The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-15
Florida Free Labor immigration
Scheme.


Scheme.
We end in the New Yord Herald and
Tribune the exposition Of scheme,
which will probably form highly in.
teresting portion of the great national
drama now being performed.
In respone to numerously signed call,
the Hon. Eli Thayer addressed large
and Intelligent audience at the Cooper
Institute on Sunday evening, on bis
scheme for the colonization Of Florida
with loyal men from the North.
Nix. PRESIDENT AND FELLow- CIrIzENs {:
To day / heard one of your citizens
make this remark, don't know where
we are going To-. l doubt whether he
can save the nation" Thousands of
others no doubt uttered the same senti-
ment Thousands more have not given
uitersnce TO il, who have as deeply felt
IL as he who spoke. Now, fellow citizens,
whence arises the doubt? We have not
been considered doubling people,
There is nothing in our ancestry, moth
ing in our history TO foreshadow a doubt.
Among whom Of our ancestors do we
look for doubling men? Among those
who first set foot on Plymouth Rock
They shook the depths OF the forests gloom
With their hymns Of melody,
And the echoes OF The dim woods rang
With the anthems Of tho free.
Is there anything in our history 70
foreshadOw a doubt about the result of
the present rebellion? We have been
marching along triumphantly TO higher
goal than any nation ever aspired to-
The goal, in the dim distance, was al
most in sight; IL was at the attainment
of higher civilization tahn the world
has ever known, and to a higher deyel-
Opment Of man. And what crosses our
path now?
Whence and what art shou, execrable shspe,
That dares present thy miscreated front ="
We shall attain to all we ever aspir-
ed to in spite Of the darkness of the pre-
sent hour and in spite of those doubts
which come from neither our ancestry
nor our history, but from present mis-
management; in spite of all we will
stand ON the wrecks Of this rebellion,
and use them as stepping TO high
err attainmonts hereafter. The present
mode of conducting the war will pro-
duce one Of four results. IL may insure
q Reunion by compromise, after media
ton shall have been attained, and the
country have been tired with successive
disappointments - and loss of money
and life. That means the subjugRtioR
Of the Northern States. That means not
TO have homogeneous people hereafter,
or unity in the nation, but 10 have an
oligarchy ruling the country, more in
the future than in the past. That is a
result we will never submit TO. Another
possible result is this we may extermin-
ate the Southern people, and make their
homes desert; we make q solitude and
call il peace. That is a result we can
not afford. Another result is this: we
may by force of superior numbers atlength
conquer the people of the rebellious
States and hold them in subjugation by
a standing army of half million. The
result would be to put in jeopardy our
republican institutions and deyour the
substance of the whole country, both
North and South; and this is a result
we will not have. Another possible re-
suit is the establishment of the Southern
Clnfederacy by She Intervention of for
eign power or lack of will and courage
and endurance of ourselves. Many will
say that this is the best result that could
come from the present mode of conduct
ing the war, but il is result we will
never agree to. Applause. Because our
national unity is our national existence.
There is no limit TO the subdivisions
which would follow this separation /
am here to show you what think a So.
luton of these GuestiOns-I am here TO
argue in favor OF power not untried in
this country, which would give us a re-
suit we all desire, and leave this country
at the end of the Rebellion stronger, more
extended and glorious than il ever has
been. Applause What is the power
| / would now invoke TO accomplish the
great result? answer, the power of
organizing free labor. Applause. We
have sent our armies and our navies on
this errand of subjugating the Rebellion.
We propose now togo ourselves. II was
a maxim of Miles Standish that whatey-
err you want well done you should do
yourself
The proper solution of this Rebellion
is the social and political reconstruction
of the Rebel States upon the basis of
State rights, Let us not despise that
word As State rights was tho
apology for the Rebellion, we will
make II tho basis of reconstruction.
/ If tho Northern people 60 in large
numbers and reconstruct the Southern
States, socially and politically, they will
have perfect right to decide what il
treason against those States, and what
is the proper penalty for treason. Laugh
ter and applause. Gov. Wise said,
when Old John Brown was arrested, that
the State had the first right to punish
treason, and the General Government
might punish il after that. Renewed
laughter. When Northern men go
down to those States, they will adopt
that doctrine aud hold that the indi-
vidual States have the lrst right TO pun
ish treason against the State. This
method Of reconstruction can be applied
to each one Of those Southern States. We
do not want a great many at first. Give
us a place TO stand securely and we can
accomplish il all. But the more men the
better. The speaker then referred TO
Florida, as having advantages for the be-
ginning Of the great work which no other
Southern State possess. II is almost sur
rounded by the ocean, and, therefore,
cannot be invaded exoepb by a maritime
power IL is the healthiest State in tho
Union. In the last census il ranked
third or fourth, and in that they include
the deaths Of invalids who went FROM
the North, which, before the Rebellion,