Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-11-05
ELI TmAYER,s PLAN.
.s,H.ea I5'Aite Cofoai=asso. Of FI0-iss.

Florida has, according to the last census, e
population OF % 600 whites and 81 600 slaves
The governments Owls IN the State over 2O,OUO.-
600 acres of land-an area nearly as great as
Indians. The white population Of the southern
bait Of the State-tel0w Marion eOUnty-ln
which the greatest quantity Of public land Is
found, numbers but about y OO0-this is an
area several times greater than Massachusetts,,
and with a soil far mCTe fertile, and q climate
the plessautsst and among the most salubnous
IN the world.
It has been proposed to the government by
Mr. Eli ThsyeT and others, VINO gained expert
eDce in the colonization Of Kansas, to settle this
southern part Of Florida By what may be called
peaceful army of occupation. As the plan
has received. 70 a certain extent, the consent Of
the administrator, and promises 20 be success
tul, the following details viii be Of interest to
the publc
il is Uro 3ossd after the draft is complstsd, to
enlist 2UeJg volunteers, stout, abe-bOdied agri-
ouliurists--picbe3 men for special service in
Florida. Tie term Of enlistment IS 30 be for
six months, the men 20 be armed and equipped
IS soldies, 10 be regularly drilled and formed
into companies, regiments and brigsdes They
are 20 be sent into Florida to occupy the State,
replace the government ia possession Of its
lands, and Of ihese government lands each sol
dier is thereupon 20 receive, under the regula-
tions Of ihs Homestead Law, as actual settler,
100 acres of land.
Twenty thousand picked men, most Of them
married, would probably yield g total poouls-
tiGn of one hundred thousand souls, an sddi-
ti0D 20 her present white population, which
Florida may be very happy. Il viii be better 20
her than the discovery of q gold mine. In
teliiveut. moral and skilled lgborers ara not so
plentiful in the world, but that q State may
gratefully accept them, which has now 8 totsl
population, slave and free, of little more than
two 20 the square mile, and,s soil, climate and
situation such as may make it one of the wealth
lest States IN the Union. The c0lOuists sre en- (
listed bat for SIX months That period Of time,
il is believed, viii suffice for them to restore the
authority Of the general government IN the State.
After that the government Is at no further tx
psnss ca their behalf Il has been benefited BY
lheir services; IL leaves them there as a part of
the permanent population Of the State; and in
their future career they depend upon themselves
Thus private enterprise steps IL, and relieves
tbe expense OF maintaining an army Of occUpa-
ton.
The new settlers, being Of the farming class
flT the most part, viii turn th5T attention 20 the
cultivation Of their lands. They have their /
choice from 2 great variety of crops. Florida /
hes immense tracts in which the finest Sea /
Island cotton can be grown. Rice, sugar WHEAT, 1
Indian CC-u, and al varieties Of fruits and Tege-
tables Of the tropics as wen as Of the temper
ste zone, may be raised for the markets Of tbs 4
NCrih TIE c.uate, smeEarsted and made /
Leallhful By the constant sea 0rsezss which con
tinualiv sweep across the Peninsula, from the 4
Atlantic 70 tie Gulf and back, is such that /
white mes can till the fields without distress. |
But Is is proposed to bring to their aid toe nu-
meTOUs freedmen OF the South, vino have not 1
hitherto found place in our social economy, /
aud s7e yet hanging on by the eysids, with no 4
assured place or prospect in life before them.
It's believed tnat there are now not less than 4
100000 free blacks On the hands of the govern /
ment, most Of them drawing TstIOns, aud IN 1
other ways an unwilling and helpless burden |
On fieial and private charity. What to do with |
these people bss been one # the most formlG- /
able pTablems Cf the war lliS now proposed to
send them to Florida, where they viii obtain
wOlk for regular wages, hUm the new p0pu-a-
lion Of Northern c1Ioulsts. the great want Of !
tresa irdeseudeut farmers viii be labor The
crest want of ths black freed men in regu. ar en-
pioy ueut, at wages. The latter have now no
place, nor any near prospect Of any, where they
uev work IN peace B0d security. Send them
to Florida, under the proposed system, aud the
problem what 10 do with them Is settled.
They are free, hardy, Injured to toll, and &C
eust1ued TO the handling Of cotton, rice aud
sugar. Iney viii prove most valuable assist
ants 20 tLer employers; AID with these, would
make d fee population Of something like two
hundred thousand souls, placed IN a part Of the
Union now almost uUiuhabited. They would at
once lake their appropriate place IN society, and
one Of oUr most perp.exing difficulties would be
solved. The social system Of the South, threat
eneG with tg-a dIsorEsnizatIon and ruin By the
reckless rebels would be re-es ts5iished IN one
Of ths most fertile ard sdvautsgeCusly situated
States OF the South and instead Of desOlation
and 6es.rEc.icn brought about by the rebels,
would be substituted, without dollar Of eI-
pense % the government, 8 social and industrial
system, free. energetic, intelligent and loyal
The French CoHsgI az WsbfIe On the war
The vice consul o. France, at Mobile, was re-
Gently presented by French residents Of Mobile
with highly finished geld headed waking
Gaze. and liquor case OF The most exquisite
1.0rkm ausIip. Nr. POrz, In acknowledging the
compliment thus paid to hin, to his friends who
bad socially gathered his Cfii5e, took occs-
sion 70 declare TO them the position he had oc-
cupied IS tho rsPressatatve Of the French en-
rire IN relation to The present war.
His intimate friends, lie said, could all bear
wih.ess that, while he sought to protect the
rights OF his comCstTiots, he wasa ways equally
jealous Tor the interests of the community IN
which he and they resided; that he had warmly
srunstbizsd wish tHa teeiIngs-Cf the Southern
people il their struggle for independence, and
that in all bis correspondence with his friends
in Europe, many Of whom were persons in high
diplomaric positions, he had always warmly sd
vacs;sd tie cause Of the Confederate States, be-
gieviug their cause to be that Of justice and
right. lie regretted that tie South had not yet
bsen recogu.z- "a by his government, but from
his f7H conviction that France would always be
sound IN support Of a rghtful cause, he was sat
5sfsd thst this act Of justice would not long be
DELAYED; and that his hope was now stronger
than ever in his mind from the tenor OF bis Te-
cent advices.