Historical Romance of the American Negro

by Charles Henry Fowler

The Exodus of Colored People From the South to Kansas—Causes That Led to it—The Plantation Credit System—Reign of Terror in Louisiana and Other States—Trials on the Way to Kansas—Splendid Welcome by the State of Kansas—Good Beginning of the Pilgrims—"God Helps Those Who Help Themselves!"

No doubt my indulgent reader has often heard of the exodus of many thousands of colored people from the Southern States to the generous and hospitable State of Kansas. This was a truly remarkable movement, and began in the early spring of 1879. I have already pointed out some of the shameful causes that led to that exodus that drew the eyes of the whole nation, and elicited the most profound sympathy from all Christian and philanthropic people all over the North, and even in England. To trace this deplorable state of affairs to their foundation head, I need only allude to what was called at the time "The Plantation Credit System," when colored people worked on shares with the white owners of the land, and the latter kept stores of all kinds of provisions and clothing, and swindled the hard-working colored man out of the rightful share of the profits. The latter were always overcharged for their goods, and could never get a clear settlement. This system of robbery and swindling gave the laborer no chance, and made him sigh for a land of freedom.

That was bad enough, but there was something worse that began to show itself, even before those days when the Ku-Klux-Klan became regularly organized for the expulsion of the Republican governments in the South, and that was a gradual and general adoption of the shot-gun policy, to make colored men understand that the whites were still lords and masters, and colored people must serve and obey, as they used to do before the war. This shook the confidence of the latter in the general government of the nation, for if great Uncle Sam could afford them no better protection than that, things might as well have remained as they were, and all their boasted freedom was of very little use to them, or no account at all.

In 1868 General Grant ran for President on the Republican ticket—Grant and Colfax—whilst Seymour and Blair were the nominees on the Democratic ticket. Although the rebel element had always been too rampant in the State of Louisiana, they grew ten times more as the day for the election for President drew near. It was particularly desired by the Democrats of the South to carry Louisiana for Seymour and Blair. The plan they adopted was the wholesale use of the shot-gun in the different "parishes" (or counties) of the State. The rebels began their work of murder, terror and intimidation in good time before the election day in November. Wherever the Republican votes were likely to be heaviest, there a great effort was made to kill, maim and scatter all those white and colored men who would be likely to vote for Grant and Colfax. These Southern thugs in Louisiana and other States of the South put in their fell work mostly after dark, killing, burning and destroying in every possible way. It soon became well understood that the rebels were aiming at the coming election; and for a fact, when election day came there were very, very few men in the different parishes of Louisiana that voted the Republican ticket, because they were afraid of their lives; and who need wonder if they stayed away from the polls when the United States Government afforded them no protection in casting their votes? All things had gone finely during the years of the Republican governments in the Southern States, when men owned their own land, and there was no one to trouble them, or to make them afraid; but these reconstruction governments were now tottering to their fall; the white man demanded the government, and the law, too, and evil days were in store for the colored race in the South.

The following lines from the pen of General P. H. Sheridan will help to explain the cause of the exodus. He was then in command at New Orleans, and writes under the date of January 10th, 1875:

"Since the year 1866 nearly 3,500 persons, a great majority of whom were colored men, have been killed and wounded in the State. In 1868 the official record shows that 1,884 were killed and wounded. From 1868 to the present time, no official investigation has been made, and in the civil authorities in all but a few cases have been unable to arrest, convict or punish the perpetrators. Consequently there are no correct records to be consulted for information. There is ample evidence, however, to show that more than 1,200 persons have been killed and wounded during this time on account of their political sentiments. Frightful massacres have occurred in the parishes of Bossier, Caddo, Catahoula, St. Bernard, Grant and Orleans."

After this, General Sheridan went on to enumerate the murders committed on account of their Republican sentiments in the various parishes of Louisiana, and says:

"Human life in this State is held so cheaply that when men are killed on account of political opinions, the murderers are regarded rather as heroes than as criminals in the localities where they reside."

The man who writes the above is no ordinary correspondent. The writer is the famous soldier, P. H. Sheridan, and he is merely sending in his report as military commander in the State. And whole volumes of other testimony have been taken, as exactly as was done in the case of the massacre of Fort Pillow, which confirm in every respect the words of General Sheridan.