Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-10
SPEECH or MIR. TOOMBS,

FELLOW rit,..us; / accept with pleasure the Invitation
If portion the gentlemen st the Senate aud house of
Representatives to give You NY opinion TIN" evening on
the tteut condition OF the countrt-the condition o The
c,uar that engages al hearts and Involves all interests
II would be to much agreeable tn say Ia you
pleasant thngs ! wish ! could tell you that the sky IL
bright bat duty demands I" me N all propef a9i
luy respouae your Invitation t. tell you rather truth
ul things There Is cause much cause at anxiety
no,r whatever Of dependency True hearts, true pa
rtats from responding. rise with the mlstortunrs
az their country But there for deep earnest
guy what should oe done the better to MAINTAIN the
great in Which are engaged and To brng I"
u and glorious termination My simple purpose
i ing my small modcum OF experience aud cast Il
into general fund and if could be successful IN
uervng heart "a u"b-r resolves, one hand I" yet
frmrr blows behalf ii TINT country which now needs
the aud colstant aupport Of all her sons shall
feel that my time ba- not been spent III VAIN.
IAree years ago stood IN this place and urged upon
yuu that sour nights IN danger aud that your duty
and alike demanded ~ you t" burst the bonds
which connected you wth the Nurhera States and To de
clare yourself tree mi independent Nearly three years
lave relied Of carnage, Of and bloOdhed aud
fhul has shaken the belief that the advice which
then gave you such as freeman Should have &c
cepted.
Fellow there any thing in the c0ndnct ot
your since this war began II the manner Of their
conducting the war 10 their feelings toward you that
should make you repent that you left their polluted EN-
hrrca7 Do you find any thing ~ the administration Ut
Their Government thAr conduct OF the IA make you
regret that y"U cut loose from that body o death and
corrurtj"n7 For myself stand to-day where stood
AL the forts which they ~ make t" bring us mi" an!
conTexon with them
When the contest commenced in sGl at the beginning
Of ti- rev G"sernnrnt, but Ak States coniedrraed
Very shury after others J"ned uEt the number IN
cre4-ed thirteen. Maryland nVerawed and eVar.
powered aud tbns prevented from uniting with us
Lying immediately under the power If thr enemy she has
Ind rpPortuty ior carrying out her desire to with
~ hy breaking the ties whch bound her the St.tes
from which have separated She oyh is loya 10
te da! but she is crushed aud i powrrl's t" break
~ tue ,hacki~- by which she i bound Kentucky j. in
the hsuds OF the enemy She betay aud lost by the
blunders at ot her and the trrach-y o nthrs
Missouri. though div dr tall At dislny atty her hopes
and trsnuy though surrounded hy the great power
the enemy, wl.hn l""a government. ID still struggling
for ibrrs aud Independence T,nuassee oytrruu aud
tn Mississippi, from the Falls u ST Anthony the BE
ze the handsut the and THUS cutting
the great Valley of the Mississippi The fall Of Vcks-
burg inf cted tina tefrhi" trw upon and It tell ia
scarce blow II ts defence. portion Of Virginia ha-
ALSO vrL I" US ISLANDS lost,
rayaptd aud oI ports captured ar threatened The IN
ems brrteLs Charleston, aHd recently have their
Dial teal u.un III" suu at State, though Chcka-
manga them ot what reception they may expect
uLVu repetition II the experiment. cannot therefore
tell you that tn" sAIes brghti have great work
~ d. great sacrifices to InsAr. Let meet them If
yourselves true to the which
have mprnied n, lru" t. rur po-trrty, ami above
all true 10 ruth sui God, we hall triumph aud land
6 free.
>usn is the military situation Of our country The con
duct and paor OF orr toPs must finally these
afi cuAs Il they can be kept IN the nrla Here i out
present dtrgsrwr ned courage aud uduct gg,.r enc
Of "ur country.
