The Southern Exodus

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 1, 1879

The Southern Exodus.

THE colored people in the South are in earnest; they act like those who have become thoroughly imbued with a sense of the justice of their cause, and the terrible wrongs inflicted upon their race. At a meeting in Louisiana the President, Mr. C. H. Thompson, delivered what the papers aptly style "a moderate but extremely ominous address." He said:—

"Prominent Southern men have confessed to me that when the country was invaded and its women and children were at the mercy of the negro, that race remained faithful beyond expectation; but the Southern people have trusted too much to the docility of the negro. There is a settled conviction among our race that we have not been justly located. Our fidelity in a season of deadly peril has not been met by the amity we have a right to expect. They tell us we will die in Kansas of cold, but we had better die there than die here by the shotgun. Treated as citizens, we can do better here than anywhere else. If white capitalists will put down ruffianism, I will, to the utmost of my ability endeavor to prevent the exodus. We were born here, and the climate is congenial, but if we cannot live here in peace we had better leave. One delegation on this floor represents a society of 40,000 souls. We have carefully considered the consequences of this move. The experience of a few in St. Louis will not be repeated. Those who go henceforth will go amply provided with means to place them in their homes, and with a sufficient sum to maintain them until they can secure profitable labor. We know the consequences, and we know that our labor here cannot be replaced, but the white people have presumed upon our good nature, and unless we have better guarantees than have yet been accorded, within a year there will not be a man, woman, or child of our race left in Louisiana."