Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-10-14
ADDRESS OF MR.. TOOMBS
TO The People Of the Eighth Congressional
District Of Georgia.


towards the General Government, by the late Pro-
clamaton of Gov. Towns, makes it my duty to
address you in relation to the recent legislation of
congress, to which resistance is proposed and ad-
vocated am opposed to such resistance and
invite your attention to my reasons for that oppo-
sition. My own action upon that legislation has
been recklessly and vlrulently assaled, and svs-
tematically misrepresented by some of those who
are opposed to it. | must therefore ask your in
diligence for a brief exposition of that action be-
lore proceeding to the statement of the measures
referred to- the principles upon which they are
based, and my answer to the objections urged
against them. The policy of the last Legislature
upon the subject of our Federal relations has
deeply endangered the honor and perhaps the safe
ty of the State. The late Proclamation of the
Governor protesting to be in accordance with that
policy, has placed our State in defile where we
can neither turn to the right hand or to the left.
where it is impossible to advance with safety, and
difficult to retreat with honor. In tn present
emergency, our true policy is to select one oftwo
courses; we must either repudiae the action of
the Legislature and Gov. Towns, or arm our peo-
pie Tor resistance to the laws of the land and a
dissolution o. the Union | am in favor of the
flrst, and against the last alternative; because [
believe there is nothing in those laws which de-
mands or would justify that resistance. AS | am
not unfrequently quoted as authority in favor of
snch resistance, will here re-state my own posi-
ton. When Congress met last December, | found
there was strong and nearly unanimous DISPOSE
ton on the part OF the Northern Wing members
to interpolate the old Wing creed with Free Soil
opinions, The same disposition strongly mani
tested itself also among the Northern Democrats,
though not to the same extent. -Four years expe-
Renee In Congress had taught me the importance
OF the organization of the House to the success
or defeat of public measures After free, full
and unsatisfactory conference in caucus with the
Northern Wings, determined not to cooperate
with them in the election of Speaker, without
some security upon the slavery question. | found
them, with but few exceptions, pledged and de-
termned to ingraft the Wilmot Proviso upon ter
rltoria bills for the government of New Mexico
and Utah, and to abolish slavery in the District of
Columbia. | therefore submitted to the caucus
the following resolution, to wit:
"Resotped That Congress ought to pass no law
abolishing slavery in the District Of Columbia OF any
law prohibiting 1t in the territories OF the United
States"
The resolution promptly rejected, and l. togetll-
ef with those who acted with me, promptly Withdrew
from the caucus, and resisted by all means III pow
er, the election OF It's nominee, Mr.. Winthrop. The
struggle the Speakership resulted in the election OF
one OF your own representatives, Mr., Cobb whose
able and efficient administration OF its duties has been
highly honorable TO himself and beneficial to you. The
contest tor the organization of the II marked
by strong sectional feelings and angry and excited de-
bates In one OF those debates, which attracted good
deal OF public attention, declared myself in favor of
dissolution oil the Union il Congress applied the pro-
vso to the territories abolished slavery in the Dis
trict OF Columbia, orretused efficient legislation for the
through Gov. Towns, the resolutions passed by tue
Legislature of Georgia declaring it to be the duty OF
the people to resist the Federal Government upon the
three grounds Just mentioned, and also for the addition
a one oil the admission OF California into the Union
as State Immediately replied to these resolutions,
adhered to my grounds OF resistance and refused
oI hu tho l
glsature, and dec Jared my determination oppose any
resistance by the State of the admission Of
California On the 9Th OF February, l delivered
speech in the House Of Representatives, in which the
relation OF the Federal Government slavery and es
peciay to slavery in The territories, carefully and
elaborateiy examined and in that speech | distinctly
lad down the principle that "Tne fist of legislative
hostility is the proper point OF Southern resisance"-
urged the South to stand by the Constitution and the
laws to observe in good faith all of their requirements
until the wrong consummated, until the act of erclu
son IS put upon the statute b0ohS.. held that while
non intervention was rot the of Our rights
hostile legislation was the point of resistance" and
1t was only the right but the duly of the savehold
ing States to resume the powers which they have
Tered upon this Government, and to seek new safe
guards tor their future security These are the princi
pies upon which acted throughout the session.
CARRIED extracts from speeches | made in sup
port them, distorted inerpoated inaccurate extracts
rom others have been raudulenty applied Dol ter up
causes Tor resistance which openly repudiaed and to
convict me OF Inconsistency The past is sale, there
stands the record. In the Wing caucus at the opening
d Congress; nmy speech in December in my speech
70 February; IN my letter to Governor Towns in
March, affirmed my own grounds OF res stance to the
government, OF disunlon, TO be these three ls The
abolition Of slavery in the District of Columbia; 3D.
he prohibition of slavery by Congress in the territories
3D. The refusal of fair measure for the delivery Of
lug tive slaves ltook other advocated no other
grounds OF resistance; did not abandon or compro-
mise one iot or title of them; did not enlarge them
to include the and tolles of Southern men, or
diminish them to concIiate the hostility of Northern
men; lstood by them, and ey not violated by the
leg station which | am about TO review. The fugitive
slave BILL which demanded, was graned,it was sat
isacory TO the whole South, and received the OF
every one othe members in both Houses of Congress.
he abolition OF slavery IN the District and the prohi-
bion ofit in the territories, the two olher measures
winch stood pledged 10 resist defeated crushed
and abandoned. series OF measures for the pacfca-
ton OF our territorial difficulties, adopted the ba.
sis OF which proposed early as February and was
ready at any time during the whole Congress accept,
yet am reproached Tor not giving "aid and comfort"
to tactous, foolish and unenable resistance 10 the
government for legislation which have uniformly
held and publicly declared be neither Just nor sui-
cient for such resistance. have refused FIRST
sH M upon m and rave ever GEEK Is
nemy and shall give it nothing but the rights OF war
Congress passed TOUR bsln relation to the TERRITORY
acquired from Mexico. bill to admit California into
The Union. bill to settle the boundary between lex
as and New Mexico; aud bills establishing territorial
governments both for New Mexico and Utah. By
hem, in my opinion, the government has not performed
its whole duty to us; by them the South may not have
secured all OF her Just rights but she has firmly esab-
ished great and important principles and she has COM
promised no right surrendered principle, lost not an
nch of ground in this great contest She stands as
Tree and unammeled to assert any Just rights in rela-
ion TO the common territories, she did before the
bills for the establishment OF governments over them
we're passed-wh the advantas least of having re-
covered the principle unwisely surrendered in $50
The defeat OF these bills would have lost that ADVANTAGE
lnd would in respect have lett any right of the
south on any better footing than that upon which it now
tands. The memorable controversy between the North
md the South in 1919 and 1920 although resulted ia
he exercise OF the powerto prohibit slavery i'll portion
81 the territories OF the United States, did not originate
n a question of territorial government Missouri pre-
ented to Congress constitution sanctiouing slavery
he North asserted the power not only prohibit save-
y in the territories but plant perpetual prob btion
IF it in the constitution of State regularly asking ad
mission into the Union. The South opposed the re-
friction, and based her opposition to it upon the true
constitutional grouud-tha Congress had no other con-
ro over the constitution of State seeking admission
1to the Union Than to see that its constitution shalles
ablish for it a republican form of government The
trugge was violent and prolracted the Republic was
haken to its foundations and wise, and good and pa