Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-12-16

several days, and, surrounded by his fam
lily and friends, he quietly and painlessly
passed away.
Biographical sketch of Gen. Toombs.
The greatest of the public men of Geor-
gia has passed away peacefully after a stormy
and bfiss lifes having The RESPECT 81 his fellow
% he ss besT
they loved Gen. Toombs, and the signs that his
race has been nearly run have, awakened
pertains. He is the most remarkable man N
It recoS n ors
his can be found in the history of our republic.
He has never moved as other men nor worked by
ordinary msthods. He has been kingiy in all his
wsys, lavish in his opinions, disdaining all ex-
Pedients or deliberations, and moving to his am
been gain sayed by the people and seldom by cir
cumst mes.
Royalists, and followed the fortunes of Charles 1.
They owned, it is said. the retreat sought by that
hpE az at aftsr Ine ostse Of
event and settled in Virginia During the Revo-
lutionary war a regiA ent of Virginia troops was
sent 70 Georeia after the losses at Savannah and
Dry Creek, at the request OF the Georgia authori-
ties. The iather of zen. Toombs, then mere
boy, was major in the regiment: At the close
Of the war -Orgia gave to each officer and private
Of this regiment handsome estate II, Maj.
county, and settled down ON thi. place, sfili
owned by the family, Robert Ioombs wss
born July 2, 1910. His ,fatheE, died
was fifteen. and then. well prepared tor. college,
Franklin College. he was handsome, wealthy,
frolieksOme youth, and got into some trouble
lege at SCHENECTADY, N. Y, where he graduated
at eighteen. He then went to the University of
home, and % was admitted to the bar When he he was vas
not twenty-one years old Not long after he
married the lovely woman who died a
ington. He was very successful in his profess
sion, before he was 80 years of age having made
$4,000 per annum at least for seyersl years.
In the Creek Indian war of 1885 he
was a captain of volunteers under Gen. Scott.
HIS ENTRY INTO PUBLIC LIFE.
When he was twenty-seven years of age-in 1887
he WAS elee ed to the Lower House of the Legis-
lature. Then eommencs d political career un-
stephens, Cobb and rawford were fgbting stub
bornly with varying fortune, and Beuf ain Hill,
then brilliant youngser, was beate u The polls,
honoTs Without struggle, and as if BY
divine right. He won distinction in the
and secured the passage of bill which took The
finances of Georgia out Of the hands of the old
about 10 cents on the dollar to par. He con
tinued member Of tne Legislature till 1915, with
vote for andrew Jackson, but fell out with him
about the notification troubles and became a
Whig. While in the Legislature he nomi-
the Whig ticket. Although there was a majority
of fifteen against h party in his district, and Il E
irresistible he csrr.td his strict By isrse ms
jority. The bitterness of Georgia politicians at
split into personal factions, led by Clark and
Crawford, and the feeling was Immensely bitter.
bs hs y b.rsd @ s the ssa OF
young fellow named Van Allen to kill Crawford,
who, however, fought duel with him. Then
Toombs, as aid the 1uported Nirginian, adopted
the cause Of Crawford. The elder Ioombs had .
personal reneontre with CLARK: while Robert led
he yUin oft he Cra axrfo tpa RI Oh
all the turbulent campaigns. 1he personal brav-
cry Of Robert Toombs is uTquestioned, and he
of Georgia the removal cf all restrictions from
dueling.
IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
ToOmbs rsmsined in Congress eight years. from
ings of that distinguished body. While mem
Der of the House he, elected, in 1858, to the
Tan sGa's In s5s he was % re-eiectsd I 5Gn On Both Both
occasions his election was virtually unani-
and was was j. SctiSe public life from 1851, when
escap d from New Orleans. All the time he was
leading actor in the stirring scenes with which
ne n-,' .nrrounded, and his "reminiscences and
tons are exceed ingly interesting. Mr. TOOmOs
always said Mr.. Webster was the greatest
man man he ever adS knew c,. As 5ssula5OT of
men could well be. Mr., ,Toombs says Calhoun
two most eloquent men he ever heard were
Choate and Prentiss from the North. In els
south was McDqfie, and the most eloquent
Southerner was W. C. Preston. He said Ran:
more r upon his eccentric, unique mannsr than
upOn his real greatness. Tazewsll was
Of S the ;a n9st hnis5sd IN 3nosg orators ne ever
cslIy 6rst-elass talker, He knew every Presi-
dent personally, except Wash.,'ston, Jefferson
lated, la and % sat By John Quincy ADAMS when he
died. Mr. Fillmore offered HIM the Secretary
and suggested Gov Jenkins of Georgia, who was
offerei the Navy. President Taylor offered hir.
Toombs the Secretaryship of v ar, which he de-
clined, and suggested George W. Crawford, who
was appointed.
STATE SOVEREIGNTY AND SECESSION.
Mr.. Toombs has always believed in the sover-
! much hmisunderstood on the subject of secession.
| Upon this subject he said few years noe: ''I
have never believed the constitution ofthe United
States good one, and, as an original question,
/ would never have voted for it; put was not the
blatant secessionist that have been represented; ;
/ that is, up to the time that thought there was
| no place or security tor my people in the Union
Then l determined to lead them out Of a
| but good faith, and was shown to have
ported the Clay compromise very strongly. Ny
position was made an issue in Georgia, and con-
| vention of the people was called. l came home
/ Alexander Stephens, who stood upon about the
game ground did. We whipped the fre-eaters
4 !
i by those views of compromise in the Union su5-
stantially until after the failure of the Crittenden
| compromise. / supported Breckinridge in the
campaign of 1850. Mr. stephens supported Doug
las, and Ben Hill supported Bell. We led the
three elements ia Georgia at that time. After
| Lizcoln's election saw that trouble was brew
| ing but was unwilling to commit myself to
| secession, and then, too, was not certSin that
| Georgia could be carried on that issue. Stephens
| and Hill were both for the Union. telegraphsd
| Brecki nrdge, asking him to appoint repress L
| ative committees that would offer some compro-
| mise to meet the pressing exigency. be appoint
ed on this committee, among others. Crittenden
| to represent Bell and Everett, or rather, the
| men who had supported thsm. JEFF
! Davis and myself for his friends; Seward
| for Lincoln, and Douglas himself. The cIitien-
| den compromise offered. l supported IL
| heartily and sincerely, although the sullen OBJ
| stinaney of Seward had made il almost impossi-
BILE to DO anything. For supporting this COM
| prom Sc 1 was deaounced in Georgia by Ben Hill
| as having betrayed my sect on and my pc pie.
| didn't mind this at all, rs Ben always de.
nouncing somebody something. At length
| saw that he compromise measures must ia IL.
| With a persistent Obstinacy tbat have never yet
seen surpassed, Seward and his hackers refused
| every overture,
GEORGIA SECEDES FROM THE UNION
| After the Secession Convention of Georgia met
| Mr.. TOombs was doubtful upon the result, even
| after he had looked over the roll of members. Hs
fat that the current should be turned. Before
| the voting &C me ne went 20 work canyassng the
delegates. He said s.AleS. stephens thought