Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-22
FLORIDA AND THE SEMINOLE INDIANS.

| The Tallahassee +" Foridian of the Sth insant
contains an account of the Inauguration of the Hon.
JAMES Il. BRooME as Governor of Florida oc-
Cured on the Sd instant.
| The new Governor, in regard to the removl of
the Seminoles, holds the following language;
The removal of the Seminole Indians from our State
another Of those questions of which may briefly speak
They are here blight to our prosperity, in violation of
treaty obligations and in open defiance of the power
thory, and Importantly Of the Federal Government
Their presence prevents the influx Of population which
the ssubry of our climate and fertility Of our soil would
invite depresse5 the price and reards the sale Of arge
bodies of State lands the proceeds Of which are wanted
for purposes of education and internal improvements
Their teachery renders insecure the lives and property
of our frontier population; keeps them in a continual
anxiety and alarm prevents the organization of
schools and forbds the employment of capital in uefu
enterprises They occupy part of territory which,
if opened to settlement would become one of
richest and most densey populated sections It's superior
adaptation to the culture of sugar. Spanish tobacco a
hemp, with great variety of tropical fruits would make
it inviting field for the investment Of capital ana the
employment OF labor Under such circumstances the
State never sanction and hope will never submit to-
policy which looks to any thing short Of their removal
"With view to facilitate desirable al object the
General Assembly, at its last session. passed law en
tied AN act to provide for the final removal Of the Ind
Of this State and for other purposes This law de-
wolves the Executive important trusts and the conflict
opinion in reference to his duties under nay Justify
me in saying this subject than under other cir
The 10th section of the Sd article Of the Constitution
of this State fixes the making power and rescrbes
the manner in which laws shall be passed, and
terence to the journals shows that the law under
Iteration passed in the manner prescribed b. that
section The 10th section of the article Of the Con-
suton prescrhes, Of the duties OF the Executive
that he shall take care that the laws DO faithfully
ecuted, and one Of the obligations which, about to
assume, under the solemn sanctions of an oath, to
protect and defend the Constitution o. this State
need hardly say to you, feowcitizens that shall con-
ri of NV fitutin
law is faithfully executed
In connexion with this declaration ills perhaps due
the anxiety prevailing this subject nat shall speak
briefly of the general requirements of tbs law
81 First the Governor is required to brigade of
volunteers, commission the officers and nder the brigade
to the Federal Government for the remov of the Indians
These duties are purely executory and ill be promptly
discharged Second should the Generaiovernment de-
cline to accept the services of the brgad the Governor
required to the frontier settlers nd employ the
brigade in carrying out the provisions OF he law in that
part of the peninsula occupied by the ndans and is
authorized under certain restrictions, to orrow money
the faith of the State for their subsistence transpora
ton, pay &c. These latter duties, howevc the law
qures to be discharged under the proysocontaned in
the tn section of the act, which is IN hese words:
ProUided, That the Governor shall not commence
tua operations within the Indian boundaryun the 4h
day of May next and not until he is satied that the
General Government has determined not to said
Indians, by force otherwise: Provided er, That if
actual hostlities shall be commenced by TIN Indians be-
that time the foregoing proyiso shall Of no force
or effect
" Thus it is that there two CONTINGENCIES, and
only two upon the happening Of either of which the Exc
cuve is authorized to order the brigade int actual
vice. One Of these is that the Indians shall actual
hoses and the other is that he shall be ssfed that
The General Government has deeminsd not 10 said
Indians W force oherise To decide whethe the Gene
raj Government has determined may prove of the
most delicate and difficult of all the duties imposed by the
law but it is duty and pledge myself to discharge it
to the best of my ability. In doing so my commit
errors of Judgment but none, hope, which vii compro
mise the interests or dignity Of our commonwealth"
The Florida Mirror of the 7th Instant con
tans an advertisement from Capt AARN JERNI-
GAN for the raising of company of mn for the
removal of the Indians, which he proposes to orga-
nlze at Silver Springs, in Marion count, on the
24th instant. This movement, however, does not
meet with much favor. The I" Mirror" says of it :
We care not how many companies are rais,d or how
much pay they receive but protest against war; aud
give it as opinion that not onefourth Of the citizens
in East and South Florida in favor of hasy action
by the State aud do hope the people will hold met
ngs. and in all soberness unnhuenced by war speeches
or party bias, state their wishes in the matter The LIST
Legislature, Influenced in part by opinion that it
the popular will the State to take the removal the Sc
minoles in its own hands, passed the law for their
moyal Let the people now speak Systematically and
unequivocnly. If the majority indeed in favor Of
carrying out that law nov be it But STOP for heavens
sake, all individual scrbblng in favor of war We con-
fdenty believe have before said, that war now
and carried by the State would eectuay
destroy its prosperity"