Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-10
THE coIoRED Exopus.

memphis, II seems, are moved by the
spirit Of travel, and fain would join
the exodus TO Kansas. We have not
the slightest. objection, but, on the
contrary, would insist upon all who
feel restless and dissatisfied selling
out ifthey have anything, and buying
tickets to st. Louis. The agitators,
like Ed Shaw, who have never found
their rights here, yet always manage
to live without work, should go by all
means. A little agricultural recrea-
tion out on the cool prairies of Kansas
wouldbe very healthy and exhilarating.
For the first time in their lives they
could realize what it is to be free and
earn living in free country. A
few of the planters further South seem
alarmed at the exodus of negroes from
their plantations, and in many in
stances it may damage plans made
for the season, but it cannot work a
permanent injury. Their places will
be filed in few years by colonies of
thrifty white people from the North
and Europe, who will introduce new
methods of tilling the soil and improv-
ing the country A German, a Scotch
man, Frenchman or live Yankee
would grow rich where these negroes
complain that they cannot make a
living. They complain that they are
cheated, bulldozed and misused,
yet the truth is they have nearly
everything their own way in Louisi-
ana, the same as in Liberia, and if
they are poor, it is because they have
never learned to be economical and to
take care of themselves. Louisiana
is overstocked with negroes. Thou
sands have been focking there from
Virginia, South Carolina and other
old States. 1t was not the happy land
of Canaan described, with an office
for every other man and nothing to do.
The whites still own the land, and
the blacks conclude that they are
not altogether free, unless they
assert their individuality and indie
pendence. They will have a hard
time of it in Kansas. The people
there want able bodied emigrants, not
refugees. The sympathy they will re-
ceive will not take the form of dollar
bills, clothing, food or shelter unless
it is earned byhard work. This is the
case the world over with all races and
classes, The North fought to free
the negro, not out Of love for the race
but to gaina commercial and sectional
advantage. 1t was a war for dollars
and cents, in which the South was
loser. We have had no reliable labor
system since, and consequently both
whites and blacks are poor. Going
West to grow up with the country is a
great fallacy Thousands of white
people rush off to Texas every year
without means and without an idea of
the hardships and deprivatiOns of a
new country. A majority of them
wish they were back, but cannot raise
the means to come. 1t is no wonder
at all that the glittering descriptions
of the Kansas Eldorado should turn
the head of the credulOus negro. Let
himgo and try it, andlet the white peo-
pie of the South continue to teach their
sons the value and dignity Of honest
toll. The colored population is toe
thick in spots anyhow. Let it be
difused over the country and the race
problem gradually solved and taken
out of politics. The American In
dian could not be civilized and made
amenable to our laws and customs,
His fate was only question of time,
The superior race prevailed and the
aborigines disappeared We Of the
South desire to cultivate harmonious
relations with the colored people, and
with isolated exceptions have treated
them well. Yet they are full of sus,
picion and prejudice and will believe
a tramp from the North sooner than a
Southern white man. They have been
systematically robbed by Northern
adyenturers and freedmens banks
and yet cannot be convinced or disa.
bused. Now we say, let them go the
sooner and the more of them the bet,
ter. Those who remain, white anc
black, will get along better and soor
be better off, There is ample room
out West for millions of the newly
enfranchised. and truly loyal colOreC
voters of the South.
THE BONDHOLDERs FIRM,