Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1890 — NEGRO COLONIZING. [ARTICLE]

NEGRO COLONIZING.

THE SCHEME FORMULATED BY D. M’D. LINJ3BEY. Correspondence Given Showing the Interest of Republican Leaders in the Work—Several States to Have Been Cared For. The New York World of last Saturday printed as Washington correspondence a long article, containing correspondence between the parties to the plan, showing forth a scheme having for its object the colonization by negro Republican voters of the States of Indiana, Connecticut and West Virginia. The originator of this idea was Daniel MoD. Lindsey, a Republican of North Caralina, and it is oharged that Senator Quay, as ohairman of the Republican national committee, was ready to aid and abet Lindsey in oarrying out the soheme of vote importing. To quote from the artiole:

The oorrespondenoe whioh follows is a complete narrative in itself. The inoep*io? °A echeme, its approval by Qoay and other Repnblioan leaders, itsindorsement by representatives in Congress whose pohtioul fortunes were to be forwarded by it, are olearly set forth by documentary evidence that can not be rebutted or explained away. The sac similies of a number of the letters presented constitute a highly interesting exhibit. correspondence it appears tqat D. McD. Lindsey began his work as long ago as May 22, when, as he says, he discussed nis scheme with Edward McPherson, of Pennsylvania, sinoe ohosen to be clerk of the House of Representatives. MoPherson referred him to Senator Quay, who immediately indorsed the colonization scheme and referred it, with his approval, to his henchmen, Clarkson and Dudley. Lindsey was thoroughly familiar with the methods that would carry his plans through successfully. His reoord as a colonizer is on® to bo proud of,— When he nndertook this special mission he was secretary of the Southern Emigration oompany. He was a candidate for Congress on the Republican ticket from the First District of North Carolina in 1876, but was defeated. In 1882 he got himself into serious trouble, and wa, accused of taking 200 department clerks from Washington to North Carolina to serve as deputy marshals. This he did under the direotion of J. J, Mott, chairman of the State Executive committee of North Carolina. In 1887 he took 111 negroes to East Orange, N. J., at the time of a looal labor trouble, and was driven out of the town with stones and brick-bates. The same year he took a number to Maryland and located them as laborer*. For one of his deputies in the work he had undertaken, Lindsey selected |J. B. Whitehead, a North Carolinian, whose experience as a colonizer was qnite as thorough as his own. Several years ago Whitehead oarried so many negroes from North Carolina that |he {depleted the labor market, and a committee of seventeen citizens of the State waited upon him and ordered him to leave on penalty of lynching."

Lindsey, in a long letter to Whitehead, speaks of interviews with Edward MoPherson, with Quay, and refers to his correspondence with the latter. Lindsay says in his letter, speaking of Quay: “On the 10th of August I wrote him* calling his attention to what he had tola, or promised, me at Chamberlin’s, and said to nim if it was not convenient to furnish the entire amount promised, to furnish me with enough to arrange the preliminary work. He at once enclosed my letter to Gen. Clarkson, with an endorsement requesting the money to b« furnished me, and on the 17th of August wrote me, saybg: “I have your letter of the 10th; and have forwarded it through Mr. Clarkson, with such an indorsement as you suggest.” “Gen. Clarkson saw Col. Dudley and Dudley said he had no funds in hand belonging to the committee; that he had furnished $l6B of his own funds for the committee, and that wonld have to last a while. I did not like this and so wrote Senator Qu:iy, and in reply to my letter he wrote me, August 29, saying; ‘ln reply to my request that he should give you SI,OOO to commence your work. Col. Dudley informs me that the treasury of the national committee is empty; that he has been compelled to advance $lB6 from his private funds to meet overdrafts. I am peffectly willing to give my time tothe oause, but cannot word to pay the expenses of the committee.*

“1 then thought I would let the matter reet till they could replenish their treasury, but on the Bth of September I received a letter from Quay, saying: ‘Will you have the kindness on receipt of this to place yourself in communication with Mr. Wm. D. Mullin, of Stephenson, Mullin & Co., Bramwell, West. Virginia, where it is probable that two hundred families of your North Carolina emigrants will be received and employed, etc. I expect to be in Washington within two weeks and will then see you.* Letters from Quay to Lindsay are published showing his indorsement of the scheme, and one is as follows: “Dear Sir—l have your letter of the 10th inst., uhd have forwarded it to Mr. Clarkson, with fan indorsement such as you suggest Yours truly, “M. S. QUAY." The following letter from United States Treasurer Huston to Lindsey is printed: “Washington, D. C. May 6, 1889. “Hon. McD. Lindsey: “Dear Sir,—l am in receipt of your note dated May 6. I regret that Mr. Miller could not have given you the time that would have allowed of a full explanation being made of your project. I feel sure that he, like myself would have been satisfied that the proposed work would have enabied us to save Indiana. I myself am heartily in favor of it, and at tbe first opportunity will speak to the President about | it, or will, if opportunity would offer, talk I to Mr. Miller, though I don’t believe he | could be made to feel the same interest in it that I do. He has never taken much interest in practical politics. Of course I could not ask you to remain here in the city until I could learn what we could do with regard to Indiana. Don’t know, in fact, when I will be able to talk with the President about the matter. If you will ' send me your address when you loaye, »•

aoon aa I have talked with the President I will communicate with you. Truly vours, J. N. Huston." wero by Lindsey, Whitehead being the aotive agent hhZVif T ’fi W . h,t ® head attempted To kill himseW, September 26, at Kanawha, when sJondTS OODBlderable and became deTho World prints this paragraph in regard to Quay’s interest in the Lindsey 1 his scheme testifies at onoe to the ingenuity of Quay and his agent, and to the supreme contempt in which Quay holds the lawful and benefioent purposes of the institutions of his oountry. It likewise eiplains in a large measure Quay's aotion in forcing upon his party a postponement of the foroe bill, whioh to many of his former associates and party friends has been the most inexplicable of all his publie performances. To their minds the measure was one which, beoause of its arbitrary and inquisitorial character and the tremendous power and advantage it could give to the party would strike him with great foroe and favor, lint to their unspeakable astonishment andohagrin he actually led in the movement tolay the bill aside and thereby deprive the party of the benefit of the iniquitous measure at tho approaching congressional elections. They labored with him long and earnestly. They even threatened him.— They told him in tho bluntest fashion that the postponement jof the force bill until the next session of Congress at his instance would not only cost him his place at the head of tho nationl oommittoo, but his whole influence with his party besides. He refused to yield an inoh, however, and h * „ ln tho coarse he had taken and sent the force bill over, as he had planned to ao.