New-York tribune., 1868-10-10
OBITUARY.
HOWELL COBB,

morning, at the Fifth ave. Hotel, in this oitv -
apoplexy. Mr. Cobb came North about thu aOth ,,.
tour of pleasure, and was accompanied bv H.
wife and daughter. After remaining In Nev.y~s
a few days, he spent week or two at Niagara F.n.
and had but recently returned TO the city. Dana,
the past months, or more, he had been complainns
of AN uneasiness and oppression about his cha,
which he attributed to Indigestion but he had ~.
apprehended any serious result from It, At timss
when exerting himself he suffered from shortnes. -
breath, and pain In the region Of the Leay,
but, since leaving the South he had bean
much better He arose yesterday morni..
seemingly in bis usual health, and shortly after IA
O'clock was standing in the corridor of the second
floor at the hotel conversng with the Bishop Of so
gia about sermon that the latter recently preachsd
Col Williams of Florida and Mrs. Cobb were stand
ing near Without saying that he was unwellh.
took seat the stairs and placed his hand on HI.
heart He was at once taken into of the psrlor,
and placed on a sofa, where he expired An inaaesi
was held last evening by Coroner keenan,, and YER
dict in accordance with the above facts was ren
dered The announcement of Mr.. Cobbs death era
ated profound sensation at the hotel. aud was tbs
topic of conversation there during the day. As m.
news spread throughout the city many of his frisnd
and acquantances called on Mrs. Cobb, and rendered
her their aid ana sympa.IHy: saHcr Inc rs rremals
Mr. Cobb was born in Jefferson Co. Ga, Sept s. f5iS
and therefore had attained at his death to the barely
mature age of SO years. Graduating at the age of "A
at Franklin College in Athens Ca. to which tows
his parents had removed in his early youth. he WA
admitted to the bar at q, served as Presidential
as Es'ST year in wdi that e!yced 1%q 's Isss .
Socitor-General of the Western Circuit thus
entering upon public life almost before be
had attained to manhood. During the three yeau
for which he held this Office he became very popular
as well for his social qualities as for his legal ability
Entering Congress. III 1913, at y years OF age,
and continuing until 1850, he distinguished himself
by familiarity with the rules of the House, fair skin
as debater strong professions Of love Tor the Unon
and of admiration for the course tof Andrew jackson
i'm suppressing nulllfcatlOn IN South Carolina and
equa iy vehement professions OF fealty to States
Rights" From the first, an imperiOns and bold
champion of all the aggressions of the Slave
oligarchy, he became the leader OF the
House in tho XXXth Congress, by his
efficient support of President Folks policy Of
war on Mexico. In 1873 he supported Cas-
for the Presidency. Taylor being elected, Cobb
tered the XXXlst Congress as leader OF the opposl-
ton, and of the foremost OF the rising Statesmen
of the Democratic party. and was elected Speaker.
The message of President Taylor recommended ths
admission of California and NewMexico. with such
constitutional provisions relative TO Slavery a. tho
people thereof might adopt. Cobb was elected in
the extension of Slavery into those 1eIXitories BY
Federal authority. On this question Cobb repre-
sented the Slavery Propagandlsts Winthrop. ns
After 62 ballots the effort 30 elect Speaker under
the majority rIe was abandoned the plurality rule
asadOpted and on the Gd ballot Cobb was chosen BY
lO2 votes to % for Winthrop. and % tree Soil scat
terinQ He labored for the adoption OF the comWo-
mise measures of 1850, and being opposed i0r this by
the extreme advocates Of Southern rights IN Georgia
he defended Congress- and as the champion oi The
Union party was nominated for Governor. After
violent contest he was elected by heavy majority
At the end of his term of two years as Governor he
resumed the practice of law, taking an active part
political campaigns and especially IN the election Of
franklin Pierce. lie again returned 10 Congressm
1876 I'm the campaign of 1856 he made prominent
tour through the Northern States, advocating the
election Of Buchanan who Immediately on his accts'
sion appointed him Secretary OF the treasury MI
Buchanan states in his own history OF his admnlsU
ton as "A principal reason for selecting MI C0oo.
that i'm his canvass for Governor SIX years Deforr
he had made an able and powerful argument De-
fore the people of Georgia against the right OF seces
sion" Mr.. CObbs small stock IN trade as OnIoniss
seemed. however, only TO have been accumulated As
a ameans of selling out TO better advantage 70 tns
Rebellion. go
Floyd's sequestraton of the War Othce, jacob
Thompsons defacations in the Interior Depart Itmenr
and Attorney General Black arguments for Secession
was dsgraced throughout by the prostitution OF hs
official power the finances OF the Goyernmento
the one base purpose of banrupng the Treasury and
promoting the success of the impending Rebellion
The funds iii the Treasury were exhausted IN buying
up portions of the outstanding debt OF the United
States at n premium of from i2 to 10 per cent above
t5e faee Of rising Rebellion, the credit of the Gov
ernment was ruined by going into the market 70
borrow money, at enormous rates of interest; WIN
which to pay ITS current expenses and the IN
terest on the remainder of tho debt.
The Secretary of the Treasury took every pains
to notify the capitalists of the world that the Qus
ness of the heretofore known as the United
States was being wound mp. insolvent and withous
assets. On the 10th of December, lo,e, he resigned
the charge of his Treasury assigning as reason thaI
its bankrupt condition no longer. required MS ser
vices His statement was too true On the l4th Con-
gress passed and the 18th the President approved
an act authorizing loan OF tue paltry sum OF el3-
al. el.a otto
A. 600 600 PAYABLE in year. When the time for bids
expired only $4,000 had been offered. and that az
II per cent. There were some offers to lend at "a.
and some had even the audacity to offer
to loan the Federal Treasury small sums at %
per cent interest per annIIm. AT last some banks
holding Government stocks on which the lnterest
fell due in January offered To loan 81 10000. on con-
dtion that il should be applied TO pay the nterest
on their stocks The arrangement was virtually NOS
q loan, but simply an extension of the time to pay
the accruing interest with charge Of II per cen!
for the extension At the same time. the State OF
NewYork negotiated loan OF 81 ,90,O0 at per csns
for 81 years, at from TO 21l percent premium 80
far had the credit of the nation been sunk below
that of one of its component States-mainly by MI
Cobb's reasonable management of the Treasury
lie doubtless expected high rank under the Con-
federacy. He was one of the delegates from Ceorgs
20 tho Congress OF the seeded States when organ
lied the Confederacy and presided over II rs cnsI-
man. He was fond OF declaring that the dissolution
of the Union was Irreyocabe. complete, aud peIpet-
ual.p In the provisional Congress he proposed an
export tax on cotton as means OF compelling io.
eign powers to recognize the Confederaoy; ana
of enforcing his fayorite doctrine that Cotton
was King" As President of the Provisional
Congress he presided ut the organization Of the nrs
Confederate Congress Here his official relation 70
the civil affairs of the Confederacy inglorously
ended. Having resigned the highest Cabinet posi-
ton under tho United States to organize the rs-
bellion, he was not honored even with seat W tns
lower House of the new Government. lie fetIeu
for time to private life; afterward, In eompn-
ance with the political demand from Georgia ap
pointed Brigadier-General in the Confederacy, Mia
subsequently, MajOr-General, ana TOOK some pat "a
organizing the militia of Georgia. lie was not III
favor, however, with the powers at Richmond; anu.
though man of ripe abilities, his services were NO.
JY.; .rj a,Ja1 n "a tha most cons spcuOus OF it4