The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-02-09
Last Nights Dispatches.
wAsHrHorou.

| G. A. Hackney, prosecuting attorney fol
the district in which Sheibyville. Iod. i,
located, testified that twenty six coloreG
emigrants arrived at Shelbyvile Dec l.
last The Mayor called meeting of the
! Council and provision was made for the
destitute. About twenty came afterwards.
These men are still scattered in or about
the town. Witness had heard of two or
three other companies coming near Shelby
vile. The county is Democratic but the
Congressional district is doubtful and very
close. A meeting OF citizens was held a,
| which it was resolved that the law of 1852
| inhicting a penalty of $500 upon any one
who should bring pauper lnto the state
should De enforced by the proper officer.
Witness learned from negro named
| Flowers and Mr.. Harper that there were
to be 1900 or $4,000 negroes seEt into
Indiana before the first of February.
Flowers was there to investigate aliega-
tions that mob had attacked the negroes.
Witness had seen the allied mob. 1t was q
meeting OF fifteen or twenty men to con-
slider the expediency of going to the depot
to Sc it a train load of negroes was coming
to Shelbyville. There is 40 doubt that all
Democrats dislike to see the emigrants
come and probably most respectable Re-
publicans do also. The iaboring classes
generally discountenance the movement.
The demand tor labor 10 Shelby county is
fully supplied, There is even.com plant of
a scarcity of work
Cross examined by Mr.. Window.
The meeting or mob referred to was not
composed of very responsible men. A lot
of hoodiUms. they were going to the train
to tell the damned negroes they could not
stop there. Witness did not feel called on
as prosecuting attorney to interfere. He
thought the negroes were being brought TO
Indiana for political purposes by Repub-
licans. but formed this opinion more
upon general report than personal knowl-
edge.
Milton NJ. Holland. member of the
Washington Emigration Aid Society,
testified that its object was not to promote
emigration, but to aid emigration. No
political purpose was connected with it,
The society has no agents whatever. So
far from the movement being Repu bican,
the society felt very hard towards Repub-
licans because they had not contributed,
He criticised two cabinet officers who had
subscribed $50 each TO the Irish relief
fund and nothing to aid the colored emf
grants. Witness is clerk IN the Govern
ment Department.
Samuel A Perry, a dark muiatto. te 'ti-
fed in answer to Window. He is resi-
dent of North Carolina. In 1872 negroes
began TO receive pamphlets from a man 10
Omaha dilating on the cheapness of lands
In that vicinity, aud some talk was bad
about forming a colony to emIerste " est,
but it died out. In 1876 the matter was
revived, but died out again, bat lat,ly
there had been much distress among the
negroes, chiefly on account of poor crops
and the severity of the landlord and ;enaLt
and other laws One hundred ueg:ots
got together and endeavored TO get
some Northern capitalists to help them
emigrate. There was no thought of
an exodus. They forwarded q petition
TO the National Emigration Aid Society.
setting forth these facts. Perry aud
man named Williams, as agents, were
sent W est to look for a suitable location
their expenses being paid by the colony.
They finally hit on Greencastle, Indiana.
We negroes in North Carolina complain
OF inj ustice 10 the courts. There are two
grades of negroes. Some have white
| trends and can get justice. Northern
men who had settled in North Carolina
| had been driven out by bad treatment,
| The negroes noticed this because they
considered these men their friends. All
the Offices had been taken away from the
negroes. There was a magistrate Gow in
office who openly stated that he thought
negro was no more human being tnan a
horse was mule Democrats told wit
ness that this was white mans govern
ment and no negroes ought to take part
| ln it. The negroes think they have been
cheated out OF representation aud can do
| better by going to sume territory away by
themselves. THIS think 1t the Democrats
regain iuii power ;be old state of things
| ha
clal condition OF The negroes was as good
in Indiana elsewhere. witness would
| like to see enough Degrees seat there 20
fevolutIoni2a things politically, but ne did
not hear a word about the political it,
| trgues when he was 10 Indiana He con-
sorted most with Repu biicans, but so he
did at home. 1t was most natural tor bin
to do so. He was done with the exodus.
| tie was advising people 10 20 back. Mr..
Vance asked the witness if it were not
true that exmasters treated ex-slaves
well in the South Witness said they
did in some ways. For instance they were
kind to them as servants, but not as
friends. He went to see his old master a
while ago and he looked on me as a SER
want. That is what we don't like He
didn't treat me as an equal and of course
thought I was a citizen. IT [ was to go
and express my opinion" Witness learn
ed on returning to North Carolina that a
price was set on his head on account of bis
connection with the exodus but no one
really hated him.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Window witt
ness said: The colored people consider
themselves unfairly deprived of represen-
tation. Since the Democrats got control
of southern affairs they are dlsfranchised
to all intents and purposes as completely
as if the Fifteenth amendment had been
repealed 1t is in their relation as citizens
that they com plain of injustice.
After a stormy session of two days the
Republican convention for this district
adjourned this afternoon, selecting as del
egates to the Republican National Con-
vention at Chicago John Z. Cook and
Sayles j. Bowen. No instructions were
given them by the convention.
Pending the action of the house upon
the new rules, the house committee on
public buildings and grounds has decided
not to report for passage any bills involv
ing appropriations for public buildings.
The committee, however. meantime will
examine and pass upon all bills.
THE wEST.
Los PINos AGENCY. Col. Feb. r.
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