Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-17
Why Black Men Emigrate.

Senator Voorhees, exodus committee has
resumed its laborious search after evidence
to implicate Republican leaders in fostering
the scheme for political ends. At the pres
emit rate he is likely 10 come far short Of bis
purpose. Henry Adams (colored) from
Louisiana testified that in 1870 the negroes
in the vicinity Of Shreveport organized a
secret committee TO investigate the con-
dition of their race In the south. Members
went to different sections of the country,
mixed with the negroes, and reported to
headquarters. BY the year 1874 the " com
mittee had grown into the colonization
council" secret organization, the OBJ
ject Of which was to better the condi.
ton of the colored people. They talked
the matter over, and the feeling prevalent
among the negroes, he said, was "to go
away anywhere in Gods world to get away
from these men," They held public meet
ings in Shreveport, but permitted no speak
ers to address the meetings except those who
favored emigration "The reason" he said
"that so many of our people are going away
is because large majority of white people
who held slaves treat our people so badly.
In many parts of that country our people
might as well be slaves as Free" He thought
over five thousand had already emigrated
from Louisiana, and that the movement was
increasing. The fear was prevalent among
negroes in his section of the state that a
Democratic president would be elected, and
then the condition of the colored people
would be still worse, and it would also be
more difficult for them to emigrate. This
feeling, he thought, was stimulating and
fastening the exodus.
Mr.. George T. Ruby (colored), editor of
the New Orleans Observer, testified that he
was born in New York city, and has lived
in Louisiana and Texas for the past sixteen
years, and that he is conversant with the
causes of the exodus. He said a convention
of colored citizens of Louisiana assembled
in New Orleans in April, 1879, and, after a
session of four days, ascertaned that this
exodus movement originated among planta.
ton laborers, and was the result of the perse-
cutions of the political mobs of 1874 and
1875 Organizing as a colonization council
in August, 1874, it spread rapidly from
parish to parish and permeated the state,
particularly the sections known as the cot
ton belt, where outrages have been most
frequent. The convention had learned that
92'SOO names were enrolled in Louisiana,
northwestern Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi,
and Alabama, and that 5000 of these were
represented in different parishes of Louis
lana. Political leaders had nothing to do |
with it. The immediate causes of the New |
Orleans convention, he said, were the out |
RACES committed in Louisiana during the |
summer and autumn Of 1873, and he men.
toned several outrages that had occurred in |
September and October, 1878, one of which |
resulted in driving out of parish a colored |
preached named Blount, and two white Re- |
pubicans named Breda This was done, the |
witness said, simply because they were Re- |
pubicans." He then produced and read |
the following resolution adopted at a Demo
cratic meeting in Natchitoches in Septem-
Der, 1873:
Reso'ced, That the past conduct and actions OF |
Blount, Roby Lewis, and their white associates, |
who are the recognized leaders Of the radical |
party in this parish are ntoerable that the per-
sistent efforts of these people to regain position
and power are standing menace to the peace of |
our society; and, regarding them as enemies of |
good government we are determined they shall |
not succeed in their nefarious designs to keep |
alive hostility between the races
Resolved, further, That the bold and vigorous
denunciation OF these bad men : the Peoples
phdicdtor are entitled to and receive our hearty
commentator and approval
The witness said that the "vigorous de-
nunciation Endorsed by the resolutions in
cluded advice to the people to take these
bad men " out to the nearest tree and hang
them. The effect upon the colored people
of the lawlessness which he said had pre-
vailed throughout the state was to "incite
them to 60 anywhere out of the hell in
which they lived" 1t was, he said, the de-
NAL of their political lights rather than their
physical condition, lamentable as it is, that |
caused this discomfort among the negroes.
He admitted that there was in New Orleans
a large and increasing class among white
Democrats, perhaps majority, who deplore
the present condition of affairs, but those
who entertain this feeling are merchants
and capitalists, naturally timid, and exert no
influence over political leaders. The rabid
men control the party, and they are in a
minority; but so long as the majority are
quiescent, and thereby deprecate lawless-
ness, they cannot prevent it. Mr. Ruby
stated that he thought nearly three thou
sand negroes had emigrated from the state,
most of whom had gone to Kansas. In the
sugar-growing sections Of the state better
feeling prevailed, but in other parts the feel
ing of discomfort is on the increase, and the
indications are that many more will leave
this spring.