W.. fad that finances have fallen INTO disorder thai
public credit sunk loss That the Coyerulnrnt avu,,,
itsrI practically unable I" support with oar military
Establishment, without resort L. methods Ut coll citing
plies -tent Wiih The fundamental law of the and
the uarnabio rights II free people, and, my Jpdg
ment inconsistent with the pubc safety and dangerous t.
THIS policy i rapidly producing It's legitimate
fruits ~ nd that discomfort IS toLHg hs place qJ sahu
s,aStn, :aHd dtS1na - supplanfHg coEfdoa. 4
The 81 these evils must be emeded II i. not e.,
ghpf, pifh
utter rrposchr-, but solely country
from disastrous policy Those ho would trade 10 the
misioctunes If their country bad czena aud worse
courseHorr but public evils must BIZ dssected and
posed IN order that they may b. CORRECTED aud removed
his il the duty ri patriots propose la point out the
evils ana fuRges such remedies may appear suitable
circumstances (" relieve country from the great
caamdcs aud ulsortuues under which il now uborirr
Frliowcitiz-us there one polar star in all our cslsm
ties that guide and direct ustte Constitution Of our
country That Constitution i not alone your wisdom
the wisdom 1T fathers e l7- bnt IL the concen.
rated wsium ~ centuries 1T ue aud oi exp raHce and
the olJ mode ~ which W can preserve
liberties and our independence Is t. stand by it Adher,
enc" to II will evus s'r'ng'b and efficiency departure
from u, necessary qu-nce, viii bring evil upon
aud upon r"nny. II j. ark II safety
IL the cube" urnt 81 I'll so-e great principles which
have shielded liberty IN all ages at the world
Ey tls chart must seek determine where lirs fhe
dividing line between the civil and military authority II
this country. Ard when the done il viii be- found that
the military should BE- aubofdn tho civil nuthoritv
Liberty u always endangered IN civil and indeed in all
laws ~ the activity " the military authority. Again and
again has liberty been lot and wrecked ~ the str,gu.
While war il often the ony security for liberty il ever
danger aud menace tu it, Our whose suneupa
greater thau l than those nf the people
n Georgia though not greater perhaps than thoes II
4" the otter ~taespruvdrd Hgainst such
aud duUlr the whole at their with Greh
Brain mantahrd the supremacy Of the military over the
CvIl authority aud II VIII b. found that Constiu
u"n, which, has been erronrutsiy termed peace COnst
tuition III wac uHie Tor we'll az peace will be
adequate To evc'y emergency hirh may arise whether in
peace ~ 10 war, whether ID our day future time
This Constitution il lie ii the nation Preserve Il
and yen must conquer destroy aud yo may gain ude
pendeuer, bat you will lose liberty 1t necessary that
you -hnnd give il your earliest aud loyal support for II
has IN s-i All necessary of peaceful aud the sur
cessu resistance IT, h encroachments upon your rights
either from hin without. 1t lays the feet III fh-
C0hirtr GuFcrDmrnl every dr"po the blood and every
cent Of tr "eab :" thu people drdIcates ii t. the public
weai ~ .Oniy LIMITS the m,Ir of raising aud applying
both 10 "" public liz these limitations v iii b.,
founh me wI-du :" tn past standing guard over the
safety ~ The present aud the uturphodtug even the
sca that 'qny nd lut may preside over and sane.
BLY, the shcrhre When thu you u in hear of M,
compliant, Of d-cnbteu among our ustrio,ic psna
account oi public burdens I.ny their burdens with
equaii, equity, and Justice, discomfort yin di.anpasr
confidence will be restored mud tn. clouds which nav
hang wl SOM be disp-lrd
The Constitution urdaJus ttat the ueranrs h,uses nm
pers and effects ~ III prsoUs shall protected sg1st
unreasonable search and Zu,r ut upon affidavit and
probable. CHisc except persons the military service nC
the C0nlrderhcy; that rhtl be deprived at his
life liberty, property except by due process II law.
thai Puyat property shall not be- taken public
use, without us compensation In these aud in nurntr.
aNt tV,