The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-01-07
The Latest Negro Exoius.

The somewhat vague rep".t> al an
south Carolina have been thoroughly in
vestigated by a correspondent o. the
Charleston Ne~S and Courttr. who finds
that they have underestimate rather
than exaggerated its Importance. The
exodus broke out i'll Edgetield county.
which is III the northwestern part Of the
State, and got under way just before
Christmas. Although the general pub
lie had heard nothing about it until it
was announced that the negroes were on
The march. it appears that the movement
has been under consideration for some
time. Early in the fall two leaders OF
the race organized emigration societies
in different parts o! the county. which
anybody could JOIN upon paving dollar.
and meetings were held twice a week. at
which increasing enthusiasm was devel-
opea. About the middle Of November
it was decided to send out an exploring
party, aud three delegates We're furnish
ed money out of the general fund tn go
West and invests ::te. They returned
about a fortnight ago with most glowing
reports of the Canaan they had discover
ed in Arkansas. According to their
story wages in that land of promise
ranged from SD to $50 Il month. with IA
tlonS. excellent government land cnald be
secured for twelve and a-half cents an
acre. provisions were cheap, game album
dant i'll short, every thing WAS lovely
Naturally Il majority OF the society voted
to start for this modern Paradise with
out delay. and an assessment of from 50
to $l1 apiece was levied. by which about
Sc. 600 was raised. This money was
paid over to cUlured preacher named
Hammond. who agreed to arrange for
through transportation. aad have spec
ial trains ready at Augusta on the Goth
of December.
AS early as the Goth of the month the
colored yeople began to leave their homes
and start Tor Augusta. SO as to be on
hand i'll ample time. They moved along
the hi4 hwayS in companies of tens and
Iitties. the strong ploddlng along on foot,
while the children and iulrm We're haul
ed on the wagons which carried their
movable property. Once started. the
movement spread almost like wildtire.-
In what is called the Ridge section of
the county, embracing Il territory about
y miles long by miles wide. it is de-
ciared that at least fUur-lithS of the en-
tire negro population lave left their
homes. Extensive pllut;iuonS, on which
large numbers vi negroes Were formerly
cinpla, ed, are witiiu;!r = single culrred
labnrGr, and wliUic settlements have
been almost completely Geponn!atcd.-
1t is estimated that already :; nth oil the
coiurei population oi tic couuty,ur over
live thousand persons. have gone, and
there Is no sign as Yet of any abatement
OF the fever. This, too. notwithstand-
ing the fact that when the first parties
reached Augusta, Hammond WAS not
there Is meet them. and everything in
dictated that he had decamped with all
their money. some Of them were fam
to retrace their steps. hut most of those
who had not funds enough to pay their
fare through pushed their way is far as
they could toward Arkansas before
again settling down.
1t is no sudden freak Of credulous
race which has impelled this Wholesale
movement. Although a less simple and
coniidng folk would hardly have manas-
ed such an enterprise So shlitles>ly, q
more vigorous and independent people
would probably have sooner made an eff
fort to better their condition. There APP
pears no doubt that the negroes i'll South
Carolina. and especially in Edseiieid
county, have abundant cause for COM
plant. They say that they enjoy no po-
htlcal rights; that they cannot vote at
the elections, or. II they do, their votes
are not counted: in short That they are
not allowed the promised privileges of
cltlZenShlp. Furthermore. they complain
that they are chal ged such high rent Tor
land and such eXurbitant prices for pro-
visions that they cannot make a living.
and after year OF hard work find them
selves worse oil at tho end than in the be-
ginning. Investigation hy the candid
and intelligent correspondent of the
Charleston paper showed that there was
great force i'll this complaint. The pas
sage of a stock law by the last Legi>a-
tuIe, which virtually cut oil most of the
negroes from keeping the cows and hogs
on which they had before depended for
mGc.i of, their subsistence, appears to
have been the last straw that broke the
camel back. and determined them to Try
their fortunes elsewhere.
Already it is confessed that the exodus
it is a very serious thing for the white
people of the section. and if it continues
to spread. the property of the State must
suffer a serious blow. The more intelli-
gent of the ruling race appear disposed
to question whelher they are not them
selves to blame for this misfortune. and
there are signs of a tendency toward "A
more liberal treatment Of the negro.
South Carolina needs a thorough shaking
up. and this unexpected coiored exodus
NAV prove the instrumcntality to bring
it about.