Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-10-03

coNouERNn sTATEs-
WHAT SHALL ne DONE Win THEM

Last week two telegraph dispatches, differ
ing only in details, announced that the Pres
ident and Cabinet have determined to occupy
Florida with armed colonists, and by that in
srumentality to bring it speedily back to the
Union as Free State and it was added
that other Southern States are to be occupied,
resettlcd, regenerated and disouthralled in
the same way. Cheering visitors these to
our sick room like genial gleamings Of the
sun in a gloomy day. or the unexpected re-
turn Of children from far country. This is
said to be the scheme of our friend the Hon.
Eli Thayor, and truly so in one sense. That
gentleman was the orig nator Of the colonial
ton schome, which saved Kansas from the
clutches Of slavery, and which may save
many other States in the future. To him be-
longs, almost exclusively, that distinguished
honor bat to ourself belongs the far humber
measure Of credit or otherwise, according as
the result may be- Of attempting to regeneraie
Florida by colonization-to flank the Cotton
Kingdom with Free State-and to deposit
the key Of the Gulf Of Mexico in safe hands
for all future time. It is our child which has
now come back with the favor Of the Presi-
dent aud Cabinet, and which has enlisted the
energies Of Mr. Thayer. We suggested the
project to the President last spring almost
ia the language above used, in the presence
of delegation Of Congressman and three cit
liens Of Florida. A month or two later Mr..
Thaycr appeared on the field and at once gave
his active support and just before we left
Washington IL was announced that the pro-
joct would be considered by the Cabinet. 1t
thus happened Among the most frequent
and welcome visitors at our rooms during
the last session OF Congress was refugee
from Florida, who had been driven from his
plantation hy the rebels and hung that is,
o., much as he could be hung after he had
put 20 miles of navigable water between
himself and those who would murder him.
They indicated their will by inscrbing his
name upon coffin and hanging it 'as high as
Hannah in front of his warehouse. Thus was
LYMAN DonGg SrIcKNEY executed by
proxy for hi. loyalty bo; thus, too, he still
lives TO visit judgment upon those who
sought his life A brother Nemonter. born
in Berlin, brother editor by profession
and. ia fact. a distant reative--uur warmest
sympathies were enlisted for Mr.. SHckney,
and we Joined with other friends in giving
him all the aid we could in getting a commits
SION TO go back 20 Florida in the service Of
the Government and, fortunately. with sue
cess. lie is one of the commissioners under
senator Doolttes act for the collection Of
taxes in the rebel States, and be will have
the privilege doubtless Of administering upon
the estates OF some Of his rebel enemies
Ills account Of Florida Interested rs deeply.
It's cquable and salubrious climate winter
producing no frost in Southern Florida, and
tue lhci momotcr IN summer rarely ranging
above SO degrees; its productions, embracing
in winter the glories Of Vermont summer,
and ia summer the rich fruits OF the tropics
It's timber, liyc-oak and pine, and other yari-
cites excellent for ship building and archi-
tectural and mechanical purposes its proiu-
sion Of fish and game its location at the
very center Of CAVITY q internal and oceanic
navgaton all these things seemed to make
Florida the Eden OF the American continent
tho Paradise Of the new ispensation.-
Our FIRST thought was that Florida is the
spot Tor ourself to dwell in our nextthought
was that il is Che very spot TO try the expert
ment OF Northern enterprise and free labor
IN tropical productions and our next was
that the Government could accomplish "a
grea, political purpose, and render a national
service, 10y at once opening the public lands IN
Florida to settlement. and stimulating the
migration of frccmen and ireeholdors to oe-
cupy and bold the State for all future time
With these impressions we went to the Pres
iient, and we suggested them to him, feeling
that it was an act Of official aud public duty.
May good come OF it,
Florida is the costliest piece of real estate
which the Government owns. The purchase
price was large-but to that has been added
the cost Of thirty years Of war waged for the
benefit of slavery. Now tina. slavery has
turned tail 20 the Government and used its
sharpest stngs, we fancy the Government
endeayor to earn both more pleasant and a
more profitable return for It's vast invest
mcnt.
a Well do we remember-nobody who wit.
messed can forget 1.-THE CONSERVATION with
which slayocratc members ofCongress listen
ed to Eli Thayers development Of bis scheme
TO extend the area Of freedom by peaceful
colonization, They felt, and some Of them
confessed, that the doom Of slavery had been
pronounced and in the example Of Kansas
we may well find assurance that It is even So
But how much mure effective, how much
more terrifying to the rebelious slavocracy,
will be armed colonization resident army
covering and cutivating the soil and fencing
it with muskets And war jus'ites it; there
is no constitutional scruple disturbed by it;
the Chicago platform is not iniringed and
even the Democratic doctrine OF popular
sovereignty is in perfect harmony with it,