Year: 1879

Southern negro, knows that he is most pecu-
liar animal. He rarely does anything on his
own account but must be Joined by others of
his race. One ofhis greatest failings is his
love for the supernatural. His propensity for
exaggeration is immense. Ready to believe
any improbable story that he may pick up, he
seizes upon it with avidity and twists and turns
it to suit himself, until little fact of no i'm.
portance is made to assume gigantic proper
tons before he is done with it. This ready
belief of the exaggerated is havinga wonder
full effect in the present stampede. The story
has been circulated that after the gathering of
the next crop there is to be a general massacre
of the negroes. How it originated is not
known, but certain it is that there is not
black in the cotton districts who does not be-
lieve that his life is in danger. No one doubts
that the story was started for an object, and
that object was the present hegira. 1t has
served its purpose well. Around Vicksburg
the negroes are thoroughly impressed with it.
The story crossed the river, and the upper
country is wild with the rumor. So thorough
ly do the negroes believe it, that they imag:
inc that force will be used to keep them here
until the time appointed for the massacre ar
rives. They make their preparations for
leaving in as stealthy manner as possible.
Portions of a family will board boat at diff.
ferent points on the river, fearing that if all
board at one place, their object will become
known and their flight in some way hindered.
1t seems the height of absurdity, but it is
nevertheless fact that the negro believes his
only chance for life is to get out of the coun-
try as soon as possible. After careful ex-
animation of all sides there, I believe this ex-
odus is due to the wretched condition Of the
negro (only to be helped by more prosperous
times,) which is aggravated by his insane
fear of a coming massacre. In this excited
state of mind the marvellous tales of the prom
ised land take firm root Here is the de-
liverance they have been looking for They
talk it over among themselves until the won
derful stories of the new country become so
exaggerated that they believe they have moth
ing to do but board a steamboat and their
troubles are over. If a negro owns mule
he sells it. The news comes back to him from
those who have gone before, that St. Louis
opens her arms, and is ready and willing to
forward to their destination all who wish to
go. This is settler. He takes what he can
get for the mule, and, making one of band
Of emigrants, pays bis fare to St. Louis.
Nearly every boat takes the refugees by the
hundred, until the newspapers are awakening
to the danger, and are crying out in alarm
that if the exodus continues the entire upper
country will be depopulated.


THE NEGROES DESTITUTE.


I came down from St. Louis the other day.
The scene there was not pleasing one.
Probably four thousand negroes have already
arrived there, and others are arriving daily.
Such destitution I have never witnessed.
Were the colored men of the city not moving
in their behalf, the emigrants would starve.
They haven't the slightest idea what they are
to do. They only know that they want to
get to Kansas in the shortest time possible.
Work has been offered to several hundred on
the railroads in other States, but not a man
accepted. 1t is Kansas ornowhere with them.
That is the only State they have any faith in,
or, indeed, know anything about. The col
ored churches have been thrown open to
them, and they are sheltered until transporta-
tion to their new homes are afforded. Beds
are improvised in the Easements and rations
served out. Those who have sufficient money
to pay their way, are sent on as quickly as
possible. The others have to wait until con-
tributicns come in. 1t is pitiful sight to see
these people, and even more pitiful to talk to
them. One cannot help but feel that there
are hardships ahead of which they are in
blissful ignorance. They have the most
Utopian ideas, and apparently no care for
the future. They believe that there is moth
ing but plain sailing ahead. They. expect to
find employment without even seeking for it.
There will be terrible awakening one Of
these days. Already the steamboat cap
tains begin to relate that Kansas is not
anxious to receive these refugees. Kansas,
the "home of the Free" has always boasted
that there was room for all. But Kansas is
beginning to sec things in little different light
now. Such an influx was never calcula.
ted upon. A gradual immigration would
be we'll enough, but when the negroes invade
her soil by the hundreds, even the heart of
Kansas doesn't bleed as much as it might.
The State realizes that she is rapidly
getting an elephant upon her hands. These
blacks must not be allowed to starve, but how
they are to earn their living is mystery. AS
came away from St. Louis, three or four
hundred negroes were huddled together on
the wharf. 1t was only another party on the
way to Kansas. There they were, open
mouthed and staring with amazement at
everything they saw. But few had dollar to
their names, and the "plunder" Of the whole
band wouldn't stock secondhand furnishing
store of even small dimensions. Hardly one
of the refugees had whole suit of clothes.
Pickaninnies crawled over broken.down bed
steads, and few old pots and kettles, dis
iointed chairs and dilapidated tables stood
around in confusion. This was their entire
stock in trade. couldn't help but think
what a powerful belief these people must
have in the stories they have been told Of
land overfowing with milk and honey, to
leave their native soil for region that they
know nothing of personally. A Southern
negro loves the sun as he does his life. These
men have spent all their days in the cotton
fields. What can they do on the bleak prai-
ries of Kansas is a problem which time alone
can solve.


WHERE WILL 1T END?


And now the question comes, Where will
it all end? That this is but the beginning of
a great movement, all agree. Whether justly
or not, the papers are filled with denuncia-
tions of land agents, who tempt the negroes
to desert the cotton fields, and of Northern
Anti-Slavery Societies, especially the New
York society, who makes contributions to help
the blacks away. 1t is said-and with some
show of reason-tbat Mississippi and Louisi.
ana are but the starting point, and that an
exodus will soon begin from Alabama, Geor.
gia and South Carolina. 1t is known that
agents are in Georgia, and, in fact, they make