The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-02-07
TIE EXODUS RESUMED,

THE EXODUS RESUMED.
| A reliable young gentleman VIII,
has just returned from trip through
the Florida and Red River parishes
writes us letter confirming the re
ports which reach us of the revival o
the Kansas fever among the colorel
people. He says 4 great many have
left East Baton Rouge owing to feal
Of persecution, and many more are
preparing to go. "Secret Organiza
tons in the interior are sending
anonymous letters, notifying them to
leave the community i'll twenty days.
Prominent Democrats are discussing
the situation aud steps will lie taken
to suspend these reprehensible pro-
ceedings. Planters in West Baton
Rouge are offering $50 per month to
labOr+rs, an inducements which has
been accepted to some extent" Our
correspondent also reports that de-
partures from Livingston, TaDgipa-
h0a aud the adjacent region are tax
ing place, the movement having been
accelerated By the recent lyDching of
four colored prisoners at Amite City.
Accounts published by the Baton
Rouge papers are con6rmatory OF
these advices and show that the con
dition of the colored laboring classes
in that section il one Of utter and az
p,ecrdente.l decentralization. Witness
the following from recent issue Of
the Herald:
The exodus movement, initiated in our
parish during the last summer and con
tinuing quietly up to the present time,
has been renewed. Hundreds have al
ready left since it's commencement, and
hundreds more are preparing to follow
at an early period. Some of the largest
and best plantations in the parish which,
III previous years, have always had an
ample supply Of excellent labor, are now
without a hand, and their owners are
unable to procure any from any other
quarter. Not alone are our agricultural
interests threatened, but the interests of
our merchants, mechanics, and other
classes Of our city. Some OF the smaller
retail stores, on account of the loss Of
trade npon which they depended for pat
ronage aud maintenance, have "shnt up
shop and others who have conducted 4
more extensive and important business
are seriously considering and coming to
the conclusion to discontinue here and
seek more inviting and prosperous local
tiles. Let this emigration Of the labor
ing and productive class continue with
out any rational and judicious effort to
arrest its progress, and another year will
reduce, not only the population, but the
business and wealth of our parish fully
fifty per cent. For all this, the restora-
ton of the State Capital and the fabulous
prices that we will receive for cotton, in
tho South, when the "darkies" are all
gone, will be but meagre compensation.
III another article on the same sub
ject, the Herald says:
We are informed that two colored men
living in the vicinity of Jones' Creek, in
this parish, were waited upon last Thurs
day Light, and ordered away from their
homes. They are reported to us as in
dnstrious, peaceable and law-abding cit
liens. And still there are persons who
profess to be ignorant Of the cause Of the
present and prospective wholesale emf
grafton of the blacks from our farms and
parish. 1t must certainly lie admitted
that such things have more to do with |
the exodus than the pretty pictures of
Kansas which are said to be distributed |
among them by Western land agents.
The one is tempting invitation, which |
may, or may not be accepted, while the
other is i cOmpnlsion. Our attention
was called to two similar cases last week,
but refrained from commenting thereon,
preferring to let it pass in silence, as it
IS OF but little credit to our citizens that
such occurrences should take place under
our present strong government. The cit
zens OF this parish may rest assured that
nothing will be SO effective in driving,
not only the Negroes, but capital and
away from our land.
The political status 0. the Herald
las not been pf very certain or we'll
lefined char }cter, hence there may
V disposition, in certain qusrters,
% discretlit its representations in the
exodus question to some extent. The
gentle suggestion from the
more ortl,sdox Advocate, however,
will go far towards dispelling any
dea that the Herald has been guilty
# exaggeratiom:
We would suggest the propriety Of a
aeeting Of merchants and planters of
his parish relative to the ealse Of u re-
ival of the dissatisfaction existing
mong the colored people in some of the
ountry wards. If prompt aud wise
leasnres are adopted by the combined
forts Of the merchants and planters, we
elieve confidence will he fully restored
nd there viii be no further trouble.
Ve throw ont this suggestion for what
is worth.