Primary tabs

1

Negroes Pouring In.

— The levees yesterday were so dark with negroes that pedestrians found it difficult to peregrinate without lanterns. We never before saw such a lot of darkies in our life. Uncle Toms, Aunt Chloes and Topsy's were abundant. There were about 500,000,000,000 baby darkies, and probably thrice that number of children, ranging from two to five years. Three-fourths of the latter wore dilapidated shirts of a deep mud color, and when we saw them, were gymnasticizing — standing on their heads, etc. A number of the old folks were sick, and the whole lot, excepting the little rockling shirt-clad shavers, were certainly wretched specimens of humanity.

What this eternal raft of negroes will find to do here is more than we can foretell. — The government may find employment for a small per cent. of them, but the most of them must either starve or become government paupers.

Our citizens look upon the swelling multitudes of negroes among them with a just sense of alarm. What shall be done with them? is a question which suggests itself to every mind, but no one can solve the question. If hundreds and hundreds were not yet to be poured in upon us, the number here could soon be distributed throughout the country and furnished employment by farmers and gardeners. But, looking upon this as the entrepot for the thousands who may be freed in the South — as a sort of rendezvous for them until they can see opportunities to do better elsewhere — we cannot dispel from our mind the fear that not only this new population will suffer, but that their presence will so affect the laboring class of white men that the pinch of want will become general. — [Cairo Gazette.]

Share