Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-02-04
HaFk. from the IOoubs,

Sths oha OthOAs, Oh AuSoAoy S'NhAhp @~-t
the State Capitol, on the question of
Constitutional convention. The Atlanta
Constitution presents pretty full report
of his remarks, from which we extract
some noticeable paragraphs. We should be
sorry to accept Mr.. Toombs as repre-
sentative Southerner. But such talk as
this is listened to and applauded by the
Georgia Democrats. How DO Northern Dem
ocrats like it? Mr.. Toombs said
SIN 1865, when, as punishment for our
sins, our great cause fell. they came down
upon us-you saw the soldiers when they
overrun US down here-the Prussian, the
low Dutchman, the Irishman, and, worse
than all, the Yankee thief They said
We have devastated, robbed. and ruined
this country but there is plenty of good
stealing here yet They said we will re-
construct them and make new Constitu-
ton for the people. They did make it, and
it was made at that time to facilitate rob-
berry. They attempted to make it as
party. 1t was not the moral, or the re-
ligious, or the Industrious, men-they were
not the men who were called. They shut
them out They said no man of you, not
even road commissioner, shall have any
thing to do with this Government. As for
these big rebels, we have run them all of.
For myself, preferred Paris to Fort War
rem, and so | ran away. People who have
been whipped once are not very brave af-
terward. | have known it down in my
neghborhood that when a bully got whip
ped once he was not Of much account for any
thing afterward But in saying this do
not reflect upon my people. | never saw
my old brigade turn its back upon any
men they knew how to die but never to
surrender Our cause was not lost by the
soldiers on the battlefelds. not by the brave
people ut home, but by bad management.
The men who lost it didn't know any bet
ter, and | have forgiven them long ago.
This is not our Constitution. Ii violates
the fundamental principles of society. Good
government dispenses peace and rest to the
good and innocent, and protects industry,
not by stealing from one man to give TO
another-that is Yankee protection They
never caught mackerel without bounty,
and never made a button without another
bounty. They were always after tariff,
and that's the reason why, when | went
into Congress thirty years ago, was not
willing to see you robbed
"You stand here with all that is worth
preserving, inherited from the grand old
Saxon race, evermore dishonored by that in
strument. You ought to abolish it because
you didn't make it Accused be the peo-
pie that will accept a fundamental law
from another people. God Almighty curses
such people, and my poor, weak curses fol-
low His Some such yagabonds went with
those fellows. They said they were COnfed-
crates, but they bowed the knees and ac-
cepted the situation some Of them stayed
at home to make powder, and some to make
potash
This constitution was made 5y these
thieves to perpetuste themselves in power.
What did they do? They extended the term
Of the Governor. Now you permit this to
remain so. You have departed from every
principle of free people on earth. After
having distinguished yourselves upon every
field Of battle, from Gettysburgh to the
Gulf, you men Of the South have become
another people. 1t is sad-it makes my
heart sick-but it il the truth You have
become another people. lou suffer indig
mites to-day that, two years before it was
put upon you, you thought you would have
died first You have gone on in sullen
silence. You have let the alien and the
foreigner come here and gather with the
niger, the carpet-bagger, and the worst
thing Of all the things the world ever saw,
the scalawag-the consumnatiOn of all the
yillainy. | can respect the poor negro. lie
has many good qualities, and | ike him. |
can have some respect for the carpet-baggcr.
lie comes dOwn with his carpet-sack. and
says he i here to make all he can in what
ever way be can. He has loose morality,
but there i some manhood in it. But
when | come 10 tire scalawag they'll have
to dig deeper in hell to get place for him.
We got a good many honest fellows into
the first Legislature, but viii tell YOU how
We got them :here ! Will tell YOU the
truth. The newspapers won't tell it to
you. We got them there BIZ carving the
black vote, by intimidation and bribery,
and | helped to do it | would have scorn-
ed the people if they had not done it
And will buy them as long a they put
beasts to 20 the bailOt-b0x No man
should be given the elective franchise
who has not the intelligence TO use it
properly. The rogue should not have it, for
government i made TO punish him the fool
should not have it, for government i made
to take care Of him Now, these miserable
wrctches-the Yankees-haye injected five
millions of sayages into the stomach of our
body polite, and the man who say. he ac-
cepts negro suffrage, say, accursed be he
/ Will accept everything, | viii accept
Grant and empire before | viii accept such
Democrat The poor, igno.ant negro
talk Of him governing you and me 1t
takes the highest order Of intellect to
govern the people, and these poor wretches
talk Of governing Us Why, they can't
perpetuate their own negro power In the
countries where they were in the majority
they did not preserve their power and uer-
petuate their rule. My remedy helped Us
to break that up. We carried them with
US by bribery and intimidation. | advised
1t and paid my money for it You all know
1t. But will say it. for fear no man. and |
am prepared to render an account to none
but the Great Judge, before whom must
appear in few years, for nv enemies have /
thought my services TO my country 30 great |
that they have done me the honor to exclude |
me from again serving my people. contest |
that honor with our chief. Mr.. Davis. | am |
just as good as he is, and he Is no better
than | am. demand that they shall place /
me beside him. | thank them Tor it 1t i
very few things that have to thank them
for, but do thank them for that. am en-
titled to the honor they thus dispensed. and
| shall ask our representatives to demand it
for me, for | fought for it, and to bring it
about. am, believe, the only living Sc
to day in the State of Georgia.
This Constitution is thieyish thing, and
robs the people. The largest county has the
most representatives, no matter whether it
is full of gOphers or men That's what's
the matter with Hannah. now | don't
want representation based on population
alone; we never before had it 50 in Geor-
sia. 1t was always based upon population
and territory and if Won have convention
an make you constitution by which the
people will rule and the niger will never be
,aarI of