Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-16

North rs wen as SCutn. among the number
ho.u- The noted Repu pican Ieader, cena-
tor ll0rtCD. of indiana. VINO proposed 10
guarantee -hal The uiIl would be passed
Ina only pu-lic service lie rendered since
The war was as a IN lloer OF the UeoIs ID
Constitutional Convention OF lo'r an
~hicl body be was chairman Of the most
important committee, dat on the consti-
luton - influence AND use illness ~
tine convent Z Wero impaired oy his eX-
e s. bur the constitution bears the IN
ml-it aable impress of his -euius.
D' nc the twenty years that have
elapsed since the war he devoted himself
20 the prsc ice of law and 70 looking after
his Investments. tits said bat be owned
10000 acres Of valuable land in Texas
Which he bought before the war al very
low price.
After the death Of Mrs. Toombs he
united with the Methodist church, of
which she was d lifelong mem Der, and
was received by the late Bishop Pierce.
Who had been his bosom friend for many
years.
Robert TOombs was, perhaps, the most
brilliant man GeO' gla ever produced.
Having large wealth, tine education,
and being endowed With natural gifts OF
high order, be made a state reputation
soon after he became a member OF the
General Assembly. When he was sent
10 Congress- he at once became Of natioua!
prominence, and was the most cOnspicu-
Gus Ggure among the southern senators
in the discussion Of the great questions
that led up to the separation Of the south
ern states and the great civil war. lie was
then in the prime of his life, being about
40 wears or age. and be is described by
COY. Brown as being 1.-The handsomest
man ever saw. His physique
was superb, his grand leonIne
head with flowing locks lit for q crown,
MS presence that Of a king overlooking
with vitality, his majestic face illumined
with his divine genius" His breadth Of
thought his powers Of conception. his
heFy zeal, and his gift Of language made
him decidedly the most eloquent man OF
his day. He was prodigal Of grand ideas,
noble expressions and striking aphorisms
He held his hearers enchanted even when
they were opposed to him, and he carried
the populace with him as with an irresist-
ibie torrent. 1t seemed 5 if he was IN
spired He despised anything ike policy,
and prlded himself above everything else
on his candor and utter tearlessness of
expression.
lie was as brilliant in conversation as
be was on the floor or the Senate. on the
rOstrum. or on the stump. His flow OF
language was wonderful, and he dis
and gems Of thought with a facility pos.
sessed by few men of modern times. Even
in his later years, when his great faculties
were much impaired. crowds gathered
around him wherever he went to hear him
talk.
Gen. Toombs was not so much a states
ma1 as he was an orator, an agItator, a
mover Of mems feelings and passions, al
though in argument he was all but irwin.
chile. Had he been an abolitionist before
the war the fame of Wendell Phillips
would have paled before him. He did MOI
succeed as a soldier because he could not
brook restraint and would not submit to
discipline.
While Gen. Toombs' fame rests on his
GIFT ~ elOOuence, it is believed that be
missed his real calling. His forte was
finance. Had he been put at the head of
the Confederate finances it is believed
that the credit Of the Confederate govern
ment would have been established on such
a firm basis that its power and influence
would have been greatly augmented. His
idea was for the government to purchase
all the cotton IN the South, ship it to
Europe before 1t was possible for a block
ade OF Southern ports to be effected. and
to use it az basis on which TO establish
public credit inferior to that of no cOun-
try in the world. His own business affairs
were most admirably conducted. While
the decline of his life was marked By
much that was erTatic, he never for q
moment lost his financial acumen. AL
though he inherited a considerable for
tune he made money rapidly, invested
it wisely and spent 1t prudently. He was
one of the Wealthiest men in the State
When the appropriation for paying the
members of the Constitutional Convention
Of 1877 was exhausted, Gen. Toombs drew
mis- check for $25, 900, which amount was
devoted to the payment of the per diem
due the members. OF course, it was al.
forwards repaid him by appropriation OF
the General Assembly.
General TOOmbs was the genius Of the
secession movement in the South, the un-
qualified defender of slavery, and the in.
classification Of the Southern sentiment OF
ante bellum days-and as such he will
live in history. His great career pTacti.
cally came to an end when he lett the
United States Senate. Hewas at his zen.
it'll while member of that august body
since then he steadily approached the
setting OF his life, which occurred TO-
day.
HON. PATRICK WAISTS TRIBUTE.
AUGUSTA, GA, Dec. 16.-The Chronicle
will say OF Gen. Toombs in an editorial;
"0f aIRthe Southern statesmen OF the last
generation Gen. Tocmhs was the boldest
and brainiest in Intellectual power and
Oratorical ability. He had no superior
among them. Meeting upon the political
arena Johnson, stephens, jenkins
Cobb, Brown ana Hill, he viii
stand out in the history of Georgia's dis.
tinguished sons as the most eloquent
Gen. TOombs was a great lawyer, bril-.
liant statesman and successful fnancier
For thirty wears no politician exercised
more influence in Georgia. In the con,
stitutIonal convention Of 1877 he left q
lasting impression, being the author OF
the constitutional provisions regulating
the railroads OF the State"