National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-21

concentration, but distribution"
Doubtless, while uttering those wise words,
numerous historical parallels and prece-
dents occurred TO the orator, aud It will be
interesting for us TO review some Of the
more obvious instances which suggest them
selves.
When ten plaques and the importantly
OF Moses failed TO soften Pharaohs heart,
Jehovah, wearylng Of manlfestoes, Issued
fruitless ultimatum and finally sent per-
emptory command TO the Hebrew children.
That command, as interpreted by Moses,
and, later on reproduced 10 our American
vernacular, simply amounted TO 'get outI"
Being at that time an obedcnt aud tracta.
bic people they "got out" but, before
doing 90, In order 10 establish prece-
dent which has eliminated In the
Rothschilds, they spoiled the Egyptians.
In this they rosembled John Gllpln-
Although he was on pleasure bent, Jonu
had a frugal mind.n Morallsts may de-
plore the spelling business, but there can
be no doubt that the exodus saved the
Jewish race.
When the Greek cities became crowded
Athens, Corinth, and Thebes sent out their
colonIsts. who carried with them to Egean
Islands, the coast OF Asia Minor, aud the
shores Of the Adrlatlc those reverentlal
feelings for the "mother city" which, amid
alien races, created Greater Greece. They
had accepted the policy OF "get out ~
At the dawn Of the Christian era We
ind mention In the records Of an Asiatlc
town that man named Paul, alias Saul,
proclaimed himself Roman citizen. Even
fellow-countymen OF G. Julius Cesar
found II advisable 10 pull up sticks aud
"get out !"
The Turks in Constantlnople, the
Moor in Spain, the spaniards in Mexico
and South America, the Germans In
France, tho Freuchmen In Britain, aud
the Bhtons craWrhere are only few
prominent examples Of the influence which
has been exercised upon civilization by the
two little monosyllables "get out !"
II may be urged that the colored people OF
our southern states care as little for examples
from the Greeks and the Turks as Sir Boyle
Roche cared for posterlty; but this obIec-
tlon is not insuperable. The poor freed
man will be more reconciled 10 his volun.
tary abandonment OF the sunny south when
he realizes that the most powerful and sue
cessful races have been those most willing,
when necessary, 10 tear themselves away
from home and country and long tradition
In quest Of larger lives, aud that stern In
dependence which is dearer than life itself
But the diffusion Of colored people diff
fers fundamentally from almost al. other
mlgrations. II only resembles them In be-
Ing a change Of locality. Instead OF social
ostracism and, practically, political inslg.
nifcance. the movement 70 another state
means the establishment OF a solid home
and the admission 10 the fullest privileges
OF an American citizen.
Surrounded, as the colored man now is in
many Of the southern states, by associations
which warp and stunt his moral, mental, and
material growth, and by jealousy, begotten
Of franchise over which he has no real
control, every opportunity by which he may
be enabled to place himself more fully un-
der the protecting shield Of the constltu.
tion should be hailed with delight, not
only by the freeman himself, but by those
Of his more favored fellows who have other
interests than keeping him in sublec-
ton. A colored man in this country who
is not absolutely devoid Of energy and char.
acter, but whose lot is cast In any state
In which he feels cowed by numerical su-
periority, or even equality OF the white
voters, has, in his own hands, an easy aud
effective remedy. 1t is not necessary for
10 In 20 infn
any society. lie has only to transfer him
self from a locality where he is nobody TO
q locality where the different conditions
Of society afford him the opportunity, aud
hold out every inducement, 10 become a
somebody. In western and northern com
munities, where he can merge In the crowd,
and become an individual among indlyld.
uals, instead OF remaining the integral part
OF an obnoxious section, the colored
voter enjoys many advantages which are de
MED to the poor emigrant from other coun
tries. The German, the Italian, the Pole
the Hungarian, the Russian, and in fac
every foreign emigrant except the British
subject, knows nothing Of our language
and almost as little Of our customs. II
the case Of the Italian, who come!
from land as much given to lotus eating
as any southern state, the impediments to
success are much more numerous than those
which confront the freedman. The Italiar
rarely becomes reconciled to his surround
ings In America, but he has energy and grit
and patience, and returns to Italy after {
few years with the price Of farm or Of {
wine shop. The proportion Of Italian la
borers who accumulate this modest compe
tence is very large. Why should not tn,
proportion of moderately successful col.
ored people spread In the western aud
northern states be equally larger There 4;
no sufficient reason that we can see, except
the one which is involved In the initial
difficulty of persuading them to "get out. y
"If the labor market at Mississippi were
to-day not overloaded and oversupplied
the laborers would be more fully apprecl
ated," said Mr.. Douglass, referring TO the
Carrollton massacre, and the only way to re
lieve this surplus In Mlssisslppi-as else
where-is to leave, and 60 where the har
vest is just as pleRtiful, and "the laborers
are few.n
In Mr.. Nordhoff's excellent little book,
"Politics for Young Americans" occurs d
passage particularly appropriate here:
"There are no surplus men In the world
when any one appears TO be so he is only
in the wrong place. Enable him 10 %
elsewhere, and teach him that he shall, Il
need be, do something else, and he is no
longer surplus, but highly necessary tC
civilization More than One.half Of ouI
planet still lies waste and useless, and sui
fers for lack Of strong arms and stou
hearts to redeem II. o Those only
can hope to benefit both themselves and
their fellow-laborers who, when they fnt
their occupation oyer-crowded, have cour
age enough to seek II new calling, and, 4
| possible, a new field OF labor.r