Year: 1875

TO EDITOR TIE HERALD


Among the latest news from Georgia notice
port OF an emigration movement among the colored
people OF the counties which the rumor OF
rectlon recently excited alarm. think It probable
lhat The excitement those counties will alarm some
sr tbs blacks and lead them think OF removing to
other States but ii would be mistake To suppose that
the westward movement took It's rise thus men
Lonod a previous communication that at least 25, 900
eoored people had left the State in the last 1--we six
years In Atlanta ! had conversation with
n negro who mad been OF the leaders
IN this movement and he gave mo number
of Instances where colored farmers had removed
10 Mssissppi Arkansas taking with them mules and
farm Tools IN some enough to ill two three
cars This remarked TO that when he was
younger and during slavery times, nc had noticed that
many white people planters sons, removed from
The State and when any OF them returned for visit
home they proved usually 10 have prospcred by the
change al thought II il was good for the whites 1t
would be good for folks, too" he said, "and so
always encouraged all that wanted to try it," He had
started sonin-law Louisiana, where after years
he found him prospcriug. He had visited Arkansas and
Mississippi also, and confirmed to my observa-
lions that in these the coored people thrive
generally in their rights He thought Ar
kansas the best OF all the States for his people, but
showed me also pamphlets recommending certain parts
OF Mississippi, which he distributing among his
people


do know, by the way, what better evidence one
have than this of the generally satisfactory
ton of the colored people those States The testi
mony of colored sufficiently shrewd fellow
judged him. who had travelled through the regions he
spoke of, and whom from his conversation TO be
stcker for the "rights' of his people-ought go
very satisfy Northern people Such disorders
now happening in Mississippi VIII njurc that State
but they strictly local and sporadic he told me-
what knew otherwise also, that emigration agents
Into Georgia from different counties the three States
have named in search Of aborerS ! know myself
single county in Northern Louisiana which has drawn
in the last years less than colored peo
plc from Georgia and Alabama These agents make
known tho TACT that rich lands lie open in the
sections they represent, and not nfrequenty
they are ready to pay the expense Of family's
moval Tho late fall and winter, after tho crops arc
made, is the of removal and the | speak
of thought from what he knew that not less than 900
would leave the State next winter This, bear in mind,
was long before the so-called insurrection.


confess that this readiness better their for
tunes by emigration seemed OF the best signs
In the South OF the real independence of the negro and
found most fully developed in the very State where
according the commonly received reports of republi
tan politicians, the negro still in a condition little
better than slavery If this were true of
course, he would be moving away for he
would be tied the soil Nor do l believe that
Georgia Will sustain serious loss by this emigration.
It will make room for white emigants, and Georgia is
peculiarly fitted TO receive and utze.a white farming
and manufacturing population TITS not properly
planting, but manufacturing State, l have before
said.


NEGRO PROPERTY OWNERS


for moment the remarkable return of
six millions Of properly owned by the negroes of
Georgia say that is the only official report of the
kind have found in any Southern State. Arkansas,
Louisiana Mississippi, Alabama long under republican
rulers yielded me such information. Only in demo-
Georgia had the rulers sufficient intelligent Curl
osty ascertain what practical progress the
negro had made under freedom. The result is
of course very gratifying and surprising 1t
speaks well for the negro's industry and his
growing power Of accumulation, and it speaks
well for the justice and fair dealing Of the whites toward
the blacks Georgia has this but repub-
hcan Journal and that is a weeky-the National Repu6-
lican-printed in Atlanta From that take the follow
ing editorial the condition of the coored
people 1t to little harsh, but it comes
from republican,


What is the record of years Of freedoms In the
matter OF temperance has there been progress? Nay in
tins respect the freedmen thousand per cent
of than they were in slavery. Rarely do we find
strictly temperate man. Very nearly all drink, in town
and out, young men and old and the women, too.
Thousands spend dollar for whskey through the



nothing the contribution box. The freed
men Of Georgia spend in half year for
liquor as much as they have paid for schools since
emancipation Is this matter Of which they should be
proudY To whom is the iniction Of this wrong duey
What has been done for schoolsy little money has
been raised but not hundredth, II thousandth part
of what has been spent for tobacco and shows and shot
guns and lines One show here last winter Is said TO
have carried away So O0O OF the coored peoples money,
more than their voluntary contributions to schools in
ihs city 1863 In ten years not more than one
in nine or ten has learned TO read In the
State of 10000 not than
$4,000 10000, and these very largely through the
aid Of Northern missions. This year taxes will be
paid aggregate Of ST. 900 600 OF property, or less
than Sl3 head. This Is the showing OF decade Of
freedom and fair opportunity For it in measure
the whites may be responsible but the responsibility
lies chiefly with the people themselves. They have
probably earned from s5 900 coo to S45 600 900 year
and out OF it should have saved large percentage
But there has been improvdence and waste on every
hand Not quite but verv nearly as poor and igno-
rant are the freedmen to-day when cmancipated and
their ignorance and their poverty, quite as much as the
prejudice and hatc' Of the whites, to keep
Them where they are and what they are-hewers of
wood and drawers Of water.


If democratic journal had said these things would
have been called prejudice, and | should have
thought Of quoting They the words Of the rcpub-
hcan' and colorcd organ.


THE STATE FINANCES SCHOOLS


While am speaking Of the democratic management
Of the state think right call attention to the sat
isfactory financial statement which compares remark
ably with the condition of Louisiana, Arkansas and
other Southern States which have been under repub
can control The State debt IS but 5000 600 and
Tho credit OF the State stands high in New York and
abroad In January Of this year there surplus In
the treasury Of ST. 900 OOo The cost Of the State
government for ls74 but $776 0o0 The counties
have debts Of any consequence. The cities have
some, bot not very heavy Indebtedness 1t is alto
yether such showing as these democrats
need not be ashamed or IL has weak spot
ony-the expenditure for schools Georgia bad
frao tI.o a..
Iystem makes but slow hcadway In the State The
present Superintendent Of Public Instruction "a dem
Dcrat IS Jealous and efficient ofccr and he looks
Onward TO better days There apportonsd by him
Cor the support Of schools 1874 only 500 900; and
the schools open, general than months