New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-07
COLONIZATION OF THE REBEL
MATES.

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COLONIZATION OF THE REBEL
STATES.
If this Union ID ever TO be restored, if the
insurcent States arc ever TO DO reclaimed to
loyalty, it must be by other means than veto.
res aid military occupation OF conquered ter
r;tories. Victories frst-those we cannot dis
ponse with; but Government which aspirrs
10 wise craftsmanship is hound to consider
what next What is TO be done with the ter.
ritory which is subjugatedl By what machinery
is loyal State government to DO rees'ab-
lishedl Whence are loyal Representatives
and Senators 10 DO returned TO Congress I
In q word, how are tho constitutional
relations of a rebellOus State to the General
Government to be restored when that State is
subdued ard held in military possession by
Federal bayonets, when its old population is
half destroyed by war, and the other half, en-
Filtered by hate and defeat, sullcDly submits
10 the power it is no longer able to resist 1t is
problem fun Of difficulties but not incapable
Of solution.
The most obvious and etfectual method is
colonization from the North. 1t il plain that
in one shape or another colonization must be 4
result Of military aud means of political cue
cess. The question for US is how to make II
most speedily and practically available; and
The best way to consider that is to look at il
with reference 10 particular case. Take
Florida, for instance, AID see how matters will
sIand with her.
In 1855, by tic State census, Florida hid q
population Of IlQ,S23, Of whom GO,492 were
Free Whites, ~, 526 Slaves. In 1860 her
whole population, free ard slave, amounled 10
IiO,4e5 Tie whole coast Of the S,ato y 10
our possession, there is no considerable Rebel
force in the interior 10 dispute lis occupation.
Nothing remains to conquer. Yet the State is 10
insurrection, is represented at Richmond cod
not u Warrington, and nine.tentbs Of her peo
pie are heartily disloyal. Tie presence OF n
military force, with no other than military OBJ
lects, vii d nothing toward the reclamation
Of State or people. There could be no possible
advantage in the military occupation OF ITALIA
hassee, its capital, or any other point. Yet
tho constitutional relations OF tais State are
somehow to be restored. What is to be dOnei
on tie li0, coo inhabitants, less than $4,000
! are free whites. There canuOt DO 80 many ms
10000 legal voters in the State. Suppose
2OCC0 eu grants from the North 60 down into
| kiorih and settle there. They are majority
Of IL legal voters; in other words, they arc
the State, and mag take possession Of lis Gov
eminent, reenact its organic law, and recon-
struct is political fabric as they please They
may ncnihlaie its old Slave Constitution aud
adopt q Constitution on tho bnsis of Freedom.
They may prescribe the conditions Of citizer-
ship (requiring loyalty, for instance, az one),
choose Governor ard Legislature md members
of Congress at once, aud in month, or fx
months, restore Florida to the Union beyond
al contingency of dislOyolty or future insur-
recton. For if Ny this process it becomes
Fres State, it will have no motive to join a
Stare Confedcracy, nor would it again 10 re-
ceieed as an eceomplice in the Cotton State
conspiracy.
sush plan is practical, fensiblc, has already
been carefully eopsiIered aul matured, and i,
understood TO hays the sanction Of the Gov
eminent. In the present condition of Florida,
it is of course impossible to send thi,ter an
unarncd expedition. The cclonists who COM
pose it mus! provide for their own defense
ard ere, therefore, TO bo regularly enlisted
aui mlttered into The service OF the United
States. We do lot undertake to dircuss the
details of tho enterprise. They viii be IN
folded and explained this eyenipg 10 tho Cooper
Institute by Eli Thayer, who IS the originator
Of the p'nn and has thoroughly considered 1t.
lis importance ought 70 secure for it tho most
thoughtful attention from tho loyal public of
this city.
r-ss