482 



LOUISIANA. 



them. They are not a desirable population, 

 either at the North or the West. No change 

 in the habitation of this race is probable. The 

 prevalent opinion in Louisiana is that the loss 

 of a very large number of the blacks, and the 

 introduction of colonists from the Northern 

 States and the south of Europe, would be ad- 

 vantageous to the Southern States. No such 

 hegira has taken place in 1880. A diffusion of 

 the colored population over a wider extent of 

 territory, where there are diversities in works 

 of industry, could not but be beneficial to the 

 country. There were strikes in some parts of 

 this State, but they were similar to the labor 

 troubles elsewhere, and were devoid of race an- 

 tagonism. It was not a rising of blacks against 

 whites, but of employees against employ- 

 ers. In the parishes of St. James, St. John 

 the Baptist, and St. Charles, during the month 

 of March, negroes went from plantation to 

 plantation, requiring others who had not joined 

 in their movement to desist from work, and 

 even to leave these parishes. They rode about 

 in armed bands, broke into cabins, frightened 

 the inmates, took quiet laborers from their 

 work in the fields, and whipped them. No out- 

 rages were committed except on colored per- 

 sons. The Governor's proclamation produced 

 no effect upon the rioters, and the militia was 

 called out and sent to the two or three points 

 of disturbance. The ringleaders were arrested 

 without bloodshed or difficulty, and were 

 brought to New Orleans, tried, and imprisoned. 

 The other strikers appointed a conference com- 

 mittee to arrange their difficulties with the 

 planters. A colored Senator, Demas, wrote 

 out the following petition in behalf of the St. 

 Charles strikers, which shows the misconcep- 

 tion of their rights under which they acted : 



NEW ORLEANS, March 23, 18SO. 



To His Excellency Governor WILTZ, of fie State of Louisi- 

 ana. 



The undersigned, having pleaded guilty to trespass 

 before Judge Augustin, holding court at St. Charles 

 Court-House on Saturday, March 20th, and having 

 been brought to New Orleans to serve out their sen- 

 tence, ask you for a remission of the same on the fol- 

 lowing grounds : 



Wo, as well as the majority of our people, were mis- 

 led as to our rights when we acted as we did in the 

 recent strike ; and when we were guilty of trespass, 

 we did not know we were exceeding our rights ; we 

 really thought we had a right to go where other labor- 

 ers were working, even though it was on the property 

 of an individual, and induce those laborers to. join us. 



We now understand we have no such rights ; we 

 understand we have no right to go on the property of 

 other people against their will, and we propose to 

 obey this law hereafter. 



We feel sure the laborers in our parish understand 

 this question now, and are equally certain they never 

 understood it before. 



We feel sure the laborers in our parish will respect 

 the law, as we intend to hereafter, and believe quiet- 

 ness and peace will continue from this time, and that 

 when laborers differ with thoir employers hereafter 

 about the price of their labor, it will be 'in a peaceable 

 manner, and with law always on their side. 



For these reasons, your Excellency, we would ask 

 a remission of our sentence, and allow us to return to 

 our wives, our children, and our work. 



This was signed by the prisoners, and the 

 Judge and the militia officers concurred in rec- 

 ommending that Executive clemency be ex- 

 tended. They were accordingly released, and 

 quiet was restored. 



The crops for the year ending September 

 1, 1880, show a satisfactory condition. The 

 Sugar-Planters' Association has done much to 

 produce concert of action and improved meth- 

 ods of culture and manufacture. The progress 

 in manufacture is proved by the out-turn of 

 60,000,000 pounds of clarified sugar. The sea- 

 son was not favorable, but the crop, though 

 smaller, brought more money than its prede- 

 cessor. 



The comparative value of the sugar-crop, 

 since 1850, is as follows : 



Cotton is still the great feeder of every other 

 form of industry. The following tables give 



the 



NEW ORLEANS COTTON STATEMENT. 



NEW ORLEANS EXPORTS. 



