Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-28
A FAMOUS GROUP.
Men Who Have Made Georgia PrOmi-
nent-the Dead and the Living.
Bosf0n Adgcrtiser,

bOsON -iUGcfftsef.
Alexander II. Stephens. BENJAMIN II.
Hill, Robert TOOmbs and Joseph r. Brown
were GeOrgia's ''big FOUR IN affairs of
State during recent years. Each was
prominent in the Southern COnfederacy;
Stephens as Vice President, TOombs for
time as Cabinet officer, Hill as the leader
Of the Jeff Davis wing in the Senate, while
Joe Brown was GeOrgia's war Governor.
The course Of each of the four subsequent
to the war has been distinct. Brown
joined the Republican party in '6S, was
prominent in its councils until 10, when
he returned to the Democracy; Stephens
was a bourbon Democrat in -, refusing
to support Greeley, but after his
return to Congress was virtually
an Independent: Hill was
bitter opponent to reconstruction IN CTS.
affiliated with TecOnstructiOnists in II,
and was bourbon after rs; TOombs has
been bourbon every year, day and hour
since Georgia seeded from the union.
The quartette were four interesting per-
sOnages. TOOmbs and Brown have al
ways been at logger-heads; Toombs and
Hill were always at outs; TOOmbs and
Stephens were from first to last friends Of
the Damon and Pythias type. Joe Brown
and Hill were at enmity for % years,
until they became colleagues in the
United states Senate, in 1880. Brown
and stephens continued personal friends
even when opposing each other in poll
tics. Stephens and Hill never were
friendly. stephens once challenged Hill
to fight. Stephens and TOOmbs were great
lawyers; Brown a thorough scholar in
law, but no orator; Hill the most eloquent
of the four, but special pleader-effect-
i've before a jury by reason of his magi-
cal speech, rather than from pro-
found knowledge of law. Brown
an, -
boys, and paid for their schooling from
their personal earnings and savings.
Toombs and Hill had means for acquiring
an education. Stephens was always weak
physically; Brown never robust. Hill
and TOOmbs. on the contrary, were superb
specimens of manhood. Opposing each
other, almost all around, each of the four
men has, nevertheless, been successful in
his candidates. for h0nors from the same
constituency. Toombs, Brown and Hill
have represented Georgia in the Senate.
Brown and Stephens have occupied the
GuDernatOrial chair. Brown has been
| Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme
Court and TOOmbs was the father of the
present Constitution of the State, adopted
in 1877. Brown and Toombs are
both wealthy; neither Stephens or
Hill acquired any wealth. Brown is a
religionist-a prominent Baptist: TOombs
is not a church man and is prOfane: Ste
phens was a mOralist; Hill deyOut i'm his
early and again in his latter DAYS. Robert
ToOmbs is no longer a factor in Georgia
State affairs. His political influence is as
completely gone as that of either Hill or
stephens, lying in the grave. He still is,
however, power at the bar. and is lead
ing or sole counsel in many cases before
the higher courts, from which he realizes
a large income, varying, it is said, from
$4,000 to 100000 per annum. But the
impress of Senator Brown is recognizable
upon well nigh every matter of import.
He is the Richelieu of GeOrgia's political
affairs: the back of his hand is the doom
of any aspiring man or measure-Its
grasp is surety of success. He has
attained every honor for which he
has reached. In 1868, upon the Oc-
casiOn of his defeat while running as
a Republican for the United States Sena-
torship, he was burned in effigy on pub
lie square in Atlanta. Some oft identi-
cal men who took part in the proceedings
in 1880 voted to make him Senator. The
recent decease of Ex-Governor Charles J.
Jenkins and of Judge Martin J. Crawford,
of the Supreme Court, removed two other
distinguished Georgians from public ser
vice. When the ''fierce spirit of the scythe
and glass" shall have removed Robert
Toombs and Joseph f. Brown from the
public gaze, GeOrgIa's giants will have
all departed her coasts. Her great quar-
tette is not likely to be duplicated within
her borders out of the present generation.