, 1862-10-29
ELI THAYERsS PLAN,


from tho New To1k Evening Post1
Florida has, according to the last census, 3
population OF II, 900 whites and 81, 600 slaves.
The government owns In the. State over
20 QQQ, 200 acres Of lands-an area nearly as
great as Indiana. The whits population Of
lie southern half Of the State-below Marion
county-in which the greatest. quantity OF
public land Is found, numbers but about
i, ,0M-this is m area Eeverd times greater
than Massachusetts,, and with d soil far more
among the most ealub1ious in the world.
It has been proposed to the government by
MIR. Ell Thayer and Others, who gained expe-
1ltnce In the colonization Of Kansas, to settle
this Southern part OF Florida BY what may be
called peaceful arms Of occupation. As the
plan has received, to certain extent, the con-
sent Of the administration, and promises to
be successful, the following details will bs Of
interest to the public.
It is proposad, inter- the draft Is completed,
to enlist 20 1000 volunteers. stout, able bodied
iS Florida. The term Of enlistment is to be
for six months, the men to be armed and
eQfpptd us soldiers, to be regularly drilled
and formed into companies, regiments aud
briga des. They are to be sent into Florida to
possession Of Its lands, and Of these goyern-
ment lauds each soldier is thereupon to re-
ceive, under the regulations Of the Home.
stead law, as actual settler, 160 acres of land.
Twenty thousand picked men, most Of them
married, would probably yield total popu-
pretent white population xh1eh Florida
may be very happy. It will be better to her
than the discovery Of a gold mine. Intelligent,
moral and skilled laburers nre not so plentiful
in the world, but that State may gratefully
accept them, which has no atotal population,
slave and free, OF little more than rwo to the
/ square mile, and . soil, climate and situation
such as msy make it one Of the wealthtest
states in the Union. The colonists are enlisted
but for six months. That period Of time, 1t
is believed, will suffice for them to restore
| the authority. Of the general government In
further expense on their behalf Il has bene-
flied By their services; 1t leaves them thera
as part Of the permanent population OF the
| state; and In their future career they depend
| upon themtelves. Thus private enterprise
steps In, and relieves the expense Of maintain.
taining an army Of occupation.
The new, settlers, being of the farmer
class for the mostpart will turn thei'
attention to the cultivation. OF thefl
lands. They hnye their choice from {
great variety. Of crops. Florida has i'm
mense tsacts in which tho finest Sea ISLAND
dian corn and all varieties Of fruits and vega
tables, of the tropics as well IS Of the temper
ate zone, may be raised for the markets Of tht
North. The climate, ameliorated aud mad
: 1ealthful by the constant Sea breezes which
sweep across the Peninsula, from the AtlAnti
to the Gulf aud back, is such that white me1
can till the fields without distress. But 1t /
proposed to bring to their aid the numerool
freedmen of the South, who have not hitherk,
found place In our social economy, and ar
yet hanging on BY the eyelids, with no a.
sured place or prospects IN life before them.
than 100, GOO free blacks on the hands Of tn
government, most Of them drawing rations
and In other ways an unwilling aud helples
burden On official aud priiat charity. VIVA
to do with these people has been one Of til
most formidable problems Of the var. It
1hey Will obtain work for regular wage.
from the new population Of Northern colt
nists. The great want Of these indepeudeu
farmers will be labor. The great want Of th
black freed men is regular employment, {
wages. The latter have nov. no place, nc
work in peace and security. Sand them t
Florida. under the proposed system, and IL
problem what to DO with them Ii settled
Tney are free, hardy, Injured to toll, and q
eustomed to the handling OF cotton, rice an
sugar. They will prove most valuable assis
anss an TO 9s 1hsir smployer1; snd: ,,,o.ia Wit
Of something like 100000 souls, place
In part OF the Union now almost uninhabi
I'd. They would at once take their appropI
ste place in saciety; and one Of our nlo
perp1exing difficulties Would be solved. Tt
social system Of the South, threatened vii
totaf disorganization md ruin By the rec
less rebels, would be re-establfshed In one
the most fertile and adyantageonsly situate
States Of the South; and Instead Of desol
. tion and destruction brought about by Il
rvbcls, would be substituted, without doll
OF expense to the government, social al
industrial system, free, energetic, inteliige