The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1882-01-29
Letter FROM Rev. w. L. G. Hunnicutt.
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION.

EDITORS CLARION: The minds Of thou
sands Of our people are greatly exercised on
the subject Of immigration. Those who can
not move TO somebody else, want somebody
else TO move to them. Like the flying fish,
anywhere else and anyhow else than where
and as they are, would suit them better.
The Legislature Of Mississippi is begged to
do something to encourage immigration
and many members favor the appropriation
Of money for this purpose. This is one of
She cases, IL appears 10 me, where IL is bet
ter to "endure the ills we have, than fly to
others that we know not Off" The negro
as a laborer is not satisfactory in all re-
spects; yet doubt not he is the best the
world can furnish for the place he fills. His
ignorance and thriltlessness prevent him
from competing with Us in the Iccumula-
ton of property, and keep him subject to
hire as laborer. Had we had for laborers
since our late war men of equal intelligence
with ourselves, they would by this time
have become owners Of almost all the land in
the country. The negro will not work very
well without some compulsiOn other than
MORAL obligation; nor will any other hired
laborer in the world. The negro will steal
articles Of small value, especially things to
eat. While he was a slave he doubtless
thought that what he ate, he had made,
and that it only strengthened him
the more to work for the master
who owned both the food aud the eater 1t
is not strange that such habits should be
still at times improperly INDUCED. But We
cannot judge him for such acts as We should
Judge ourselves. Wholesome laws have re-
pressed thieving to a very large extent.
We may hope moreover that the morals of
the colored race are improving.
As q rule the negro is easy to command
and feels no degradation in serving. Ofall
the laborers in The world suppose the negro
is the most willing and inoiIensive. He
never envies or bears malice, and rarely
plots to rob or kill. Had we had any other
race OF people in their place, | doubt wheth-
.er We Should mol have been destroyed long
Since.
But what about the much coveted foreign
immigrationga Whoever invites, or hegs. Or
Hires 10reignets "a come 10 this country,
vii get more than he bargains for, and will
not DO pleased with the surplus: unless he
be land speculator, or a speculator in
something else whose interests are not iden-
tical with those OF the great body Of our
people. Pick and choose as you may, four
out OF i've foreign immigrants will be such
as we do not want They will have no sym-
pathy with our laws, our customs or our re-
ligion. They will besuch people as cannot
be assimilated to our society, and ought not
to be mingled with it. They would inter
marry to some extent among US, there
by pulling us down great deal, while
we should raise them very little,
The most of them would ignore our Sabbath
aud scout our religious opinions. They
would be politically, socially, morally and
religiously antagOnistic TO US. As laborers
they would be of two sorts; those who
would remain hirelngs and renters, and
those who would not. The former class
would be worse than the negro. They
would work less and rob more than he does.
Those who do mental labor fO7 here are I'M
reliable, the world ever "The hireing
teeth, because he is an hireling." The
latter class would soon outstrip us in the
race for property. They would, in short
time become owners of land aud be indie
pendent OF us; nay, our superiors in all
worldly possessions They would make
fortunes out of us, laugh at our incapaeity,
aud then rule us, as the Germans are now
doingths natives in parts Of Texas. Since
writing the foregoing, the following from the
pen OF L. s. Smith, Daleville, Texas. has
fallen under my eye: "The Germans occupy.
almost exclusively, large districts III the
heart of the Conference, whele once there
were large churches, aud even circuits.
Before their steady advance the American
population has fallen back, aud the terrific
ry has, by necessity hitherto considered
imperative, been abandoned by our
preachers Dwelling in large communities,
they speak their mother tongue, keep up
the customs of their forefathers, aud show
little disposition to become assimilated to
American customs and modes Of thought"
But says one, we want oar idle lands
cultivated. | am unable TO see che force of
this argument What advantage can it be
to have land cultivated, If he who culsiyates
one acre consumes as much as will grow on
two2 Iii not because our lands are not culti-1
waited, but because they areunproftably culti-
vated. that we are now dissatisfied. But
will not Foreigners cultivate our lands pruii-
t4bly Probably to whoml To them
sslYes, not 70 rs. We have classified them
above Those who work for us viii be no
better than the negroes; those who work
will soon grow rich out Of Us.
The food of foreign immigration 70 this
country is a great calamity. At least fuar
out of five Of them are such as were not
wanted at the homes they left, aud can
never be Of eny advantange tons. II We need
anything on this subject, it is rather to dis. |
courage immigration. IL Mississippi had |
now within her borders the strong young
men who have gone from here to Texas, |
California aud other places since the late |
war, she would be more blessed than by |
half million of foreign immigrants. The |
idea of State with more than million Of
needing foreign Immigrants is
They may need US; We Ger
lainly do not need them. But they will /
bring money with Them. Not more than /
hey will need. Besides, money is BY no
means an essential blessing. Many of the
most hateful and harmful people In the
world possess meney il considerable guam
titles. f 44
II society and the Legislature together can /