Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1880 — Tho Exodus Investigation. [ARTICLE]

Tho Exodus Investigation.

The committee of the United States Senate, consisting of Messrs. Voorhees, Vance, Pendleton, Windom and Blair, appointed to investigate the causes of the exodus of colored people from the Southern States, commenced taking testimony. The first witnesses examined were the Rev. J. E. Rankin, pastor of tho Congregational Church, and Thos. Tullock, Assistant Pos'master of Washington, both of whom testified that they had no personal knowledge of the causes of the exodus, and knew nothing of the widely-ecattorod circular to which their names were appended, appealing to the people of the United States for money to assist the fr sedmen in finding refuge from persecution, etc., except that they had promised to serve as members of the Board of Audit for the Emigration Aid Society-’thbrein' referred to. O. 8. B. Wall, of Washington, President of the “Emigrant Aid Society,* 1 was examiued. He estimates the number of colored men, women, ana' children already transported from North Carolina tnrough Washington to the Weet (princinally to Indiana) between 2,500 and 3,0d0. The original purpose of the North Carolina agents of these envgrants was to have them go to Kansas, but the tide was diverted to Indiana by their agents (Perry and Williams) on tlio'strength of representations by m rn'iers of the Washington society, based on circulars received from J. H. Walker, Mail Agent at Terro Haute, to the effect that there was a great demand for farm labor in Indiana, and that the colored people would readily find employment there at excellent wages, together with tho bestof treatment, and schools for their children, etc. James O’Hara, a prominent colored Bepublican of North Carolina, testified that the exodus was not spontaneous; that it was the result of the labors of the agents wno went anout me estate promising mo negroes $1.50 per day in Indiana, and “Government aid” of some sort; that there was no bulidoz ing there, and that it was a common thing for a white landlord and a black tenant to •'ride to the polls in the same wagon and vote different tickets. J. P. Dukehart, Southern Passenger Agent of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, testified that he went to North Carolina to get the transportation of the emigrants for his line, and got it. He made a contract with anegro named Evans to work up the exodus, the railroad paying Evans $1 for each full ticket, and 50 cents for each half ticket it sold through his agency. Reports wore circulated among the colored people that work was abundant in Indiana at $1.50 a day. The railroad company gold in all 7(>3 tickets, of which 235 were for children under 12, and the total number of adult males transported was about 200. H. W. Mendenhall, of Indiana, a clerk in the Treasury Department, testified that he assisted in organizing the Emigrant Aid Society about a year ago. He thought the movement would become quite extensive. He had stated if Indiana could offer any inducements to negro emigrants it would bo well to have them go there, as they were generally Republicans, and would strengthen the Republican party. Witness did not know of any Republican politicians in Indiana engaged in the movement as a political measure.