Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-02-12
INVESTIGATION PROCEEDINGS.
Tho Colored Exodus.

A The Colored Exodus.
WAsHN01UN, Jan. -.
Warren o. Tearing. colored. an employees Of
Sne OF the EaeGusivs DsPart%Sen ~. e WE'D
had received letters from his relatives in
people Of that State receive very low wages
and are dissatisfied with their treatment, and
Charles n. otny. eolored. editor Of the
Washington Argus, q weekly paper devoted
to the interests of the colOred race, and prfn-
cipal of Howard University. School. testi-
he'd that he Is q native of North Carolina,
Howard University; that he has
made
pie. His last visit was only few weeks ago.
He further testified that he was one OF the
ty, having himself drawn up Its Constitution.
Its object was to furnish aid to colored people
neeing from oppression, such as the destitute
way to Kansas from Mississippi and Louisi-
ana. At one of the nrst meetings, how
ever. 9 Mr.. Mendhali made speech
divert emigrants from their then objective
point (Kansas), and to send about 5000 into
coming election" witness objected ' to this his
and as soon as he saw that the Society was 70
be used politically,he Withdrew from 1t. Wit
from North Carolina first began he addressed
letters to the most prominent colored men in
uprising. All the answers were that there
was no cause for it; that the more ignorant
were deluded by three men named Per
bs Been " Nortn, and y returned In' WITH NTH
such glowing news that the people
could not resist them. Witness further
described conversations personally held by
him in North Carolina during the past few
weeks with James II. Harris, Osborne Hunter,
co coll men, and with Gov. Holden, Richard
Badger and Col Ike Young, prominent Radi-
cal Republicans, all in full accord with the
foregoing explanations of the real causes of
the exodus. They all likewise agreed that the
condition of the colored people of North
Carolina, although susceptible of improve
some some Of the laws, and Especially
by restoration of their rights to
highly favorable, and that there is no ade
tluate incentive whatever for colored people
to leave the State. " In fact" said the witness,
"every intelligent colored man in the State is
opposed to it, and the six colored newspapers
of North Carolina are all fighting II, and say
that, although the exodus from the Southern
States may be a blessing, the exodus from
North Carolina is q fraud and q curse"
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80.
Charles n. Oeny, colored, who testified be-
fore the committee on the 26th, was recalled
v TO aSG Re
Witness acknowledged he had not heard any
member of the Washington Emigrant Aid So
Kansas to Indiana for political purposes, ex-
cept Mendenhall and could not name any
the Emi I Aid Society, who had advised
or promoted the exodus for politi-
s sse a ns 6 believed Rr sssi
Company was largely responsible for the en-
igratien. Witness reasserted his belief that
the Wsit Pe1Ps Of a MSn
were opposed to this exodus, and understood
that the entire Democratic and colored press
ploding the false statement spread broad.
cast in that State by Perry, Williams and
Evans. r.
Ind, resident of Greencastle. was sworn,
and produced a printed circular, which he
Obtained from one OF the North Carolina
This circular, it was afterwards proven by an
other witness, had been printed in the office of
the Greencastle Banner during the latter part
of last July, and that the editor of that
paper, MFR. j. III. Clay, u colored man, was
the author of this circular. Newman said he
was informed by the colored man who gave 1t
to him that 1t had been circulated quite ex-
tensively among colored people in North Car
olina. 1t urges them TO come to Indiana, set
ting forth the attractions of that State stating
its climate was healthful, that free schools for
both races were maintained that there were
numerous cOlored churches, and that blacks
and whites stand equal before the law, and
also stating that 900 good farm hands and
house servants could readily Fl nd employment
at re munerative wages, and especially urging
those who contemplate coming to do so "dur
ing the present summer and fall of 1879, so as
with farmers next year."
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.
The examination of NJ. T. Lewman, Sheriff
of Putnam County, Ind, was continued.
Witness gave An account of an interview he
had with q man named Heath, who came in a
mail car from Washington to Greencastle.
Heath was trying to find IA location fer colored
emigrants, and had letters to Judge Martin
dale and Col. Holloway, prominent Indiana
Republicans. Witness represented himself to
Heath as Republican and in that way
gained the latter5 confidence. Witness tes-
titled that Heath told him, among other things
that one reason for the colored people leav-
ing North Carolina was to better their condi-
ton, and another reason was tnat their friends
in Washington desired many of them
possible to get out of North Carolina and into
Indiana before the census was taken, about
May /, so as to decrease the representation of
North Carolina and increase that of Indi-
ana. Ten thousand intended to come.
On cross examination by Window, the wit
ness stated that his county is well settled up.
There is no demand for labor there Much
dissatisfaction is felt on account of the emf
grafton, not because of the emigrants' color,
but because they reach their destination in "A
destitute condition and have to be supported
by the county, and because they overstock the
labor market. There is ill feeling among the
I'M.