those for Governor, saying: that because the respondents had encumbered the records of the court with unnecessary matter, in which the court was not concerned, they do pay the cost of the proceeding.

Stearns, looking back over the hard labor of his plundering career, and seeing that the packing of juries, the prostitution of the public schools, the disfranchising of whole counties, mob conventions, planned irregularities in elections, the public money expended to get posession of railroads, and the wholesale stuffing of ballot boxes had availed nothing, still was loath to give up the Government when he was actually in sight of the promised land. He called a consultation of the Ring chiefs at the City Hotel and required to know from them whether they would support him should he maintain that he was Governor, the decision of the Supreme Court to the contrary notwithstanding. With one voice they all answered yea! The understanding was that all the colored people in the surrounding country should be notified that Stearns would be inaugurated on the day set apart by the constitution, and they were notified accordingly. Some of the carpetbaggers doubted the propriety o fdetying a Republican Supreme Court, but the "Little Giant" declared if Stearns did not hold on to the Government he would kill him. The day before Drew was to be inaugurated Stearns saw many strange faces in Tallahassee among the whites, and he The Little Giant" now began to grow pale and talk weak. seeing that Stearns was about to yield up the ghost, went out and filled himself with the red beverage of hell and came to the hotel to murder him, and he would have attempted to do so, if he had not been locked in a room and detained until he fell asleep. In the meantime the whites had made great preparations for the inauguration of Drew. Early the next morning Drew and Stearns were seen coming out of a house together, as though they had been holding a long consultation. The whites were on hand from Georgia and from all parts of the State in large numbers, and the confiding freedmen came also to see the inauguration of Stearns. Drew seems to have made it all right with Stearns or Stearns with Drew; and Stearns procured a team and drove into the country while Drew was inaugurated.

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The whites had stationed in an old cotton storehouse close by the capital, between three and five hundred men, armed with repeating rifles, with the intention of slaughtering the men who might attempt to inaugurate the defeated candidate. Everything, however, passed off quietly, and the new Governor was inaugurated amidst the shouts of thousands of glad-hearted people, both white and black, who now boasted that their votes had done the work. Thus ended the eight years of carpetbag famine and pestilence.

The Democrats, as soon as the Legislature was organized in 1887, passed a law for the organization of a new Board of Canvassers, consisting of Democrats, and caused a recanvass of the electoral vote of the State as sent up by the Republican County Boards, which showed that Tilden had carried the State by ninety-three majority. The certificate of this result was sent, one to the President of the United States Senate, and one to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Horatio Bisbee, now snugly seated in Congress for two years, put there through the influence and labor of the indefaitgable Scott-was looked upon as being above any political turpitude toward his black brother. He was now put in a position to use the great traits which he was supposed to possess, and to remember the promises made to his colored benefactor, but before the cock crowed thrice he had denied Scott. Gen. Hopkins, of Jacksonville, a Democrat, was appointed Collector of Customs without the knowledge or indorsement of Scott, and was confirmed. Elder Sampson, who had been with Scott when the bargain was made, and to whom the Colonel had also offered service, chanced to have his son Walter at Washington learning the trade of type-setting. He thought this an excellent chance to have the Colonel do something for him, and accordingly advised his son to request his aid in procuring a situation in the Government printing office. Walter made the request, but was put off from time to time with the request to "call again," until, as he said, his shoes, his patience and his money became exhausted, and he gave up the pursuit. Some time after Congress had adjourned the Colonel came back to Jacksonville, and Samp son somewhat astonished at his conduct, called upon him to know

why the promise had not been fulfilled. The Colonel replied that if Scott's name had been sent to the Senate his incompetency would have defeated his confirmation. "But," said Sampson,

"Colonel, was that the understanding?" The Colonel, not caring to hear any more about the promise, said abruptly-“Oh h――l, I have something else to attend to," and then quietly strode away.

race.

