Speech #520111248

They disavowed any advance knowledge of it. and said that they had endeavored to arrest the perpetrators. who had resisted. and had been killed. and they exhibited two hands as proof that the offending Indians had been killed. But what was the effect upon the State of Florida? This happened just at the period when the citizens of that State had taken great pains to publish its resources and advantages. and when a tide of immigration had begun to flow into the State. so that the people of Florida had a gratifying prospect for the settlement of its unsettled lands. But as a matter of course not only did those who were already there and who had not become permanently fixed to the soil. abandon the State. but almost every man throughout the country who had been considering the idea of moving to Florida at once abandoned it because of the continued presence there of these Indians. who. it must be remembered. were under treaty stipulations since 1831 to move West. These are some illustrations of the injuries that have been inflicted upon Florida by reason of the presence of these Indians. and the Government of the United States was derelict in its duty in assuming the responsibility of allowing them to remain there contrary to the treaty stipulations. and this neglect entailed upon the State the loss of millions of dollars. of which there is no possibility of reimbursement.