The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-19
WARNING FROM BRAZIL.
hangers that Await the Negroes Who
would Emigrete to South America.
r,.on, The Rio de Janeiro Netcs,

would Emigrate to South America.
From the Rio de Janeiro NetCs.
II would appear from our latest Ameri-
oop exchanges that the TopeSa scheme for
establishing colonies of American negroes
IN South ana Central America is making
-o,;d progress in the South, and is attract
49,, widespread attention. The promoters
~ the scheme in Topeka, Kan, have
Elected a regularly chartered organization
DIR the corporate title "Tne South and
4llu4r American Immigration League of
10 limited States of America" whose capt.
toI stock is placed at $2,000,000. The Off
80 of the association were elected early in
January last. and correspondence was at
Onca opened with prominent colored men in
o,-orv hart of the country. At the begin
Dingof February forty-two colonies, COM
rising about IL, 900 members, were reported
rom sight States, and it was expected that
a. frst LOT of them would be ready to leave
Gov their new home about May l. The cost
If transportation from the seaboard is
laced at $40 to S15 per capita It appears
tbat+he two countries on which their attan-
ION is chiefly conferred ore Brazil and the Ar
t+ontine Republic, where they are told that
fbere is no prejudice against their color,
ond where the climate and soil is every
thing they could wish.
These misguided people are totally igno-
rant of the countries to which they propose
n emiprate, and nothing but failure and
ov+reme suffering will follow such a step.
We do not question the justice of their com
:, eints. but we do question the wisdom of
Haaing from evils known to those unknown.
n show that these evils do exist, and that
the coored people of the United States are
+otaIIv untitled to cope with them, we shall
call their attention to few plain facts
based on experience and easily verified in
formation.
In the first place, the negroes who are
nroposng to leave the United States are a
peaceable, Industrious people, who are seek
ing home where their color will not be an
obstacle to social and political preferment,
and where they can enjoy the fruits of
their industry and enterprise unmolested
nv prejudice and arbitrary restriction. For
industrial purposes, they want fertile land
a nlldclimate, and good markets; and for
social purposes, law-abidiDg people, just
and equable laws, absence, of race preiu-
dice. and an opportunity for themselves
and their children to exercise any and every
privilege exercised by any other race. Now,
where is this country to be founds
Primarily, there are but two countries
Brazil and Guiana-in South and Central
America which can be said to have settled
political institutions, and there is but one
british Guiana-where the English Ian
cuage is spoken. All the States of Central
America, Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela,
Bolivia, Peru and Uruguay are in a chronic
state of revolution, and the Argentine Re-
public is but little better. In every one of
these countries, including Brazil, society is
in a very unsettled state, and the laws can
not be said to afford any protection against
usurpation and violence. There is not a
republic among them which merits the
name, for they are not governments of law
but Of officials In the Argentine Republic,
where several colonies are to be established
the police cOmmis5ary is veritable deSpOt,
who generally does as he pleases. 1t is a
common thing for men to be thrown into
prison for months, and even years, without
warrant or trial; and it is almost an IN
known occurrence for poor man to appeal
against their exaction and arbitrary acts.
In Brazil the police delegates are quite as
despotic and Irresponsible Now what can
a negro colOnist do against such petty
tyrantS9 He will not be able to speak the
language, he cannot depend on the courts for
protection, he cannot appeal to their sense
Of justice. He will have no recourse but
submission.
Asst the places selected for colonies, what
does he know about them? In the Argen-
tine Republic there are no public lands re-
naming near the coast or lines of communi-
cation. The government there has very
unwSely sold its best lands in large tracts
to SPECTATORS, who are establishing colo
Mes on conditions most favorable to them
selves. few are honest and public spir-
tied; the majority are grasping and tricky
There are some thrifty, prosperous colonies
IN hatcountry, but there are more who have
failed lamentably and whose inhabitants
1--we worse than the American negro ever
did As for the projected colony on the
highlands of the southern tributaries of the
Amazon, it is an absurd chimera The
country Is IN unsettled Wilderness, only
partially explored, unprovided with even the
Iudest means of communication, without in
dustres and markets, and full of privations
whlch the most courageous negro in the
United States could not stand for six
months. No agent of the Topeka organiza-
tloh mas ever visited that country; they are
proposing to go there on mere hearsay.
ana tue end will be that the Consulates Of
lie United States in this country will soon
Ge overrun with destitute negroes, and the
United States government will have to send
LOT them just as it did for some white emf
grants alter the late war. There is more
qqanger IN the project than the Topeka
league ever dreamed of, and it will
pe wise to inquire further before it is too