Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1879-06-20
THE EXODUS.
Views of u Leading CoIored Man ON the
Situation.
BRENNAN. Iune Izth, 1870.

BRENNAN, June 18th, 1879.
Editors Brcnlam Banner:
In compliance with your request l re-
specially submit to you few OF the rca-
sons that compel the colored people Of the
south to seriously consider the necessity OF
emmigrating and colonizing. viz:
1. Because their former white masters
now control all of the executive, Legislative
and judicial departments of the state gov
ernments of the south. :. The white peo-
pie OF the south. sincerely believing that
our past slavery was just. honestly regari
our emancipation from bondage as whole
sale robbery Of their most valuable proper
ty, and acting upon this theory they enact
and enforce laws which virtually takes from
us all of our civil rights. and which will
eventually reduce our race TO system oil
peonage. In Georgia the payment of ex
horbitant poll taxes and the exhibit of re.
ceipts as a requisite for voting, actually dis
franchises 5000 voters: and, It Is quite Ger.
tain that other states will follow the exam
pie of Georgia. In this state laws are in
force which disqualify all persons who can
not read from Jury service, and as there
WCiS hO suIti laws ia iOiNC DClOlC Oul
cipation it is quite certain that this has been
done to exclude colored men from the Jury
box. As the colorel people are not re-
sponsible for their ignorance of education,
it seems unjust that they should be depriv-
ed of civil rights on that account.
5. No people without education can ever
become prosperous and progressive, and
from present indications it is quite likely
that within n short time our race will be de
prived of all opportunities of education, and
we infer from the opposition of our old
masters to all systems Of free schools that
they still desire to perpetuate our ignorance
inssorder to control our labor.
9Th. The high rents charged for lands,
together with the oppressive landlord and
tenant laws, will and does prevent our race
from generally becoming the owners OF
small farms in the south.
9Th. That by colonizing upon some prac-
ticable plan we can generally become the
owners of productive lands. which will cost
us less than the rents we usually pay 70.
WORKOUT lands.
9th. That the best and ihriftiest classes oil
our race will colonize first, and as they be-
come prosperous they will aid the less thrift
~ to COLOMBO too.
9TH. That all intelligent colored people
know that free transportation. lands and
one years supply of provisions. etc, will
not be furnished them, and that all who
have already gone to Kansas have paid
their own way. What have said in this
matter is not intended TO wound the feel
ings of any one. for know that the white
people of the south honestly believe that
the blacks were especially created slaves in
some form, and therefore they cannot vol
unfairly accord to them the rights of fee
men. The devotion and fidelity of the
blacks to their masters during the late war
and their quiet submission to many wrongs
since their emancipation conciusively proves
that they entertain no i'll will or prejudice
against the white people of the south, but
inasmuch as our former masters do enter
tain i'll will and prejudice against US. (born
and bred in the bone with them) it is best
and honestly believe that it will be for
the mutual good Of both the whites and
blacks of the south, that they should sepa-
rate. Thanking you for the space allowed
me in your valuable paper, to partly explain
the reasons anu causes that induces ihous-
ands Of my race to think and tn take steps
towards emmigratins from the south.
remain very respectfully,
c. P. HICKS.