Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-23
TWO WILD STORIES OF TooMBs.
Confederate Emancipation Suggestion
Why tie Didn't Talk to Him.

Why Tie Dldn't Talk to Him.
From, the Philadelphia Times.
Speaking of the differences in the Con-
federate Cabinet Gen. Toombs said TO me:
''There was one very serious one. was
Secretary OF State, and as such was en-
deavoring to secure recognition from
foreign powers. / sent Yancy to Europe
for that purpose. Both France and Eng
land were ready TO recognize us, but they
objected to slavery. / replied that slavery
should not stand in the way OF our re-
cognitOn. | then demanded the right to
issue proclamation Of emancipation,
freeing every S ave by stroke OF the pen,
as 1t was finally done. Davis and the
Cabinet had neither the sense nor the
nerve to take such course. 1t would
have secured the success of our cause as
certainly as that the sun will rise on an
otner day. Bus Davis did not have the
COURAGE, The proclamation could have
been for gradual emancipation, and then
repudiated. as Washington repudiated
the neutrality treaty. " e had plenty of
precedents for such action. l would have
taken he respOns bilIty, and ought, as
Secretary OF State, to have been allowed
TO do so, but Davis was not Il diplomat
Neither was he "A statesman nor a soldier.
| There are many queer things about the
Coniederacy which have never been told.
These so-called histories do not touch the
bone.
lin 1855 had talked over the question
OF the abolition of slavery with Napoleon
Ill. and with Gladstone aud Palmrr ston.
l fOresaw the var then, and was prepar-
ing for it. Both Napoleon and the Eng
land government would have recognized
us Immediately but for slavery, and
knew 1t. But Davis stood in the way of
meeting the objection of the foreign pow
eTs as expressed TO me, and therefore l
| resigned. When | went to Europe after
the war | was more than ever confirmed
in the wisdom of the policy which | had
advocated" Mr.. Davis, shortly after Gen.
TOombs made this statement TO me,
laughingly said that this was the first
time he had ev heard OF ToOmbs' eman-
cipation proclamation.
1--WE had a queer government. l re-
member that one day a secret agent OF the
England authorities stepped up to me on
the street and said:
MR.. Secretary, where will / find the
State Department.
I'm nay hat,' l replied, 'and the
archives are in my coat pocket
He was in the Senate during the bitter
slavery debates, when Seward was wont
to deliver his conciliatory speeches.
These generally called out vehement
and insulting reply from the Southern
members, which was peculiarly eX-
asperating to the senators from the North.
One day, after an incident of this kind,
in which ToOmbs had made avtuperat,ve
answer To Seward, Senator Zach Chan
der said 90 Senator Simon Cameron:
"Tnis IS going too far. Let us
put stop to it. Some Of us should in
suit him0
"All right" replied Cameron, 81 sit
nearest to TOOmbs. Pl do it,"
AS soon as the Georgian had finished,
Cameron walked over to him, ran his arm
through his and said;
''ToOmbs, why don't you talk to me as
you do 30 SewardY'
Toombs looked at him for a moment,
and then, with "A laugh, replied;
well, Cameron, to tell the truth about
1t, believe you'd fight"