The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-14
THE FIRE-EATING TOOMBS.
The LongCareer of the FamousGeorgian
Rapidly Drawing to a Close.
His Public Services Before and During the
War-His Position as a SecessiOnist-His
Opinion Of Jefferson Davis.
Atlanta Letter in Baltimore sun.

eloquent, Is ABOUT drawing 10 aclose. LIE peo-
pie of Georgia never loved any man better than
they love General Toombs, and the signs that
his race has been nearly run have awakened a
tender interest in him and in all that to him per-
Eains. He is the most remarkable man in many
respects that the South ever produced. and 1t is
doubtful if the records of a lordlier life than his
eau be found in the history OF our Republic. de
has never moved as other men nor worked by
ordinary methods. He has been kingty In all
his ways, lavish in his opinions, disdaininga all ex-
pedients or deliberations, and moving to his am
billions with a princely assumption that has
never been gainsaid by the people and seldom
by circumstances. Senator Beck. of Kentucky.
once said of him: 81 have known most of the
great men of this country, but have yet to see
the man that is, in my opinion, the equal of
Toombs."
General Toombs lives in a typical Southern
home in the town of Washington, Ga. A beau
tiful flower garden of an acre, fanked by barley
lots, fronts a three-story wooden house, with
large chambers, wide halls and roomy piazzas.
The Generals office is in his dwelling, but it has
been his custom to receive company in the cozy
sitting-room of the second story. He is always
cordial, and gives all, friend or stranger, a kind
ly welcome. Sitting in a large armchair. with his
books within easy reach, and the well-used Bible
among them, the writer saw, a short time since,
the last but one of the living members of the
original Cabinet of Jefferson Davis.
The ancestors of General Tombs were En-
glish royalists, and followed the fortunes of
Charles |. They owned, it is said, the retreat
sought by that luckless King at Boscabel after
the battle Of Worcester. They left England
shortly after this event and settled in Virginia.
During the revolutionary war a regiment
OF Virginia troops was sent to Georgia
after the losses at Savannah. and Dry
creek, at the request of the Georgia authori-
ties. The father eff General Toombs. then a
mere boy, was a major in the regiment. At the
chose of the war Georgia gave to each officer and
private OF this regiment a handsome estate.
Major Toombs selected a tract In what IS now
Wilkes county. ana settled down. On this
place, still owned by the family, Robert Toombs
was born July 2, 1910. His father died before
he was five years old. He was educated by an
old S~cotchman until he was fifteen, and then,
we'll prepared for college, he went to the Uni
versity of Georgia, then Franklin College. He
was a handsome, wealthy, rollicksome youth,
and got into some trouble with the faculty, and
left Athens for Union College, at Schenectady,
N. Y, where he graduated at eighteen. He
then went to the University of Virginia, studied
law, and. returning to his home, was admitted
to the bar when he was not twenty-one years
old. Not long after he married the lovely
WOMAN WHO ulSu II SHOrG tiiHe SluCc, anu Settlcu
in the town of Washington. He was very sue
cessful in his profession, before he was thirty
three years of age having made $3.50. coo in fees
and profits, his income being $50, 600 per annum,
at least, for several years.
THE PUBLIC LIFE OF GENERAL TooMBs.
In the Creek Indian war of 1886 he was a cap
tain Of volunteers under General Scott. When
he was twenty seven years of age lin 1887 he
was elected to the lower house of the Legisla-
ture. Then commenced a political career I'M
equaled in Georgia for brilliancy. While
Stephens, Cobb and Crawford were fighting
stubbornly and with varying fortune, and Benia-
min Hill, then a brilliant youngster, was
beaten at the polls, after sweeping the hustings.
Toombs took his honors without a struggle and
as if by divine right. He won distinction in the
Legislature by opposing State aid to railroads,
and secured the passage of a bill which took the
finances of Georgia out of the hands of the old
managers and advanced its bank notes from
about forty cents on the dollar to par. He con-
tinued a member of the Legislature till 1916, with
the exception of the year 1S4L He cast his first
vote for Andrew jackson. but fell out with him
about the notification troubles, and became a
Wing. While in the Legislature he was nomi-
mated for Congress, and made the race on the
Wing ticket. Although there was a majority Of
fifteen against mis- party In his district, and the
great McDuf1ie was imported TO meet the young
irresistible. he carried his district by a large ma,
jority. The bitterness of Georgia politicians at
this period cannot be expressed. The State was
split into personal factions, led by Clark and
Crawford, and the feeling was immensely bitter.
The two leaders met twice on the field of honor,
and it was charged that Clark sent a gallant
young fellow named Van Allen to Kill Crawford,
who. however, fought a duel with him. Then
Toonbs. as did the imported Virgirian. adopted
the cause of Crawford. The elder Toombs had a
personal r~econter with Clark, while Robert led
the younger wing of the Crawford party through
all the turbulent campaigns. The personal
bravery of Robert looms is unquestioned, and
he advocated in the late constitutional conven-
tion of Georgia the removal of all restrictions
from dueling.
Toombs remained in Congress eight syears,
from 1916 to 1883, and took a high rank IN the
proceedings Of that distinguished body. While
a member of the House he was elected, in 1853,
to the Senate. succeeding Hon. j.. Mcpherson
Berrien. In 1859 he was reelected. On both
occasions his election was virtually unanimous.
and was done without a struggle. He was never
beaten in a popular election, and was in active
public life from 1887. when he entered the Legis-
lature, until 1865, when he escaped from New
Orleans. All the time he was a leading actor in the
stirring scenes with which he was surrounded,
and his "reminiscences and speculations as to his
colleagues and their actions are exceedingly in
teresting.
Mr.. Toombs always said Mr.. Webster was the
greatest man he ever knew. AS a regulator of
men. he regarded Clay as his superior, and on
occasions Clay was as eloquent as men could
Wsil Oe. MT. IOOlnOS says CalLonn was the
greatest logician he ever knew, and the two
most eloquent men he ever heard were Choate
and Prentiss. from the North. Ia his opinion,
the greatest man ever produced by the South was
McDufhe, and the most eloquent Southerner was
w. =. Preston. he said Randolph was a re-
markable man, but depended more upon his &C.
centric, unique manner than upon his real
greatness Tazewell was one of the most FIN
ished orators he ever heard, and VIM. L. Yam
:ey was emphatically a frst-class talker. He
knew every President personally, except Wash
ington, Jefferson and the elder Adams. He saw
jackson inangurated. and sat by John Quincy
Adams when he died. Mr.. Fillmore offered him
the secretaryship of the Treasury, which he de-
elined to accept. and suggested Governor
Jenkins, of Georgia, who was offered the navy.
President Taylor offered Mr.. Toombs the secre
taryship of war, which he declined, and suggest
ID George w. Crawford, who was appointed.