The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-03-25

gress to set apart a territory for them.
or to appropriate money to aid them
in emigrating to Liberia, and finally,
if they failed in both of these, then,
the witness said, our object was to
appeal to some other Government out
side Of the United States to help us
away from this country, to go there
and live under their flag"
He said the negroes did not lose all
hope of lettering their condition un-
til 1877, and only then because they
saw the Southern State Governments
pass under the control of and into the
hands Of the very same men who had
owned them as slaves. In that year
they petitioned both Congress and
President Hayes. Not hearing any
thing. from the petition, they talked
the matter over, and the feeling prev
alent among the negroes, he said, was
''to go away anywhere in Gods world
to get away from these men," They
held public meetings in Shreveport,
but permitted no speakers to address
the meetings except those who favored
emigration. Colored ministers and
colored politicians generally opposed
emigration, and he supposed the rea-
son they opposed the movement was
because they wanted ''our support and
our votes"
The witness said he knew Of no let
ters from Northern politicians advis-
ing the negroes to emigrate.
''The reason" he said. that so
many of our people are going away is
because a large majority of white peo-
pie who held slaves treat our people
so badly. In many parts of that
country our people might as well be
slaves as free" He thought over 5000
had already emigrated from Louisiana,
and that the movement was on the
increase. The fear was prevalent
among negroes in his section OF the
State that a Democratic President
would be elected, and that the condi-
ton Of the colored people would be
still worse than at present, and it
would also be more difficult for them
to emigrate This feeling, he thought,
was stimulating and fastening the
exodus now. He had heard from
number Of emigrants who had gone
to Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado,
and they reported that they were bet
ter satisfied there than in Louisiana,
and none that he knew of had written
back to their friends discouraging the
N Ovement.
Adams testimony was not con-
cluded to-day. Much Of it was neces-
sarily Of a general character, relating
to the methods by which large Repub-
lican maiorities were overcome in the
Louisiana parishes.
After the session Of the committee
came to an end a correspondent Of the
Tribune learned that the witness had
written statement which
he will put in evidence tomorrow. A
few extracts from this document will
give a better idea than is
usually attainable Of the state of
opinion among the colored people of
Louisiana which leads them to think
Of leaving for more favorable local
ity. This, in fact, is the object Of the
exodus investigations:
''In the year 1866, in the parish of
Caddo, State Of Louisiana, I seen hang
ing to a limb of an oak tree, about six
miles south from Shreveport, the body |
Of a colored man. He was dead when
seen him.
''About six miles north from Keat-
5hie | saw wagon belonging to
;olored man burned with all his things. /
Even his mules were burned to death.
''While on my way to Sunny Grove
seen the head of a colored man lay
ng side the road.
Whilst travelling on my way to
DeSoto Parish, large body of armed |
white men met me and asked me who |
belonged to. | answered them and
old them that | belonged to God, but
lot to any man. They then asked me
where was my master. [ told them
he one | used to have was dead, and
have not had none since 1858. |
worked for those who would hire me
md pay the largest price, as | was
till a slave; and during the time I
vas passing through this parish,
black man was not allowed to preach
he Gospel anywheres, any more than
lie was before 1866. He had to preach
ust what they, the white men, wanted
md what they told him to preach My
;ather was a preacher, and he is even
until this day, and they all-or at
east the most Of them-says they
cannot preach the Gospel as they wish.
or the white people did not, nor do
not, allow them to do it; for the white
men say the preachers make meaner
ligger, and that they cannot rule the
ligger. | have leard them tell the
;olored men to not preach such doc
5rine as that to the niger, because
he niger will get above himself and
above their business; and if you do
you are in danger Of losing your own
ife.
'Such is the language they used to
5he colored preacher, for they said
hey will not stand such to be preach
I'd. They told me that | must give up .
al that | got to them, because they |
had the law in their hands to take all .
Of what niger had. SO they said |
to me: Give us your money and your
whisky, your horse, and then you can
live, but if you don't, you have got to
lie right here; SO had to give it up
to them to save my life, and | then
reported to the Courts; but the law
would not do anything about it.
so the next incident what | saw
was when | was passing place, | saw
white men whipping colored men,
Just the same as they did before the /.
war, OF before freedom in this State
saw white men beating a colored .
man because he had been a United .
Statns snld;ar Thny heat him all hut |