The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-02-05
FEBRUARY 5, 1880.
Mtseflloufous.
The Negro Exodus Investigation.

dent of the emigration Aid Society. MIR.
Wall. under cross-eXaminatiOn by Senator
Vance as to the basis for his assertion that
North Carolina was "a God-forsaken coun-
try. with a soil that would not sprout black
eyed peas admitted that he had very
little personal knowedge of the soil OF North
Carolina, and personally knew nothing
about the counties from which the present
exodus started.
I'm RESPONSE to a series, Senator VOORHEES,,
the witness stated that the Information re-
ceived by him as president Of the society,
was de ived from circulars and letters Of
!. H. Walker, the mail agent at Terrc
Haute, and several other persons living in
that State, and from Perry and Williams,
the North Carolina agents of the emigrant.
Mr.. O'Hara (colored). testified that he
has held office in Halifax for 4 number of
years as Chairman of the Board OF County
Commissioners, Chairman Of the Board of
Education and County Examiner; he has
also been a member of the North Carolina
Legislature and of the constitutional Con-
v%ention; was one of the Presidential cleo
tors on the Republican ticket In 1876, and
is now contesting a seat in the National
House of Representatives. He gave a very
favorable account OF the condition ana
treatment of the colored in North Carroll
ma. both in regard to the industrial and do
liticaI status. They owned in Halifax
county at least twenty thousand acres OF
valuable unencumbered land, IN farms Or
of from twenty to four hundred acres each,
and a similar state of affairs existed IN the
adjoining counties. They enjoyed eqnal
prosperity with white people OF the same
D~ecuniary means. and were treated 10y the
Weather classes Of the State equally as we'll:
The general condition Of both white and
colored people in North Carolina was not
as fourishing as that OF the people OF some
other States, for the crops had been bad
nevious to this season for two years in sue
%cession lowing first to drought and then
to foedsl, but they were now doing much
better, and farm wages were advancing.
Their troubles largely grew out of the''crcdit
system. Of obtaining advances from the
North on their crops, and the consequent
necessity of paying for labor with store
.orders.' but this system, and also the oper-
atoms of the Landlord and Tenant law,
bore equally upon all classes of farm labor
.ers. and the latter would undoubtedly be
amended bv the next Legislature. He tes-
tilted that although there was at one time
some 'bulldozing" in counties bordering
on South Carolina, there never has been any
political persecution In the counties affected
by the present exodus, and IS none now In
anV part OF NOTtu SdIollud Win was
more common on election days than to see
q white landlord and colored tenant coming
to town in the same buggy and voting diff
ferent tickets; white mechanics IN North
Carolina had no prejudice against working
with colored mechanics, and no dlscrlmIna-
ton was made against colored people IN the
courts or in the course or on Jurles.
Senator Window remarked at this point
that he had been looking for a negro par
adise. and he had found it in North Caro-
lima.
The witness, in response to ~interrOgato
ries as to the cause of the exodus from this
State, said It was the result of agitators
going about the country and not a sponta-
neous emigration the less industrious Glass
of colored men (wha: might be termed the
floating popnlation) were duped by repre-
sentation that they would get 81. SO per day
in Indiana and a new suit of clothes, to-
pether with government add of some sort
as they passed through Washington, and
thew were similarly deceived by false rep
reservations contained in circulars purpor-
ting to be be issued Ivy railroad companies
in Kansas and elsewhere.
In the course of his testimony he express
ed the opinion that the intelligent negro
of the South has more to fear from the Re
puhlicans of the South than from Demo
a He explained this On the ground
that the white Republicans want all the of
fees themselves, and if the colored men
claim a division they combine against the
negro. In this way, he said, he had been
counted out from his election as Congress
man because he had opposed a white Re
publican's candidacy for nomination as
Sheriff.
Senator Blair, Rep. while cross-examining
the witness, referred to him as a carpet-bag-
ger to North Carolina from New York, and in
connection with this remark asked him if
he were not a contestant for a seat in Con
gress before "a white tribunal"
Senator Voorhees, thereupon interposed, as
he SAID, for the protection of the witness
against an imputation on the motive of his
testimony, and Senator Blair disavowed in
tending any reflection upon him by the use
of the term ''c"rpet-bagger," which uhe
Senator added is applicable IN the sense of
chanued residence to .smOSt of the white