Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-02-04
TOONBS NEXT.

The late speech of Toombs before the
Georgia legislature, portion of which ap-
peared in our columns. would, no doubt,
secure him a seat In the United States
Senate at the first opportunity, were his
disabilities removed by the passage OF Mr..
Randalrs amnesty bill. When Toombs
makes one of his red-hot disloyal speeches,
clarifying the rebellion and its leaders.
and giving vent to his hatred of the United
States government, the democratic pa
pers in the northern States affect to treat
his utterances as having no weight with
the people of the South, and as represent
ing nobody but himself. But il Mr.. Toombs
has no influence in the Sout:, it is rather
singular that he was called TO speak be-
fore the legislature Of Georgia OH so inn
portant a matter as the revision Of the
State constitution 1t is worthy of notice,
too, that the ideas which he presented
prevailed with the legislature. Beside.
the speeches of Toombs are more often
sive to the national sentiment OF the coun-
try than speeches made by Hill, who now
represents Georgia in the United States
Senate. More than year ago Mr. Hill
made speech in which he said:
secession was mistake, terrible mistake {;
but secession acas no crime. (Great applause 1t
violated no oaths; it trampled upon no individual
rights. 1t sought to shed no blood
Radlcalism is no mistake. His deliberate, inten-
tonal, apcked, eeer increasing crime. (Applause.)
1t has trampled upon ten thousand oaths to sup
port the Constitution. 1t defed the Union as a
fact, that it might destroy the Union as prnci-
pie, under the pretence Of reconstructing the
States l arraign radicalism tonight before the
bar of this outraged country the only real, in
territorial rebel in american history. applause
1t is q rebel against the Constitution OF our Ia
Tiers. 1t is rebel against the sovereignty of
States. 1t is a rebel against every
principle of Justice, and q rebel against every
blessing of liberty. Tremendous applause.f :
That speech of Mr.. Hills did-a great
deal to increase his popularity and help
him to a seat in the Senate. In the same
speech he predicted another war, and said
he was ready for it as follows.
1.-THE great question, and the only question be-
hind for the thought, is the that must be pro-
pounded, and for which there Is no escape. The
question is. Is the Constitution OF our 1atherS
worth 5ioods VIII you hare despotism ;
Viii you hare blood or empirer That is the ques
ton. tell you, my friends, there is
no PEACE for this country until Radicalism is
crushed; not only crushed but despised; not only
despised but made Infamous forever throughout
America. tremendous applause and cheers.) >
Let us now everywhere in the South habit
ually speak of the Constitution and the Union I'M
der it with that old reverence and love that dis
tinguished us IN the days that are past and gone
Ifare must hare udr-if we cannot preserve this
Constitution and Constitutional government by
the ballot; if inordinate love of power
shall decree that America must SAGE her Constte-
ton by blood, let it come, l am ready. (Enthu-
siastc applause and cheering
When this speech was delivered demo
cratic papers at the North said it only rep
resented Hill himself, but evidently he
knew better, for the speech was followed
by his election, which it was intended by
him to promote.
And we have no doubt that were Toombs
amnestied he would receive early promo
ton at the hands OF the democrats of
Georgia. He might not get into the Sen
ate at once, because the seats ihere are al
ready filed and will be held by the pres
ent occupants, but a seat would soon be
found for him in the House, as a reward
for his devotion to the rebel cause.