Although the carpet-bag Government was overthrown in 1876, a certain property was bequeathed to the colored people by the carpet-baggers which has been and still is to a certain extent very damaging and burdensome to them. They left upon the minds of thousands of our people the impression that the drunkard, the thief or the most ignorant were as fit to represent them in the government as the most intelligent and upright men of the They impressed upon the minds of thousands of our people the idea that the great privilege of the suffrage is a purchasable merchandise; that political meetings and conventions must be run and controlled by mobs, so that peaceable and intelligent men should not have a hearing in them; that the best way to accumulate money and acquire an education was to spend their time in gossipping in politics. The demoralization in which our people were left by the carpet-baggers is gradually being wiped out by the labors of the best men and women and by the colored press of the State. Our people are becoming fully awakened to the necessity of the proper education of their children. The greater portion of them, who heretofore spent their time in going around electioneering for the purpose of pulling carpet-baggers into office to the neglect of legitimate and profitable occupation, now turn their attention to acquiring property and education. From reliable statistics it appears that they have accumulated, since emancipation, two millions of dollars of property. In all the professions, trades and occupations it is admitted both by our friends and our foes that our progress is satisfactory, and in many instances wonderful. While our people were much excited and dissatisfied with the Democratic ascendency in the State government in 1876, and while in some localities they were the victims of some injustice under Democratic rule, still it has proved a blessing in disguise. The future is full

of hope. Prejudice on account of color is passing away, and the negro has experienced his worst day in this State. But there is one pillar under the right-hand corner of this great edifice of progress that is full of decay and which threatens its destruction. It is the greatest enemy of our people, and must be met and destroyed. Whence comes this threatened danger? Strange, but nevertheless true, it proceeds from the house of God, and its name is Immorality-Licentiousness. Numbers of immoral and ignorant men have invaded the pulpits of our churches and are using the livery of Heaven to serve the devil in. In some of the church denominations the Board of Examination of candidatesto preach are in no better standing as to morality and education than are the candidates, and therefore, often, unfit candidates have no trouble in procuring a license to preach. In many instances these disciples of Satan are frequenters of bar-rooms, and their conduct is no better than the lowest class that frequents such places. These men have in times past been guilty of every wrong that can be committed against innocence and virtue, and have violated every moral law and obligation. It will require energetic work and patient teaching to put up the bars against them. We have as good and virtuous men and women among us as are to be found anywhere in the world; and these the subject of this part of this chapter will not affect, other than to cause them to put forth greater efforts to stamp out this curse from among us. As a general rule contagious diseases breaking out in a community have their origin in the most filthy portions of that community, and if not stamped out at once, they penetrate to the cleanest dwellings and attack the learned and wealthy as well as those living in the slu ns. If we will apply this rule to the malady of immorality among our people, we may be profited in every effort that is made to stamp it out. Immorality is one of the worst enemies to the negro's intellectual and material progress.

THE END.

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX A.

CONSTITUTION OF FLORIDA, 1868.

We, the people of the State of Florida, by our delegates in convention assembled, in order to secure to ourselves and our posterity the enjoyment of all the rights of life, liberty and property, and the pursuit of happiness, do mutually agree, each with the other, to form the following constitution and form of government in and for said State.

ARTICLE I.

SECTION 1. We do declare that all citizens, subjects and people of this State are by birthright free and equal, entitled to equal rights and privileges under the Constitution and laws of the United States.

SEC. 2. No law shall be made that in spirit or intent recognizes any right of property in man, nor shall slavery or involuntary servitude exist in any form except as punishment for crime after due conviction in courts of law.

SEC. 3. That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and established for their benefit, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter or abolish their form of government in such manner as they may deem expedient.

SEC. 4. That all men have a natural and inalienable right to worship A mighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, and that no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious establishment or mode of worship in the State.

SEC. 5. That no property qualification for eligibility to office, or for the right of suffrage, shall ever be required in this State.

SEC. 6. That every citizen may freely speak, write, and publish his sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty; and no law shall be passed to curtail, abridge, or retain the liberty of speech or of the press.

SEC. 7. That the right of trial by jury shall forever remain inviolate.