The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-04-22
A MEMORIAL FROM PROMINENT
MISSOURIANS.
CRUELTY AND INJUSTICE OF THE
SOUTHERN WHITES.
SPECIAL DAYS APPOINTED FOR
THE KILLING OF NEGROES.

The more the causes Of the exodus
of the colored people from the South
are Investigated. the more plainly
does it appear that the unjust, cruel,
and in many cases murderous treat
ment to which they are subjected by
the worst class of the whites, is the
real and only cause that forces them
to fly from their native soil to seek a
refuge IN the North. A memorial to
Congress, signed by about 100 lead
ing citizens Of St. Louis, was read
before the exodus investigating com
mittee a few days ago; The memo
rial is accompanied by afidavits and
written statements of q number of
oolored emigrants, relating to the
treatment of colOred people in the
South. Referring to these state
ments, the memorial says:
''The story is about the same in
each instanes-great privatiOn and
want, from excessive rent eZacted for
land, connected with the murder of
their colored neighbors and threats
of personal violence to themselves.
The tone Of each statement IS that of
suffering and terror. Election days
and Christmas, by concurrent testi-
mony, seem to have been appointed
/ for the killing of the smart men,
while robbery and personal violence
in one form or another, seem to have
run the year around.
The memorial concludes as follows:
owe submit that the great migration
! Of negroes frem the South IN itself is
a fact that Overbears all cOntradic-
ton, and proves eonelusively that
great causes must exist at the South
| to account for it. Here they are in
multitudes; not men alone, bat
women and children; old, middle
aged and young, with common con
sent, leaving their old homes in a
natural climate, and facing storms
and unknown dangers to go to Nor
| thern Kansas. Why? Among them
| all there is little said Of hope in the
| future. Il is all of fear in the past.
They are not drawn by the at5Tac-
tions Of Kansas; they are driven by
the terrors of Mississippi and Lou
/ isiana. Whatever becomes of them,
they are unanimous in their unalter-
able determination not to return.
We protest against the direful neces-
sities impelliDg this exodus, and
against the violations Of common
right, natural and constitutional,
proven to be of the most frequent
| occurrence in the places named, and
we ask such action at the hands Of
our Representatives and our Gov
ernment as shall investigate the full
extent of the causes leading to this
unnatural state of affairs and protect
the people from its continuance, and
mot only protect liberty and life, but
enforce law and order.
Charlton Tandy, colored, President
Of theSt. Louis Refugee Relief Board,
was examined. Referring to polite
al prosecutions, he said their state
ments all agree that there is no po-
itical freedom for negroes in the
South, and as illustrating the dan
ger apprehended by many Of them in
voting, he quoted a remark made to
him by arefugee, who said, ''If I vote
the Republican ticket, I wakes up
next morning in q graveyard.
Mr.. Tandy thought at least TWEEN
ty thonsand refugees had passed
through the hands of the Relief
Board, and that the exodus would
never cease until Southern whites
stop the crueIties they practice on
eolored people.
In view of the above and other sim
| liar evidence, we do not wonder that
Senator VOORHEES,, the Chairman Of
the Committee, is reported to be dis
gusted with the investigation. Tt
does not pan out" to suit him. The
last witness brought by the Rspubh-
cans was one Adams, of Louisiana,
who recited incidents connected with
the intimidation ofcolored people, ex-
tending over a period of 10 years.
This testimony was given in such a
direct way that VOORHEES, has lost all
interest in the investigation which
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