New-York tribune., 1880-04-06
UTTtT NR. YOORHEES IS DOING.

While the scandals connected with the mis-
management of the Kellogg and Wnshbum in
vesigations are fresh. it is pleasant to DO
assured that another inquiry by Democratic
Committee is conducted with so much fairness
as to call for general remark. Perhaps if is not
crediiabc to Congress that the fairness of a
Committee should be a subject of remark; but
we have become 50 much accustomed to eing
the machinery Of legislation abused for partisan
PURPOSES, that when Senator Voorhees, is found
conducting the Exodus Investigation with inn
partially and Judicial decorum we cannot help
showing some little surprise Such behavior
was the less to be looked for in this case because
the inquiry seemed to have been set on foot for
purely party CcasOns. 1t was not clear what
COngrcss--at least a Democratic Congress
could cxpcct to do with the cOlOrcd emigration
movement after completing it's inquiries; and
nobody supposed that the investigation could
lead to anything else than campaign report,
representing that black men are very well
treated mt the South, and that Radical poiti-
clans are tempting them away to certain starva-
tion, The mere fact that the negroes are flee
ing northward has had n great effect upon
Northern voters, and it was undoubtedly in
tended that Mr.. Voorhees, should cOunterlct this
lamcnable influence.
Mr.. Voorhees, has done his best, no doubt, but
40 far he has been fair He has respected the
rights of the majority and he has not badgcrcd
the witnesses. If he does not find out exactly
what his party friends want, he will get by this
process a mass of information which will DO
him more good. 1t has already been made clear
that the exodus was not inStigatcd ut the North;
whatever its cause, ii originated with the freed
men themselves; it was planned III their
churches and their social meetings; it was
mcAitated long ago; it has been carried out
with n great deal of system and pertinacity;
and probably we have not yet seen the end of
it. IF Mr.. Voorhees, can convince his own party
of the causes Of this flight, he will render them
q valuable service. 1t is not the service they
were looking for, but perhaps they will accept
il from an Indiana Democrat, and make Use of
il. A witness was examined on Saturday whose
testimony is worth attending to. He is u
planter near Shreveport, and he Informed Mr..
Voorhees, that about thirty families had left
him and gone to Kansas four had come back,
and three others wished to come. There had
been "1iots in his part of the country; in one,
to which special reference was made, about half
and that seems to be a specimen of the sort of
political riots they have in the South, except
that "half q dozen negroes is an unusually
small list of casualties. But this is probably
loose Cil-hand remark rather than a strict nu-
mcrcal statement. The count would have been
more precise if tire victims had been of the
other color. 1t is the explanation Of the riot,
however, that we find most important. "When
such affairs arc started" said the witness,
"they get into the hands of men not having the
best interests Of the country at heart, and the
"better classes cannot control them."
This is no doubt the truth. 1t is the trouble
with the South, and always has been, that such
"affaiis" arc continually started and invariably
getting into the hands Of men "nOt having the
best interests of the country at heart" The
men of that class are numerous in the Bourbon
States, and have q way OF making themselves