314 



FLORIDA. 



FLORIDA, although one of the smallest 

 States in population, yet in consequence of its 

 location it is one of the most important to the 

 Union. Situated south of Georgia and Ala- 

 bama, it extends as a peninsula a distance of 

 885 miles ; and is bounded on the east by the 

 waters of the Atlantic, and on the south and 

 west by the Gulf of Mexico and a small portion 

 of Alabama. Between her shores and Cuba is 

 the gulf channel, which is strictly the mouth 

 of the gulf and the outlet for its commerce. 

 Florida was purchased of Spain by the United 

 States in 1820. Vast appropriations have been 

 made by the United States, for the security of 

 commerce, by erecting establishments which 

 fringe her borders. Her series of light-houses 

 embrace Cape Canaveral, Jupiter, Cape Florida, 

 Carysfort, Sombrero, Sand Key, Key West, 

 Tortugas, and Loggerhead. Fort Taylor at Key 

 "West and Fort Jefferson at Tortugas, an island 

 west of Key West, the first nearly done and 

 quite capable of defence and the second more 

 than half complete, have each cost about a mill- 

 ion and a quarter. At Key West are a naval 

 coal depot and wharf, the marine hospital, army 

 barracks, admiralty courts, and an extensive 

 wrecking organization. 



The population of the State, in 1860, was 

 77,778 whites, 908 free colored, and 61,753 

 slaves; total, 140,939. The ratio of increase 

 during the preceding ten years was for whites 

 6,477; free colored, 258; slave, 5,709. The 

 Governor is elected for four years. The Senate 

 consists of nineteen members, elected for four 

 years, and the House of forty members, elected 

 annually. The term of the Governor, John 

 Milton, expires in 1865. The public men of 

 the State were enlisted in the'' secession at its 

 earliest period. Her Senators in Congress as- 

 sembled, in secret caucus, with those from other 

 States to devise the plan of action. Prompt 

 measures were also taken by the State author- 

 ities to secure success. At an early day a State 

 Convention was called to meet on the 5th of 

 January, to which delegates were at once 

 elected. The Convention assembled at Talla- 

 hassee on the day appointed. It consisted of 

 sixty-seven members, one-third of whom were 

 regarded as in favor of cooperation. On the 

 7th, a resolution declaring the right and duty of 

 Florida to secede was passed ayes, 62 ; noes, 5. 



On the 7th the ordinance of secession was 

 passed by a vote of 62 ayes to 7 noes. The 

 following is the ordinance : 



Wliereas, All hope of preserving the Union upon 

 terms consistent with the safety and honor of the slave- 

 holding States, has been fully dissipated by the recent 

 indications of the strength of the anti-slavery sentiment 

 of the free States ; therefore, 



Be it enacted by the people of Florida, in convention 

 assembled, That it is undoubtedly the right of the sev- 

 eral States of the Union, at such time and for such 

 cause as in the opinion of the people of such States, 

 acting in their sovereign capacity, may be just and 

 proper, to withdraw from the Union, and, in the opin- 

 ion of this Convention, the existing causes are such as 

 to compel Florida to proceed to exercise this right. 



We, the people of the State of Florida, in Convention 



assembled, do solemnly ordain, publish, and declare 

 that the State of Florida hereby withdraws herself from 

 the Confederacy of States existing under the name of 

 the United States of America, and from the existing 

 Government of the said States ; and that all political 

 connection between her and the Government of said 

 States ought to be, and the same is hereby totally an- 

 nulled, and said Union of States dissolved; and the 

 State of Florida is hereby declared a sovereign and in- 

 dependent nation ; and that all ordinances heretofore 

 adopted, in so far as they create or recognize said 

 Union, are rescinded ; and all laws, or parts of laws, 

 in force in this State, in so far as they recognize or as- 

 sent to said Union, be and they are hereby repealed. 



The Convention, at a subsequent date, was 

 addressed by the Commissioner from South 

 Carolina, L. W. Spratt. In his address he ad- 

 mits that, if the Southern people had been left 

 to consult their own interests in the matter, 

 apart from the complications superinduced by 

 the action of South Carolina, they would never 

 have felt it their duty to initiate the movement 

 in which, for reasons partly long conceived and 

 partly fortuitous, she had now, as she thinks, 

 succeeded in involving them. 



The other acts of the Convention completed 

 the work commenced by the ordinance of se- 

 cession. Delegates were appointed to the Con- 

 federate Congress, with instructions to cooper- 

 ate with those from other States in the forma- 

 tion of a Government independent of the United 

 States. A session of the Legislature was held at 

 the same time, in order to pass such measures 

 as would give strength to the executive officers 

 in their new position. An act authorizing the 

 issue of $500,000 dollars in treasury notes and 

 another staying the issue of executions upon 

 the judgments in cases of civil contract were 

 passed. Another act, to define treason, was 

 adopted, which declared that, " on the event 

 of any actual collision between the troops of 

 the late Federal Union and those in the employ 

 of the State of Florida, it should be the duty of 

 the Governor of the State to make public proc- 

 lamation of the fact, and thereafter the act of 

 holding office under the Federal Government 

 should be declared treason, and the person con- 

 victed should suffer death." This act was ap- 

 proved by the Governor on the 14th of February. 

 On the next day the Legislature adjourned. 



The forts and arsenals of the United States 

 and the U. S. schooner Dana were seized, un- 

 der instructions from the Governor, at the 

 same time those in Alabama were occupied by 

 the troops of that State. At the most im- 

 portant forts, as Pickens, Jefferson, and Taylor, 

 there were such garrisons as were able to de- 

 fend them. The investment of the former was 

 immediately made by the troops from Florida, 

 with reinforcements from Georgia, Alabama, 

 and Mississippi. The navy yard and forts on 

 the mainland at Pensacola were thus occupied, 

 but Pickens defied all the efforts of the besieg- 

 ers . The entire force furnished from the State 

 to the service of the Confederate Government 

 has been estimated at 10,000 men. Those in 

 the service for twelve months and longer were 

 much less in number. 



