The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-11
THE PROPOSED NEGRO EXODUS.
II Would lake Rather a Large Fleet to Move the
Increase Alone.
Macon Telegram

Macon Telegraph.
Some of the Northern Republican pa
pers have considerable to say about the
South and Central American Immigra-
ton League of the United States of
America" organized nominally by ne
groes at Topeka, Kansas. Weare afraid
that the name and promises (or threats,
as you please) of this company are much
the bigger part of it. 1t is said to have
been organized with a capital of s.. .000,-
900, of which something like SS0, 900 has
been subscribed. 1t is the purpose of
the company to establish agencies in the
North and South to inform the negroes
of the advantage to be derived from res
idence in Central America, Brazil. the
Argentine Republic, and French Guiana,
and at the same time to secure the nee
essary facilities for transportation for
nothing or exceedingly low rates. Ii is
reported that Boston line running to
Brazil has offered to carry emigrants for
fourteen dollars head
1t will be observed that q very small
part of the nominal capital has been sub
scribed, and it is probable none has been
paid in. The scheme is on its face inn
practicable. and but that it was politi-
cal move, would not be worthy of atten-
ton. The Republican leaders have evil
IDENTIFY determined that the alleged op-
preston and disfranchisement of the
negro in the South shall be one of the
issues between the parties this fall, and
if fever for emigration can be excited
among the colored people, it will go far
to convince Northern voters that there
are good grounds for the charges of
cruelty. 1t would be great campaign
card to have Northern ports crowded
about election time. with thousands of
negroes fleeing from their oppressors in
the Southern Egypt to the promised land
of equal rights and social privileges in
South America. The men might be
made useful at the ballot box, and their
stories of wrong, however small the
truth in them. would move excitable
and sympathetic voters of the other
race. after they had served the polit-
ical purpose for which they were wanted,
they could get back t0 their old homes
in any way which might please them
and be within their means.
If the promoters of the scheme think
it will have any political effect in the
South, or will work disaster to its in
terests, as the New York Tribune thinks,
they are very much mistaken. In the
opinion of most Southern white men we
have quite as many negroes with us now
as the States need, and if there is any
truth in census statistics it would take
500 or 900 shiploads every year to carry
away the increase of the race alone
There is no danger of anybody raising
enough to pay the freightage on such a
vast number as that.
Even, however, if the movement
were genuine one and the money could
be found to move more than the increase
out of the country, Southerners would
not observe the departure of the ships
with unmixed regret. They undoubtedly
have a kindlier feeling for the negro
than do other people who are accus-
toned to protest their devotion to him
with much more noise and energy, but
they recognize the fact that his presence
has retarded the growth of this country.
cost rivers of blood, and forces upon
them a most difficult political and social
problem. They do not hold him reSpon-
sible for these things. They look upon
him as misfortune for which they are
themselves largely responsible. If he
chooses to go away, and can find means
of doing so, no obstacle will be put in
his way. Temporary inconvenience
even the disaster of which the Tribune
speaks-would be patiently borne for the
sake of the better state of affairs which
would fellow.
The Southern people will protest. how
ever, against the negro being made a
pawn in a cold blooded game of politics.
to his own undoing and to their incon-
venience and loss. They will object,
because both of inhumanity to ignorant
and trusttul field hands and of financial
loss to themselves, to a scheme which
will bring about confusion in the labor
system for a season, and at the end of il
leave its miserable victims still in the
field.