np, watinR for boat to siro thel
Tho transportation tlny wpra cnpabls {
paying for. These pcop!s have evidently com
from long distance " the river. with bare!
> enough money ~ psy thoif STEAMBOAT psssag'
} | and thu whIta peopis alonx the shosu refusr
thu ordinary nescssarIe4 of life. and. h0riuc !
provisions Of thelF own capable Of Listing tue
oxer \ aay OF two, fhsy drs seot1<rt8 along Il
haakt Of TIT broad UIssissiup1 fasaishtad, tt
i snea,npn.enta VII had AalllnY-yigpsh W Tor u
/ nonh-houua steamboats,, aud when thcss Wt!dl!
frantte&lly waved slKuals were cE4olly tgaoFet
: while the baat proceeded couaplsoent1y OH tu W.
/ raw ee,p.ad men and woHten cast themselves
1 ths ground in despair, and heard them gsoaa At
shout the!r l8mentatlons, Mimi u to become
theso wretchsd people Qop only knows. lie
: wsro neatly u thuusand rafu2tss. scattered alo1
8 tho banks Of thu mighty Asssssippi. without she
: ssr, without food, With 10 hope Of escaping fro