American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-02-07
INVESTIGATION PROCEEDINGS


] y,
/ The Senate Committee on Exodus today
/ continued the examination of .. l.. l.. Wall of
/ grant Aid society He believed the exodus
/ from the South was spontaneous, that it
would continue until the colorcd people re-
ceiNcd better trta ineht there, ana that then
| very probably there would by retufu
DRIFT Southwark, for the negro loved
| the home OF his parents, and would
| not cmigritc without some strong incentive.
In response to II series Of questions by Sena-
| tor Voorhees,, the witness stated that the in
/ formation received by him as President of tho
| society, 10 the effect that employment for
| North Carolina co.ored people could READILY
! be found in Indiana, WIS derived from circu-
| lars and letters Of j. ii. Walker, Mail Agent
| ut Tcrrc Haute and several other persons
| living in that state, whose names he could
not remember, but whose letters he would
| hereafter furnish to the committee, ana from
Perry and Williams, the North Carolln; agents
of the emigrantS.
Jas. +. 0'IIara, a prominent colored Repub-
lc:tn OF Halifax County, who is now cnntest-
ing ms seat IN Congress from the second
North Carolina District testified that he had
held various offices in Halifax County. lie
gave a very favorable account of the condition
and treatment OF colored people in North Car
cal status, he testified that, although there
was ut one time some ''bulldoZing' i'll counties
bordering ON South Carolina, there never has
been any political persecution in counties
afflicted by the present exodus, and Is none
now in any part OF North Carolina.
The witness, in response to interrogatories
as to the cause of the exodus from this State,
said il was the result of the efforts of agitators
going about the country,an nota spontaneous
emigration. The less industrious class of col
ored men-what might be termed the floating
popuation-were duped by representations
that they would get $3.50 per day in Indiana
and new suit OF clothes, together with Gov:
eminent add of some sort as they passed
through Washington; and they were similarly
deceived by false representations contained
in circulars purportiny to be issued by rail
road companies in Kansas and elsewhere.
WASHINGTON, Jan. q.
j. p. Dukehart, Southern Passenger Agent
OF the Baltimore and Ohio Railr3ad. testiilGdd
that he visited North Carolina several times
cured the transportation of all the eniigrants.
The company offered as an induccinent to
persons to work up the emigration, draw
back of 81 per head for adults and 90 cents Tor
children. u. Taylor Evans, of Goldsboro, and
Perry and Williams were the three principal
promoters of the exodus upon that basis.
Evans told witness he commenced working
up the exodus I6 months ago by mems of
mass meetings, secret societies, etc. Witness,
while in North Carolina had seen many of the
circulars asserting that colored people would
find plenty of work in Indiana at wages of 81
also circulated the report that en-
igrants' upon reaching WA WaSh nIet6as
and transportation to Indiana and Kansas. |
Circulars were largely made up of editorials
included what purported to be certificates |
from number of the North Carolina colored |
they had found work and advised their friends
to follow. Perry left the state suddenly dur
ing the winter on account of an Indictment |
for forging school certificates, and had not |
returned, but Evans and others were still at |
work; and i'll the opinion CT the Witness the |
exodus would continue just rs long as the |
colorcd people could raise money to pay |
their fare or until checked by unfavorable |
reports from their friends ut the other cnd or |
the line. In this event he would go out to In |
diana and try and secure them rs passengers |
buck the Il. and o. lines i-au.hter.j |
The number Of tickets sold by the baltimore |
and Ohio Railroad for the transportation of |
these North Carolina enisrants since the |
movement first commenced is 163, 30 of this |
number being half fare.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %.
,.fv,ar Nf
one of the Executive departments mt Wash |
ington, testified he had occupied the position
of Secretary of the Emigrant Aid Society; he
had received letters from his relatives in
North Carolina reporting that the colored
and are dissatisfied with their treatment, and
want to emigrate.
Washington frgus, a weekly paper devoted
to the interests of the colored race, and priu-
cipai of Howard University school, iesti
lied that he is a native of North Carolina,
a graduate of Oberlin College, and of
Howard University; that he has
left it, and has made careful study OF her PEG
pie. His last visit was only IL few weeks ago.
founders of the National EIniSrant Aid Socie-
", having himself drawn up its Constitution.
Its object was to furnish aid to coiorcd people
neein. from oppression, such as the destitute
crowds accumulated at st. Louis their
way to Kansas from Mississippi and Louisi
ana. At one OF the Hrst meetings, how
ever, n Mr.. Mendhall made u speech
suggesting that it would he advisable to
point (kansas), and to "scnd about 3 900 into
Indiana, as that was doubtful state in the
coming election" Witness objected to this,
and as soon as he saw that the society was to
be used politically, inc Withdrew from it. Wit
ness further testified that when the exodus
from North Carolina first began he addressed
letters to the most prominent colored men in
the State, asking what caused this sudden
uprising. All the answers were that there
WAS no cause for it; that the more ignorant
were dcluded by three men named Per
ry, Williams and Taylor, who had
been North, and returned with
such glowing news that the people
could not resist them. Witness further
described conversations personally held by
him i'll North Curolina during the past few
weeks with james II. Harris, osborne Hunter
Jr., NJ. V. Turner and other very prominent
Badger and Col Ike Young prominent Radi-
cal Republicans, all in full accord with the
foregoing explanations OF the real causes of
the exodus. They all likewise agreed that the
of the colored people of North
Carolina, although susceptible of improve
nent by contemplated amendments to
some of the laws, and especially
by restoration of their rights
elect certain county officers, is, on the whole, |
highly favorable, and that there Is aGc- |
luate incentive whatever for colored people
to leave the state =" IN fact said the witness
" every intelligent colorcd man i'll the State is
opposed to it, and the six colored newspapers |
Of North Carolina are All fighting it, and / say
th:t, although the exodus from the southern
States may be blessing, the exodus from