The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-06-19

onercd upon indigo. rice ana naval
stores, had been constantly growing
larger and nothing seemed now TO
forbid the hope that Florida would
become one OF the most productive
and valuableSof the English trans
Atlantic possessions. The climate,
especially upon the coast, had proved
emincntly favorable to health, and
the variety aud value of Its natural
productions gave promise Of boun-
tiful reward to industry and labor.
8 Among the most valuable arti-
Giles which could be protitably cult
waited We're enumerated sugar cane,
cotton, rice, indigo, oranges, lemons,
figs, grapes, bananas, pine apples,
DC; while the forests abouDded in
timber OF the best description, and
the waters teemed with fish, oysters
aud turtles. 1t is hardly to be doubted
that had Florida remained British
colony, it would ut this time have
equallcd any OF the seaboar3 States
OF the South in population. One can
even now hardly penetrate swamp
or hammock along the Atlantic coast
OF Florida without finding distinct
traces OF the English cultivation, and
the remains of improvements made
by them
Bnt i'll 1883 the Spaniards captured
Pensacola and Mobile, and the Eng
fish government found the defence
OF her colony expensive. The success
Of the American Revolution, and an
Improbable war with Spain forced a
conclusion OF hostilities upon the Brit
ish ministry. For the sake Of peace,
and regardless Of the welfare Of thou
sands Of subjects who had already
suffered for their loyalty to the crown,
Great Britain exchanged East and
West Florida and the Island OF Mi
norca with Spain for the rocky Ba-
hamas. The treaty was made in Sep.
TENDER, 1888, and the evacuation Of
the country took place three months
after It's ratification.
It will be observed that England
possessed Florida about twenty years.
But the first ten years were employed
in awakening an interest among the
English in their newly acquired pos
session, so that it was not until twelve
or fifteen years, had elapsed that the
principal settlements and plantations
in Florida were established. The
thousands who left Georgia and South
Carolina did not come to Florida
until l77S. There remained. there
fore, TO them as well as to those who
had the largest grants from the crown,
only FIVE years for establishing them
selves in u wilderness, before they
were abandoned by the treaty Of the
mother country TO the mercy Of big
Oted religious foe, whose sceptre was
symbolic only Of persecution. Even
r few years had suficed to prove the
value OF the country; but political
security was withdrawn, andnocourse
was left but seek a refuge wherever it
might be found. All the inhabitants,
except . few Catholic families and
those whom DIR. Tarnbull had brought
into the country, whose descendants
are now known at St. Augustine as
MinOrcans, went to Jamaica or the
Bahamas. History presents but few
instances where SO many people of
such superior intelligence and char
acter have so soon inaugrated pros
perlty, or where SO Important acolony
has been destroyed by they ower that
created and should hayeeostered it.
1t is almost like the expulsion of the
Huguenots from Acadia, whose sad
story Longfellow has sung in Evan
geine.
Until the year 1922, when Florida
became thoroughly incorporated into
the Union, she had known only the
narrow military policy Of Spain, the
ultimate destruction of all her pros
poets by England, and the constant
harrassments of fillibusterng expedi
tons from the United States. Since
then she has had twenty-five years of
cruel Indian wars, and suffered with
her sister States from the deteriorat.
ing and destructive influences of civil
T..