Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/80

 66 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

There was more enthusiasm now at the meetings in Tenne- see. At all of them Pap delivered addresses asking his people to stand together, to "consolidate the race," and to arouse them- selves to their duty to the race. Most of these gatherings were called "investigating meetings" — to investigate conditions in Tennessee and Kansas by listening to the reports of the officials who had been there. Now was the time to go, the leaders urged, or as Pap in highflown language said, "Place and time have met and kissed each other.^^ The leaders of this migration saw to it that a certain selection of the emigrants was made. None who were entirely without means were advised to go ; "no political negroes" were wanted, for "they would want to pilfer and rob the cents before they got to the dollars;" "it was the muscle of the arm, the men that worked that we wanted ;" it was "root hog or die." ^^ One of the circulars entitled. News from Kansas, declared that there was "abundant room for all good citizens, but no room for loafers in Kansas." ^^

For educated negroes, Singleton had a profound and bitter contempt, perhaps because they generally opposed his movement. Most of the negroes in the North who were well situated wanted no more of their race to come ; they feared that a negro migration to the North would make uncertain the position of those already there. For obvious reasons the negro politicians opposed it. Singleton asked his people not to believe in those who would keep the blacks in the South for selfish reasons.

The colored race [he said] is ignorant and altogether too simple, and invests too much confidence in Professor Tom Cat, or some of the imported slippery chaps from Washington, Oberlin, Chicago, or scores of places whence are sent intriguing reverends, deputy doorkeepers, military darkeys or teachers, to go often around the corrals and see that not an appearance of a hole exists through which the captives within can escape or even see through."

" Circular speech, Nashville, 1877.

" Singleton's testimony in Senate Report No. 693, Pt. 3, p. 379. 46th Congress, 2d session.

" Singleton's Scrapbook, p. 61.

"St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1879; Nashville American, August, 1877; Single- ton's Scrapbook, pp. 24, 32. It is evident that Singleton's statements were some- times revised by the reporters, but the sentiments were his own.