The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-07
Robert Toombs IN Congress.
General Brisbin in Philadelphia Press

General Brisbin in Philadelphia Press.
1t was Mr.. Wade who originated and brought
forward that great measure, the Homestead
bill" or, as he was pleased to call it, Gland for
the landless." The Southern men at once an
tagonized this bill with the slavery question,
and Mr.. Wade, accepting the issue, rushed to
the contest with the battle cry of Gland for
the landless against niggers for the niggerlessl"
The Southern men sought in every way to de-
feat the bill, but Wade made powerful argu-
ment, and for the time completely routed his
enemies.
While the. bill was under discussion, Mr..
Toombs referred t. it, with sneer as a meas
ure for white paupers, when Mr.. Wade ,imme-
diately rose and said:
"Sir, you sneer at the Homestead bill be-
cause it gives land to the landless, do you?
What is your pet scheme? Buying Cuba?
Stealing niggers for the niggerless? We will
go to the country upon lt-land for the landless
against niggers for the niggerless!''
Wade one day replied to Toombs, and to all
appearance used language which would COM
pei Toombs to challenge him. Several friends
went to Wade and begged him to desist; but
the old man grew more and more violent, un-
til Toombs indicated his intention of calling
Wade 20 account for the language he was MS
LIZ
having accomplished his object. The South
ern men looked at each other in surprise, and
it was manifest to all that Wade had deliber-
ately sought a quarrel with Toombs.
That night friend of the Southern Senator
called on Mr.. Wade to know if he would re-
tract the offensive words he had used. mo,
won't take back id word" was Wade's
emphatic reply "Then,' said the friend of
Mr.. Toombs, '.it will be necessary for Mr..
Toombs to challenge YOU to mortal combat"
ic iust wi + ont nd ;rh+ l.
got to the point without all this palaver,' said
Wade. ''You surely cannot be in earnest, Mr..
Wade" said the Southerner
"Why, of course | am. You see sir, we
Northern men don't like to fight. Now, 1 am
opposed to the code, and so are my constitu-
ents; but you fellows have broken Summers
head, and we must spunk up little or YOU
will break all our heads. The shortest way to
end the matter is 10 kill off a few of you, and
j have picked on old Toombs as my man. He
will have to challenge me; then, of course,
will have the choice of weapons, and I'll take
my old rifle, aud d. II me if don't bring him
down at the first crack
When Toombs heard what Wade said he re-
piled; II can't challenge him;if do the old
brute will likely kill me-
1t appears that Toombs and Wade had been
out together shooting with a rifle several times
and while Toombs could shoot well with pis-
tol he was poor rifle shot, Wade was an old
hunter, and at a distance of hundred yards
couiu nit q dollar Almost every Snot. Mr.. Wade
said to me:
''If old Toombs had challenged me that time
as l expected he would, L would have put
patch on my coat over the heart, and made
him do the same thing; then the old fellow
would have got demoralized when he saw me
drawing bead on his patch, and would have
missed me, while d. me if / wouldn't have
cut his patch the first fire."
Not only did Mr.. Toombs refuse to challenge
Wade, but no Southern member of Congress
could ever be induced to send him challenge,
no matter what he might say.