The Portland daily press., 1880-02-09
THE NEGRO EXODUS.
Testimony Before the Investigating Com
rnittee.

Testimony Before the Investigating Com
mittee.
WASHINGTON, Feb THE exodus commit
tee held session today.
G. A. Hackney, prosecuting attorney at
Shelbyville, Ind, testified briefly as to the az
rival of emigrants there.
w. M. Holland. member of the Washington
Emigrant Aid Society, testified that the object
of the society was solely charitable and that it
has no agents Republicans had not contrib
uted ten cents to the funds and the society has
no political utilization. he Delleved the ne
groeS would be benented py ieaVihs 0iio 0o"'il
for the North.
s A. Perry, negro testified to being North
Carolinian and to efforts made to form an emil
grant colony by 100 negroes. who sent Ferfy
and Williams west to look for suitable Ioca,
cation They returned from GreencaStle anu
distributed circulars recommending Indiana
as a proper place to go. He claimed the ne
proes were badly treated i'll North Cafoilna,
and said Northern men who had settled IN
North Carolina were driven out by bad treat
ment One magistrate there says toe ne
GRO is no more human being than horse IS a
mule. Democrats there told witness this is a
white mans government and no negro ought
to take part in it. Negroes think they nave
been cheated out of their representation and
can do better by going to some territory by
themselves They think if the Democrats re-
cain full power the old state of things will re-
turn. There was no political violence to speak
of in North Carolina, aside from unfalrness
in legislation and courts. He had no appre-
bension of a return of the Ku-Klux troubles.
but the negroes think the intention is to keep
them down in poverty and insignifcance. He
had never advised any one to go to indiana
He wrote home from Indiana to his friends
that if he owned a lot in Indiana and one
in hell he would sell the Indiana lot and
reside in hell. Witness was now on the re-
tired list of politics After hearing the facts
witness had changed his opinion as to Indiana
| being desirable location. If the industrial
| and financial condition of the negroes was
as good in Indiana as elsewhere witness would
| like to see enough negroes sent there to revo-
| lutionize things politically, but did not hear a
| word about political intrigues when in Indiana.
| The witness declared he was now done with
| the exodus and was advising people to so
| back.
! To Mr.. Vance-We think the road law and
| other statutes are made more severe on the
negroes than formerly. The witness was not
| prepared to say this was done purposely to OPP
press them. lie thought roads should be kept
up by general taxation. As to the tenant laws,
his objection was that no part of the crops could
| be removed unless rent was paid. Under a
Republican government part of the crop could
| be sold
Mr. Vance-It does not bear hard upon q
man if he intends to pay his rent does it?
| Witness-Well, there are cases where man
| wants to raise a little money and he has to &C
to his landlord and give five days notice before
| he can sell any of his crops. 1t makes sort Oh
servant of a man and they don't like it.
Mr.. Vance-A debtor is a sort of servant te
| his creditor always, isn't he?
Witness-Well, yes, suppose so.
Mr.. Vance asked the witness if it were not
true that ex-masters treated ex-siaves well IL
| the South.
Witness said they did in some ways. For in
stance, they were kind to them as servants, but
not as friends. He went to see his old master
while ago. and he looked on me as servant
| That is what we don't like. He didn't trea
me as an equal, and of course thought was
as was citizen. If was to go back to hin
today / couldn't talk to him and express my
opinion.
Witness was not aware that the Kansas con
stitution limited suffrage to whites. He learn
ed on returning to North Carolina that price
was set on his head on account of his connec
ton with the exodus. All he did was advise
negroes to better themselves by emigration
He was further examined without obtaining
any information of importance and the com
| nlittee adjourned to Monday.