The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-04-02
Terms of description.
WHAT A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR
SAYS.

SAYS.
Hon. Geo t. Fenetv, who is writing a
series of letters to the st. Johns Y. b.
Progress, has an elaborate and interest
ing article in recent issue, from which
we extract as follows:
*
Tallahassee was at one time a centre of
wealth and refinement. Here men If
influence resided. spent their money freely,
and reared large families In the lap OF
luxury. Their sons and daughters were
highly educated, while their domesticS.
nonce kown as slaves, were well cared or
min sickess as in heaith-in>tead Of the
usual ragged condition We now observe
as a rule in the streets. it was one Of good
attire and clearly appearance, far ahead
of many Of the white droncs Of the North,
taJltQi,s OF thu citv's slumS and wharyeS.
All hi, is now changed. The blow that
struck the shackles from the negro told
with terrible effect upon these once noble
plantations, now paralyzed and going to
decay. But the land and situation OF
this fine county # Leon tell 50 much on
the side Of an easily regenerative future.
that a man with money at command
would in my judgment make no mistake
bv largely investing III the fine properties
here and there to be had in the ncighbor
hood OF the situation where am now
visiting. What is wanted TO set this
place upon its .eet once more Is better
railway connection with the Gulf and
lines more Immediately running to bu>i-
ness centres. some Of which roads | am
told are pro ected, and will soon be
under wa>-ior after all railroads nov
take the place Of rivers and coast lines As
thew are available at all times. while
TRANSPORTATION OF freight is no longer
confined to vessels. The first requisites
(having rallroad>) for the prosperity of
anv place are good soil and climate.
These Tallahassee poss' es in re.emi-
ncnt degree.
But the unkinde-t cut Of all has vet
got to be mentioned. Hard as it was
mon the owner to have hi, property
taken away from him, without a DAYS
notice. or the least compensation. a vet
more deadly blow was struck at him bv
conpress and the president, as further
punishment, as it would seem.
order to do this a grave constitu-
tional amendment had to be made in order
that Sambo should enjoy the freedom of
the ballot box and vote the Republican
ticket. and thus swamp the Democratic
ascendencv, for such seemed to be the in
tention Of the solid South, so that by an.
nullino it's power and influence, the DAYS
of Republicanism-as regards it's Presi
Dental and Congressional returns-should
be perpetual Every illiterate coored
man in this State, without dollars worth
Of property or an ounce of brains, has the
same right to vote as the white man of
wealth. whose n,Oney provides and paws
for all the labor, and adds to the wealth
of the State; and when it is considered
that there are five blacks TO one white
the inequality will be understood the
former think they would be committing
beinous offence unless they voted in a
solid phalaux the Republican ticket But
then. on the other hand, the balance of
power becomes changed when we stop to
consider the moral and intellectual forces
at work in the time Of political need
The white man and property owner do
not allow themselves to be swamped,
when in the face of such fearful odds
Being self-reliant, determined and cour-
ageous, and well up in the antecedents of
the white man and the black, and their
relative conditions and positions in former
DAYS. and moreover chatting under the
wrongs heapcd upon them and their in
stitutions, the Southrons act IS if they
were not the men to be put down at the
ballot box, even with five to one comfort
ing them. Neither are they for they
seem to come right side up, every time
there is an election, State or municipal.
If it were otherwise and the color d popu
,a,i were to preponderate in the Legis
lature, the property OF the country, al
most altogether in the hands OF the whites,
would 90 to destruction, be swallowed up
in taxation, The result of the acts of IL
norant aud scheming Legislators anl wire