St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-04-18


liable to be aroused for him, while the
awful crime which he committed is al
most forgotten. Punishment should
follow the guilty not only surely, but
speedily, in order to produce the best
effect on society.
~ We publish elsewhere a COM
munication on the Phair case which
gives the other side of the matter from
that most generally adopted, so far as
we know. 1t is written by one who
has watched the case with some atten-
ton since the time that the man Down
ing first appeared on the scene /; and it
is the strongest argument that can be
given on that side. For ourselves we
cannot see a shadow of doubt in the
case. Nevertheless if Phair had been
a man of previous good reputation,
reason for wishing to believe him inno
cent of the crime but a man who
previously tlUice attempted murder, had
nothing behind him to help his case,
but on the contrary everything to
strengthen the unbroken link of cir
cumstantial evidence that pointed to
him as the guilty man from the first.
There was something in the remark of
the Rutland man, that "Phair's past
record would hang him." 1t is at least
another and remarkable illustration of
the value of a good name, and in this
case from the want of it.
The Stampede of Blacks.
The exodus of the blacks from the
Southern states, and their emigration
to the west, is creating much interest
all over the country, as well as alarm
in at least two sections-that from
whence they come and that whittier
they go. This emigration fever began
few weeks since in a mild form, but
it seems to be spreading with amazing
rapidity until the South threatens to be
depepulated of its industrial force, and
the west over-run with homeless and
starving emigrants.
We have seen no definite statement
of what first started this flight of freed
men but to those who have watched
the injustice and oppression with which
they have been treated by the Southern
whites ever since they have been nomi-
nally free, the reason must be evident.
Put it as you will and philosophise as
much as you please, the action of these
eolored men in fleeing from their homes
and taking the risks of pioneer life,
shows cOnclusively that they do not
feel secure in their rights where they
are. The bitter experience of the past
few years outweighs all other consider
ations, and they propose to go where
men are free in reality as well as in
name.
This is alarming to the South because
the labor of these colored people is just
what is needed in those impoverished
states. The blacks are the producing
class there. The whites can sit around
saloons, chew tobacco, drink whiskey,
and shoot or maltreat "niggers," but
this "work" of the noble chivalru docs
not tend to deveIope the resources OF the
South In a-desirable direction so when
thousands of these laborers desert Vir-
ginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, etc., just
in planting time too, the case is alarm
ing. Although the condition of these
poor emigrants when they reach Mis-
souri, and Kansas, without money or
food or shelter, is pitiable in the ex-
IRENE, they are not discouraged. They
have come to stay. They say they will
never go back though they perish in
the attempt to reach the secure home
In the west they now seek. The people
OF Kansas are doing what they can for
their relief, and they need aid from
Others to keep the refugees from starry
ing.
Governor Stone of Mississippi, and
other prominent men of the South. have
united in call for convention of the
leading men of both races to be held at
Vlcksburg May 5, to see what means
can be devised to stop this new exodus
from Egypt. We reckon they are too
late. The bulldozers have bulldozed
too much. The blacks have lost con-
hdence in the pretended friendship of
their former white masters, and thew
propose to step down and out. The
result of all this will be watched with
great interest by all parties and in all
sections.