The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-02-13
such aspersions. Let not another reap
where YOU have bid Tillman SOW.
PEE DEE FARMERS.
Opposed to Negro Emigration.
TAbbeville Medium.

[Abbeville Medium.
A great deal of valuable time i:
wasted in the United States Senate il
the discussion Of the proposition to
send the negroes out Of this country
We are astonished that any man Of Sen
ator Buffers age, experience and op
portunities Of observation could be lee
into the advocacy of such a wildcat
scheme. 1t is not something new, but
the question is an old one, the folly O.
which has been demonstrated more
than once. This fact should be we'll
known to any one who has read the
| history of our times. When the sub
ject was revived lately we had no idea
that any thoughtful person would look
upon it otherwise than as the evolution
of some indolescent statesman, anlbi,
tions of making sensation in the pub
| lie prints. The discussion could be
| overlooked in persons of immature
minds and of limited knowledge OF
our country's history. So we thought
that the Greenville News, tue News
and Courier and the newspaper writers
were seeking little amusement dur
ing the long and sultry days of last
summer. We had not the remotest
idea anybody would give the scheme a
serious thought.
The project is absurd on its very face
and its discussion would be amusing
if it might not prove hurtful. There
is no demand for such depopulation
of our country. If so it is not among
the honest farmers who have to dig q
living out of the ground in the hot sun
shine. They have been doing pretty
we'll as matters stand and have not
cried out to drive the negroes out Of
the country. We say "drive them out
of the country. because so far as we
know none of them have ever asked
the government to pay their way to
Africa, Mexico or any other place.
They have no desire to go. They are
doing as we'll as they could do any
where else and they never bother any
self-respecting white man or woman.
We don't mean to say that the country
would not be better off it our popula-
ton was all white, but we do say that
this project is utterly without reason.
When the editor Of the Medium was
boy he had his thigh broken and was
compelled to'stay about the house and
make companions Of the old people
about Due West. This accounts for
many of our old-fashioned ways. Mix
ing with the world has knocked many
of the conceits that we then thought
real out Of our head if it has not made
a better man Of US. One of the schemes
that was much discussed then was the
colonization of Africa and we read the
progress of the enterprise in the 'Afri-
can Repository, with unwavering faith
in its accomplishment. We thought
in a few years there would be the Chris
tian republic of Liberia made up of ne
groes sent out from this country by the
American Colonization Society. The
absurdity went to such length that in
Kentucky several manumitted slaves
were put in training for missionaries
by cur church. Harrison Presley, a
slave of the late lamented DR.. @. w.
Presley, of this county, was one of
these negroes, but the nearer the time
came for him to 60 to Liberia the more
precarious his health became and he
returned to slavery. We saw him
after the war. He had gone back on
Rouse and John Calvin and had for
gotten his classical studies. Pink Muir
phywas another negro set apart to be
educated as missionary to Lii eria.
He weakened too and was sent back
from Kentucky. Pink told us that the
water in Kentucky had a strange effect
on his eyesight. He could see how TO
bait fish hook III the darkest night
that ever was and yet couldn't see the
letters in his spelling book in the day
time. Here are two negroes that free
dom and an education would not in
duce to go to Africa.
Another scheme much discussed was
the purchase of Palestine and getting
all the Jews to go there in advance of
the millennium. We honestly believed
these things would have come to pass
long before this time.
In this year Of grace, 1890, the world
wags on as it did thirty years ago.
There has been no hegira to Liberia
and Palestine still ''sits crownless and
voiceless" in her desolation.
So it will be with Senator Buffers
measure in less than ten years. twill
be buried with his plan of working the
roads. The negroes will still be work
ing corn, cotton and rice and our great
country will still move on in the way
of peace, prosperity and freedom.
We would have greater respect for
the views Of these agitators if they
would discharge all the negroes they
now employ and never accept the scr.
vice of another negro.