Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-05

JACKSONVILLE, May 3.-May, In these lati-
tudes, ushers in the season for excursions,
and for the next month the steamers will be
busy in taking the various Sunday schools,
temperance societies and other associations to
pleasant points on the river for days social
enjoyment and recreation. In these annual
festivities the negroes take as much interest as
the whites, and it is astonishing to notice how
much money is expended by this prosecuted.
doa0a-trodden race for such purposes. Such a
gathering might enlighten some of our Con-
gressional stalwarts who rant themselves
hoarse In denouncing the imiginary wrongs
and injuries to which this unfortunate class is
Systematically subjected. Such agitaters might
be surprised to learn that 1t is a common sight
to see hundreds Of freedmen, with their fami-
lies all neatly and many handsomely dressed,
take possession Of one of our finest steam
boats, accompanied by band of music and
start up the river for day Of fun and frolic.
OF they go, amid the banging Of drums and
blare of trumpets, the waving of kerchiefs and
farewells Of those left behind, and to Judge
from the exciting efrusions OF this demonstra-
tive people, a stranger would suppose that the
party leaving were on their way to Liberia
never to return.
The worst consequences of such excursions
are the loss Of time that they involve. In the
first place. these improvidents require two or
three days to prepare for the grand occasion.
then there is another day consumed in the
trip, and lastly 1t Is necessary to devote two
or more days to giving minute account of
the incendents connected with the affair to
their friends and neighbors. They will feast
for q day and fast for fortnight after his
however, is a characteristic of the race. and is
one of the many reasons that will go to ex-
plain the causes Of their general impoverished
condition. large proportion of them at any
moment are ready to throw down ''de shuhhle
and de hoe" to participate in a frolic, camp
meeting, or political gathering utterly oblivi-
GUS of their own interests or those of their am
ployers To all seeming they are still merely
grown children, and, like the juveniles are
easily led astray by every new whim and fresh
excitement
Ripe, mellow apples were plucked In this
county as early as the l4th OF last month
Just think OF peaches and apples in Anril
why. the fruit trees in frozen New England
have hardly yet commenced to make show in
the way OF leaves or blossomsl Truly this Is a
st greae 90 StaSe, sS, Wnen you cannot only produce
Dut also many OF those grown In temperate and
northern latitudes. The fact Is that there 10
no Ssate 10 the Union better adapted to diversi-
NED farming than Florida. Leon county is fa st
waking up to the great prohtableness of trno~
raising, and the Tallahassee papers are never
weary of citing instances of the heavy ret1rns
feallzeo TINS spring from little patches planted
IN Irish potatoes, cabbages etc 1t will be a
happy day for Middle Florida when
thelr immense cotton plantations can
be sliced up into ten, twenty and forty acre
tracts, and devoted to other purposes the, the
Improbable and never-ending cuIt:yation of
hl1g cotton. This monarch requires the foaltv
ana inc ssant labor OF biz subjects from Jann
airy 70 December, aHd leaves them at Christ
mas Witn marcy enough money in their pockets
10 purchase candy for the children's stockinSs
Wnen this desirable change is effected and
thrifty population the beautiful hills and vales
OF Middle Florida. the most charming portion
OF the State, viii bloom and flourish like
succession or gardens, and win attract and
capture large percentage Of the newcomers,