The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-01-24
CAUSES OF TIE EXODUS,

CAUSES OF TIE EXODUS.
tOn to Kansas y has been Superseded by
a new cry among the colored population Of
Kentucky. North Carolina and adjacent
States. The watchword with them is, :. On
to Indiana" and they are going there in
large numbers-DONALDsON CHIEF.
Yes on to Indiana. Is this too the
result Of outrages by Democrats, or is it
the work of Radical managers concocted
for the purpose of snbverting the voice
of Democratic State ,-West Feliciana
Sentinel.
Well, yes, it probably is-neither
and both. IF the CHIEF belonged to
that class of partisan Journals which
view all questions through the. spec
tacles Of their political prejudices aud
distort them accordingly, it would
doubtless adopt one or the other Of
the two propositions suggested by the
inquiry Of the Sentinel. For instance,
if we looked through the specs OF the
Chicago Inter Ocean or the Lamars
Sentinel, the exodus might seem to be-
"the result Of outrages by Demo
Gratis, and if we used the goggles Of
the Okolora States or West Feliciana
Sentinel, it might become apparent
that the movement was only gigan-
tic Radical conspiracy to change the
political complexion of Hoosierd ON.
But, as it fortunately happens that
the CHIEF employs the vision of truth
and common sense, and endeavors to
treat all questions accordingly, with
out regard to the effect produced upon
any political party, we decline to
adopt either Of these partisan tleo-
ries as an explanation Of the exodus,
though both contribute something to-
wards the formation of our conclusion.
Thus, while we are convinced that III
some cases and localities Democratic,
outrages aud Republican exhortations
have been the prime causes of the
emigration, We can not doubt that
the grand and general incentive is the
desire of the colored people to better
their condition, and Il belief that this
can be best accomplished by removal
to the prosperous States Of the great
West, whittier the star of empire
takes its way.
For years a steady stream Of white
emigration has passed westward from
the North and East, rs well rs from
European countries, and it is an un
questionable fact that the California
fever, the Kansas fever, the Colorado
fever and kindred ailments have scar
lied off, from the white population
Of the older States many thousands
more Of emigrants than the Kansas or
Indiana fever will ever take from
among the Negroes of the South. The
motives which actnate the colnred
man to change his location are in
most cases identical with those If the
white emigrant, aud it is qni!e natu-
raj that the former should follow his
more enlightened neighbor into those
States where labor is in demand, lands
are cheap, aud so many men achieve
competencies frem humble begin
Mugs by tilling the bountiful soil.
Whether the colored brother, as Z
rule, is wise in leaving the sunny
South, apd whether he might not. i.y
the exercise of industry and frugality,
attain here the same degree Of pros
perity and enjoy greater physical
comfort than in the wintty West, are
questions distinct FROM the one we are
now discussing. Indiana newspapers
tell US that the colored people who
have emigrated to that State have all
found employment and that many
more can do likewise. Here, then. is
an incentive to the exodus from Ken
lucky aud North Carolina which rel
egates the hypothesis Of Democratic
outrages aud Republican Vaccinations
to the position of mere side issues.