The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-05-11
Letter from Florida.

JACKSONVILLE, May 5, 1870.
Mr.. EDITOR, This State now possesses an
Importance on several accounts. It nav he
said with perfect safety that Florida is reoon.
structed The State is governed by it's own cit
liens, on the basis of the 18th Amendment. all
are voters, and eligible to Office. 1t is well
known that we have colored Secretary of
State, Hon. j. G. Gibbs, PRESBYTERIAN minis
ter. and colored Senators, and Represent,tves
Magistrates and Aldermen The chairman of
the Board OF Trustees of my church is the
leading Alderman OF this city.
The United States Circuit Ccurt was IN Cos
sion here last week, and ths jury was maJa nm
OF coiored men withs white men Tbare
came tough case before that iury. Won NAV
judge OF it, when tell you that the inrv sat
on 1t days, and was out all one night and
part OF two days: it was was a case between the
government and one of its old Marshals before
the war; The sum of money in dispute was
comparatively small, but the principle involy-
ell was an important one. The case was like
this: Uncle Sam employed man to catch
runaway horse, and gave him so much money
to do the job. The man caught the horse. but
brous bit in an additional bill on the ground that
the animal gave him more trouble that he had
expected. The United States refused the bill.
and hence the suit.
You will interested to know that the iurors
an idea of what the government may expect of
those newly qualified citizens. One of those
jurors said to me, "the government is power
full and rich L know, but it needs protection as
well as the people do: for if everybody goes to
work and plumbers the government it will soon
be unable to pay its debts or protect the peo-
ple." could but admire the mans good sense
and applaud his patriotism. If this man was
in Maine he Ould be called "a contraband;"
but here we call him reconstructed citizen,
genuine 18th Amendment MAN.
If this should meet the eyes of enterprising
colored men among your readers who do not
| own any land under their feet, would call
| their attention to Florida, as offering splen-
| did and happy home for loyal colOreG men,
The government has in this State more than
| 100000 acres OF land to the occupancy OF
which it will welcome its loyal cOlored citizens
| And this State has one of the most friendly
| climates have ever breaJhed, except it may
| be that Of the Island of Jamaica w. Il.
&Looking at your map you Will see that FlOri-
da is large peninsuar about 400 miles long.
1t has greater extent of actual sea coast than
almost any other State; with your map upside
down it would be Just the shape of a boot; but
| as it is 1 call it the great toe of the United
States; And if colored men wish to cOncen-
the lasting prospeTit y" Ct their children Florida
is the place for them to look to. Florida is be
ginning to be appreciated, not only by heath
seekers, but also by wealth seekers; and al
who would live comfortable lives on small in.
comes. Our natural productions are very nu
merous, and almost and indeed perpetual; for
the ground is ever green with some vegetable
plant, herb, grass, fruit, flower, berry, and in
short, there is to be found everything that ma
ture produces for the benefit of man and
| breast.
The freedmen have more than seven hun.
bred (700) respectable homesteads in Florida
all obtained since emancipation. Those who
wish to prove their true friendship to the col
ored race. let them do all in their power t.
carry forward this homestead question. The
American people and government owe it tt
themselves to see that the cOlored citizens o
these southern states have homesteads MIL
ions of acres Of these lands are under the con
troll of deadly enemies of the government and
the nation, who are only watching for another
moment attempt to overthrow the institution!
| of the landl The old anti-slavery friends have
great work yet to do. And among those j.
the duty Of aiding mertorious colored mer
| with their families to come to Florida. In New
England and in the middle states are many
families that would be of great value here and
whv would come if they had a little assistance
More will. be said on the subject anon.
j. w. G. PENNINGTON