New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-08
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY g.,
SPEECH OF THE TOOn1Bs.

SPEECH OF THE TO0n1Bs.
Ben Hill and he Denscraelc Party visdi.
catod.
In this winter of our discomfort, when
every Confederate canine, from the bully
Ben Hill, in Congress, to the little ours who
show their teeth in State Legislatures,
threatening blood and vengeance, history
and Democratic folly would not be COM
| plete without the views of Robert Toombs,
tho great apostle of Southern Democracy.
1t appears that under the present eonstitu-
ton of Georgia colored men have some
rights. The Democrats are trying to bring
about Constitutional Convention, and Mr..
Toombs lately addressed and instructed the
members OF the Georgia Legislature on the
question of the constitution of 1865 making
. radical speech. While other orators may
hide their claws in velvet, and work destruc-
ton to the government when pretending to
love Union men and their country, Mr..
Toombs is an honest representative of his
party. He has never surrendered, and wants
no amnesty from the Yankee government. He
speaks bitterly of the Irishman and the low
Dutchman. He says niggers had hand in
making the constitution, and for that rea-
son, Democrats who will submit to such an
instrument will receive the curses of the
Hon. Robert Toombs and God. The former
power also curses men who accept negro
suffrage. At the same time, Robert boasts
that Georgia got in little good Demo
cratic work, and . few officers, by bribing
and intimidating negroes. He said all the
members Of his party knew it, but would
not say so. OF such is the kingdom Of
Democracy. Mr.. Toombs is reported as
follows, beginning on the constitution:
Nobody will dare say that it was made
for the benefit of the people. 1t was made
to plumber the people. 1t ought to be
changed. l say it should, because it is not
your law-it is not the chosen law of the
people who are governed. You have
you want q king make him! Isra | had
9 king, England ha, had her kings; but if
you do want one, do not take an ignorant,
drunken general of the army to make one
with-that's all have to say! [Cheers.
In 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 1rishman, and worse than all,
the Yankee thief! Applause. They said,
I'VE have devastated, robbed and ruined
this country, but there is plenty of good
stealing here YETI" They said, We will re-
construct them, and make a new cODstitu.
ton for the people, They did make it, and
it was made at that time to facilitate rob-
- -
party. It was not the moral, or the
religious, or the industrious men; they
were not the men who we're called.
They shut them out. They said,
no man of you, not even road commits
sioner shall have anything to do with this
government. As for these big rebels, we
have run them all of. For myself. pre-
terred Paris to Fort Warren, and so l ran
away. People who have been whipped
once are not very brave afterward.
fLsughter.] l have known it down in my
neighborhood that when bully got whip
ped once he was not much account for any
thing afterward. daughter But IN say.
ing this do not reflect upon my people. l
never saw my old brigade turn it's back
upon any men-they knew how to die but
never to surrender! [Cheers.l Our cause
fields, not by the brave people at home, but
by bad management. The men who lost it
didn't know any better. and l have done
forgiven them long ago. [Langhter.l
Speaking of the races, and the fact that
"niggers" had something to do with making
the old constitution, he said:
You stand here with all that is worth
preserving, inherited from the grand old
Saxon race, evermore dishonOred by that
instrument. You ought to abolish 1t, be-
cause you didn't make 1t. Accused be the
people that will accept fundamental law
from another people. God Almighty cnrses
such people, and my poor, weak curses
follow after His. Applause. Some sick
vagabOnds went with those fellows. they
said they were COnfederates, but they
bowed the knee and accepted the situation!
Some of them stayed at home to make pow.
der and some to make-potash. Laughter
Who framed the constitutional Who
made it! Niggers and thieves. Loud
cheers.] l speak of the body. Chemists
tell US that in all brass there is some COLO,
and in all lead there is some silver, but that
all mixed bodies take their names after the
greater quantity contained in it. Laugh
teri say it is not your constitution. 1t
is q niger constitution, constructed by
knaves and carpet-baggers.
This is not our constitution. 1t violates
the fundamental principles of society. Good
government dispenses peace and rest to tho
good and the innocent, anu prOL0CIs 1uOuS-
try, not by stealing from one man to give
to snother-that is Yankee protection. They
never caught mackerel without bounty,
and never made button without another
bounty. [Laughter.] They were always
after a tariff, and that's the reason why,
when went into Congress thirty years ago,
was not willing to see you robbed. They
were the men who said, Let us be friends,
but let US rob you also. As long as We can
steal from you we will be friends" Laugh
teri 1t reminds me of French distich,
and recalls the time Of the French revolu-
ton, and the distich ran something like this:
1.-THE words on listening Senates broke
Let us be brothers, and-rll cut your throat"
loud laughter.) This is precisely the
Radical doctrine and practice. But they
didn't do as we'll az the Frenchmen did, for
the Frenchmen are brave men. The Yam
KEGS hired Irishmen to do their throat
cutting-the poorer and weaker of that race
of Irishmen who fight the battles of every
country but their own, and for others
wrongs before their own rights. But the
war ended and the army was disbanded.
They had already robbed you of everything
possible. Then they robbed you OF your
arms, and then dug into the ground for the
last silver dollar that your wife had boarded
all through the dark days to buy bread and
meat in time of distress. They not only
loved the villains, but the villany! lap
plause. This constitution was made by
these thieves to perpetuate themselves in
power.
You have departed from every principle
of free people on earth. After having
DISTINGUISHED yourselves upon every field