The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-04-19
Negro EMIGRATION.

The Memphis press and the New York Herald
sound new alarm about another negro exc
dus," which has set in Tor rather set OuO from
western Tennessee for Kansas. The Telegraph
finds it impossible to get up scare on this sub
ject. On the contrary, while solcitous for the
general advancement and prosperity OF the col
ored race in the Southern States, we are satisfied
nothing can well be more desirable than the dit
fusion OF this population all over the country, so
that all sections can see what il is and what it
needs, and can reap the benefit OF the best in
struciOn, examples and the best means afforded
by all parts of the country for improvement and
progress
So long as it is aggregated in the Southern
States, so long will il be source of constant
misunderstanding and misrepresentation be-
tween The sections, and so long be held up rs the
victim OF unreasonable and uEchrsiian prejudice
on account of color. Let the North and West
see what they can do in subduing this prejudice
and admitting the negro into full and intimate
communion-socal political and matrimonial.
Let them give us a practical solution Of all the
difficulties in the case, and prove, by something
better than stump diatTbes that here is nothing
stronger than mere unreasonable prejudice in
the way OF complete homogeneiiy and ANAL
gamaiion.
We, on the other hand, view the whole politi-
cal and social schedule as upon nature and
the plainesi indications Of the divine will We
don't believe that the divine economy stamped
these broad distinctions between the races with
view 10 obllierate them by partisan jugglery
and the compulsion of human enactments We
do not believe that the negro and white races in
the United States ever will homogeniZe The
distinction on account OF color and race will
never probably result in any active hostility, but
they will never admit OF that perfect harmony
and cooperation which should subsist between
fellow citizens aid members of the same political
organization. They will be an interminable
source of trouble, and even the Radical party,
hall
eight years, is bound TO find at last that they are
an Improbable acquisition.
So far as material Southern interests are con-
cerned, we shall find them fairly on tie up-
grade, when the negro is largely supplanted by
white laboring population and we shall find a
white laboring population coming in when the
negro is thinning out. Crops may diminish tenn
porarily during the course of transfer, but re-
duction in the volume Of the cotton crop should
have no terTors to the sensible producer. We
are getting to-day nearly three cents per pound
less Tor cotton than last year, because we produce
too much. Give us sixty 10 seventy dollars a
bale and there would be plenty made-all posi-
BILE exodus to the contrary Notwithstanding
Never fear that profitable culture would fail
Tor lack OF labor, or that country teeming with
rich and valuable crops would lack vigorous
husbandry. This is one of the impossibiities.
And what we want nO'c 10 fill our States with
active farmers and bring lands into market, is
crop that farmers can get rich or Cotton, just at
the close of the war, was worth forty TO seventy
cents, because it was scarce. 1t is worth now
nine or ten, because there's too much of it.
The Southern States now annually turn out
about three hundred million dollars worth of
cotton, and yet our political economists are
divided on the question whether we are getting
richer or poorer from year to year This is the
grossest absurdity of the age. 1t exists simply
because we SlO de Sc in the matter of business
We insist On cutting our own threats. Every
farmer, when he finds himself in danger of a
diminished laboring force, is in trouble, because
he will not be able to produce as many bales as
he did last year. A GOd-send would be such an
exodus of laborers as would compel gross re-
ductien of q third or half; although the stimu-
lus of the increased price would soon bring the
crop up to old dimensions. Cotton is q thing the
world must have. At fly cents a pound, II is
the best dbre for general clothing. All that the
grower needs is care not to grow too much--but
unfortunately his only care Is to produce all be
can.
We say, then, that there should be no concern |
about negro emigration. II is better for the
negro and the country that he should scatter. 1t
IL an indispensable prerequisite to white immi- |
grafton that he should thin out. If Kansas or |
Indiana or any other State wants him, bid him |
God-speed by all means