The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-07-04
THE NEGRO EXODUS.
What Reverend Mack Henso1
Thinks of 1t And the Status
of His Race.
To the Editor of the Statesman.


To the Editor of the Statesman.
Sir-You would do me the favor to al
low space in the columns of your paper to
say few words on q suoject muchly dis
cussed by ell classes. That is the late
move to migrate the negro to Mexico. 1
regret that have SO limited knowledge
of the interior of Mexico. 1t has been
nearly a quarter of a century since first
saw the fertile valleys of adjacent noun
taius and the Rio Grande, along the Dor.
der.
There is nothing more likely than for
men to say aud do things without reason.
But for every effect there is a cause, and
for every problem there is solution.
With reference to the negro problem
there will be found true solution, and he
would be recrrant toIevery manly senti
meEt If he bestir not himself to find a
remedy for such ordeals as he is made to
endure. He dare not sleep at his post at
such time as this. 1 cannot endorse the
idea Of crossing the border simply
for social relations between
neighbours, and if that i,
all that is aimed at in this late mcve, the
thing is wrong all over. Sir, We as
people, are confronted by difficulties
equaling the superla'ive degree. Why are
the large cities crowded to Overlooking by
rustics and uuskilled laborers? Converse
with these disconsolated and confused
people, and you will find large per cent
Of them were owners of small country
farms, but had TO leave them for causes
real or imaginary. They too often occupy
uncomfortable huts which the sanitary
laws of large towns will condemn to de-
struotion. Though hudded together in
aleyways, they prefer to dwell in squalor
under police regulations than remain in
portions of the country where the laws are
set aside with i'm purity on the slightest
pretext. 1t must be strange feature of
law which requires the guilty to fee the
community when the courts are in flu
force. No people but the American negro
suffers the fury of an unwritten cDde; no
people in our country are driven from
their hard-earned homes a5 my poor peo-
pie. Thousands of negroes are to-day in
ext e. II they are fugitives from justice
they ought to be brought back aud tried
for their crimes. If the present laws are
not sufficient to punish them, our law
makers should make new laws to reach
every case. Social equality solicitors are
the traah gang and Migrants of the age.
All citizens in a republic stand on a level
in the eyes Of the law: even the heralds, as
well as the hearers and doors of the law,
are subjects. There can never be any
social equality unless there is social con-
sent and Sgreement. These cannot exist |
without real cause. If nineteen -tWentieths |
of the wealth were in the hands of any
one class of people, who, outside of them
selves could choose for them?
Birds of the same feather will
flock together. Moral worth, relig-
ious training, mental force and wealth |
like misery, geek their own companions.
Those who have not yet discovered these
facts ought to shut up, or be locked up
until they are able to discern something. |
If black man was worth $l,000,000, |
other things being equal, who, outside of |
his equals, be they white or black, should |
say where he must stand? 1 have been |
about your comments on
the "rolored exodus to Mexico" |
1 am acquainted with Mr.. W. H. Ellis and |
have good letter from him, written at
Vergara, Mexico. 1 have never met Mr.. |
Fl. @. Ferguson, though what he has passed |
through within the last eighteen months |
has given him a reputation as wide as our
Mr.. Ellis wrote me, perhaps, |
out of respect and appreciation as his
teacher in former years. If negroes are
thick in certain sections,
why is it that they are not encouraged to
go upon the millions of unoocupied lands
of this state? do not believe in the doc
trine of negro domination. I doa't be-
lieve the thinking, progressive class of
my people think of bringing about any
such results. If the southern white people
are our friends they have chance to
prove it in this:evil day. The negroes are
not less friendly to them now than, they
were when most of the able-bodied mt n
were away from home fighting to per-
petuate the old regime. And it is no gleeful
fancy to say at this late hour that the
me jority Of negroes at chat time had an
idea of what the war YVES about and what
would be the results whichever side won.
Possibly the most pain young chicken
endures is just before the she'll opens to
let him out; few moments after the same
shell would be too small. have and shall
ever do what can to promote the friend
lest relation between the races. am in
favor of immigration when the interest of
the immigrant leads. What we fell to say
in these friendly breathings the i'm partial
will be sure to mention. Yours
truly, MACK HENSON.
GEORGETOWN GLIMPsEs.