The Dawson journal., 1883-09-20
Men Who Have Made Georgia
Prominent.

IL IiIl, ICOOurG IOOmOS ana Jose
4. Brown were Georgia's ''big four
in affairs of State during recent
years. Each was prominent in the
Southern Confederacy: Stephens as
Vlce-President, Toombs for a 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 o. each Of the
four subsequent to the war has been
distinct Brown joined the Repub-
llcan party in '68, was prominent in
its councils until rs when he return
ed to the Democracy Stephens was
u bourbon Democrat in ~, refusing
20 support Greeley, but after his re-
turn to Congress was virtually an
Independent; Hill was bitter oppo
nent to reconstruction in '67-9 af :
hated with reconstructionist in I'll,
and was bourbon after '7S; Toombs
has been bourbon every wear, day
and hour since Georgia seeded from
The Union. The quartette were four
interesting personages. Toombs and
Brown have always been at logger
heads; Toombs aud Iiill were always
at outs; Toombs and Stephens wer
from first to last friends of the Da-
mon and Pythias type. Joe Brown
and Hill were at enmity for twenty
five years, until they became col
leagues in the United States Senate,
IN 1880. Brown and Stephens con-
tinued personal fr!euds even when
opposing each other in politics. Ste
phens and Hill never were friendly.
stephens once challenged Hill to
fight. Stephens and Toombs were
great lawyers; Brown thorough
scholar IN law, but no orator Hill
The most eloquent OF the four, but
special pleader-efiective before a iury
by reason OF his magnificent speech,
rather than from profound knowledge
Of law. Brown and Stephens were
the poorest Of boys, and paid for
their schooling from their personal
earnings and savings. Toombs and
dill had means for acquiring an edu-
cation. 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 honors from the same
constituency. Toombs, Brown and
ELI have represented Georgia in the
Senate. Brown and Stephens have
occupied the Gubernatorial chair
Brown has been Chef Justice of the
Georgia Supreme Court and Toombs
was the father OF the present Consti-
tuition of the State, adopted in 1877.
Brown andToombs arr bo h wealthy 1;
neither Stephens or Hill acquired
any wealth. Brown is reIgionist
"a prominent Baptist; Toombs is
not a church man and is profane /;
Stephens was q moralist; Hill devout
10 his early and again in his latter
dayss Robert Toombs is no longer
factor in Georgia State affairs
Ills political influence is as complete
ly gone az that of either Hill or Ste
phens, lying in the grave. He still
Is, however, power at the bar, and
IS leading or sole council ia many
cases before the higher courts, from
which he realizes . large income, va
rying, it is said. from $4,000 tc
100000 per annum. But the i'm
press Of Senator Brown is recogniza-
bic upon we'll nigh every matter ol
import. He is Che Richelieu OF Geor.
gia's political affairs the back of his
hand is the doom Of any aspiring
man or measure-its grasp surety
Of success. He Las attained ever,
honor FOR which he has reached. II
1868, upon the occasion of his defeat
(while running as Republican, foi
The United States Scnatorship. h,
was buried in efigy on a publ,
square in Atlanta. Some Of the iden
tical men who took part in the pro
ceedings in 1880 voted to make hin
Senator. The recent decease Of OK
Governor Charles J. Jenkins and O
Judge Martin j. Crawford. Of th,
Supreme Coart, removed two othe
distinguished Georgians from public
service. When the "ferce spirit o
the scythe and glass shall have re
moved Robert Toombs and Josepl
E. Brown from the public gaze