The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-14

eaters out and carried the State handsomely. l
stood by those views of compromise in the Union
substantially until after the failure of the Crit
tenden compromise. l supported Breckenridge
ems supported Douglas, and Ben
hill supported Bell. We led the
three elements in Georgia at the time. After
Lineoln's election l saw that trouble was brew
ing, but | was still unwilling to commit myself
TO secession, and then, too, l was not certain
that Georgia could be carried on that issue.
Stephens and Hill were both for the Union. l
telegraphed Breckenridge, asking him to appoint
n representative committee that would offer some
conn promise to meet the pressing exlgency. lie
appointed on this COMMITTEES. among Others,
Crittenden to represent Bell and Everett. or
rather the men who had supported them; JEFF
DAVIS and myself for his friends; Seward for
Lincoln, and Douglas himself. The Crittenden
compromise was offered. | supported it heartily
and sincerely, although the sullen obstinacy of
Seward had made 1t almost impossible to do any
thing. For supporting this com promise l was
denounced in Georgia by Ben Hill as having be-
trayed my section and my people. l didn't mind
this at all, as Ben was always denouncing some
body or something. At length l saw that the
compromise measures must fail. With a persist
ent obstlnacy that | have never yet seen sur
passed, Seward and his hackers refused every
overture"
On Dec. %, 1860, Mr.. Toombs wrote the fol-
lowing letter to his constituents in Georgia,
which throws much light upon the history of
II -
that exciting period:
II came here to secure your constitutional
rights and to demonstrate to you that you can
get no guarantee for those rights from your
Northern confederates. The whole subject was
referred to a committee of thirteen in the Sen
ate. l was appointed on the committee and ac-
cepted the trust. | submitted propositions
which, SO far from receiving a decided support
from a single member of the Republican party
of the committee, were all treated with derlsion
or contempt. A vote was then taken in the COM
mittee on amendments to the Constitution pro-
posed by Hon. j. j. Crittenden, and each and
all OF them were voted against unanimously by
the Black Republican members of the committee.
In addition to these facts, a majority of the
Black Republican members Of the corn
mittee declared distinctly that they had
no guarantees to offer, which was 81
lenty acquiesced in by the other members.
The Black Republican members of this com
mlttee are representative men of the party and
section. and, to.the extent of my information.
truly represent them. The committee of thir
teen on Friday ad iourned for a week, without
coming to any vote. after solemnly pledging
themselves to vote on all the propositions then
before them that day. 1t is controlled by the
Black Republicans, your enemies, who only seek
to amuse you with delusive hope until your
election, that you may defeat the friends of
secession. If you are deceived by them 1T shall
not be my fault l have put the test fairly and
frankly. 1t is decisive against you now. | tell
you upon the faith of a true man, that all
f~urthing looking to the North for security for
your constitutional rights in the Union ought to
be instantly abandoned. 1t is fraught with
nothing but ruin to yourselves and to your
posterity. Secession by the 4th of March next
should be Numbered from the ballot-box by the
unanimous vote of Georgia on the I'd day of
January next. Such a voice will be your best
guarantee for liberty. tranquility and glory
THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE.
In a speech in the Senate on Jan. Z, 1861, Mr..
Toombs. speaking of the conditions the people of
the South would accept Scr the sake of peace,
permanent peace" said: II am willing to take
the proposition of Senator Crittenden as it was
understood in committee. putting the North and
the South on the same ground, prohibiting slav-
cry on one side, acknowledging slavery and pro-
tecting 1t on the other. and applying that to all
future acquisitions, so that the whole continent
to the north pole shall be settled upon the one
rule and to the South pole under the other"
The Republican party of the North were eX-
tremely reluctant at that time to accede to any
compromise. The following letter, written by
Senator z. Chandler, Of Michigan, to Governor
Austin Blair, expresses the views of the Repub-
lican managers:
Governor Bingham and myself telegraphed
to you on Saturday, at the request of Massachu-
setts and New York, to send delegates to the
peace compromise congress-. They admit that
we were right and they were wrong; that no
Republican State should have sent delegates;
but they are here and can't get away. Ohio, In
diana and Rhode Island are caving in, and there
is some danger of Illinois; and now they
beg US, for Gods sake, to come to their rescue
and save the Republican party from rupture. l
hope you will send stiff backed men, or none.
The whole thing was got up against my judg-
ment and advice, and will end in smoke. Still |
hope, as a matter of courtesy to some Of our err
ing brethren, that you will send the delegates.
Some of the manufacturing States think that a
fight would be awful. Without a little blood
letting this Union will not. in my estimation, be
worth a curse"
AS the conference committees could not or
would not agree upon any general plan of adjust
ment between the Two sections, Mr.. Toombs tel
egraphed to Atlanta: A is at an end. North
determined. Seward will not bulge an inch.
Am i'll SAVIOR of secession"
Mr.. Toombs says: when the fight was fairly
opened | still felt doubtful about carrying the
State. The people were determined against
submission to the unjust encroachments of the
North. but there were many who favored the
appointment of a peace commission. others who
wanted to wait for co operation, and still others
who feared to take so desperate a step, and /
never doubted the gravity of the situation. The
statement that / said that | would drink all the
blood that was split is one of the stereotyped
lies the Yankees circulated about me when |
left the Senate. | knew it meant war, and l
said in my farewell speech that the next time
| looked upon Washington l thought it would be
at the head of Southern troops" Mr.. Toombs
says he never said that he would live to call the
roll of mis- slaves at the foot of Bunker Hill
monument. but says that was a fancy lie
started by Jack Hale. of New Hampshire"
After the secession convention of Georgia met.
Mr. Toombs was doubtful about the result, even
after he had looked over the roll of members.
He felt that the current should be turned. Be-
fore the voting zane he went to work canvass
ing the delegates. He said: Alex Stephens
thought he had me. He said the convention
never would vote to secede. told him l thought
it would. He then said: We'll, if you will put a
fair. square resolution of secession and carry it,
| will go with you. l only insist that it shall
not be equivocal like the Alabama ordinance
replied. L don't see, Alex, how we can make
secession more definite than by repeating the act
of accession. But to satisfy you that l am sim
cere, you write the resolution yourself, and |
will then put it as you offer it, and he did so. L
have often laughed at him about having written
the resolution of secession for Georgia.
When it WAS put we carried it by