Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-04-24
BOB ToOMBS' GRAFTON.
A Southerners Description Of its Eff
fects on q New Highlander.

ed for a speech in Atlanta. When
the night came for the speech the
streets swarmed with people stream
ing into the courthouse. 1t so hap
pened that | fell in with a New Eng
lander, who was stopping at one of
hehotels for day OF two, and as he
expressed a desire to hear the great
Georgian, took him along with me.
"You never heard Ed. Everett,
did you?" remarked my companion
as westarted out.
NO." | replied, "but we think
very highly of him down here"
eyes, no doubt, but his style would
not suit your people. He is always
calm and dignified. He never rants.
His elocution is simply perfect, and
no living man equals him in precis-
ion of diction."
81 don't see how he can move the
Masses" remarked.
The New Highlander smiled supe-
rior
"Therein liesth difference between
your people and mine," he said.
"YOu talk about the speaker moving
the masses. / mean that our masses
are intelligent and think for them
selves. They would laughataspeaker
who would address them in the
spread eagle fashion. Now, | have
been trained up under such orators as
Everett, Sumner, Winthrop and
Others of that school, and | must con-
fess that, while l am a Democrat, |
cannot read the speeches of your ia
NOUS Southern orators without
amusement. Your speakers overdo
the thing. They are too horid and
grandiloquent They do not deal in
facts and logic. Now, sir, ospeaker
living can move me-"
"Wait until you hear ToombS," I
broke out.
my dear sir" said my New Eng
land acquaintance, "Ifeel in advance
that he will not please me. [ am so
constituted, | have such a judicial
mind, as it were. that / cannot help
iuding speech simply upon its mer-
its as a logical argument. If it is
only what you Southerners call elo-
quence it has no weight with me-"
"All right" I responded rather
shortly, 81 trust you will not be bored
tonight"
We walked on for some time in 81.
lence. The New Highlander was a
man Of about 40, and his appearance
sustained what he said of himself
He was as stiff as a figure cut out ot
cardboard. His eyes had a cold
fixed stare. His thin lips were curled
in perpetual sheer. He seemed tC
have about as much life as marble
statue.
"What is that noise ?" he asked.
"The crowd shouting for Toombs,
[ answered. "They are getting i'm
patient"
"There is where you differ from u.
again." he said. In my part of thu
country we are not demonstrative
We never lose our heads. 1t is ;
rare thing to hear boisterOus applause
at our public meetings. AS for me,
never applaud"
] was disguised with his icy ego
tiSm and relapsed into silence. Ar
rived at the courthouse we secured
seats in the courthouse. FOrtunatel,
there was plenty of room, as tn
meeting was held out of doors.
gave myself up to the enjoyment o
the occasion, and did not take tn
trouble to look at my companion, VIII
sat a seat or two back of me. Toomb
was at his best. His indictment G
the Republicans and abolitionists wa
terrific. His words seemed to hav
wings Of fame, and went straight t
the mark. Rising higher and highe
with each flight of eloquence, h
looked the very genius of revolution
The speech was literally thunder an
flame.
The wild cheering of the audienc
did not annoy me. 1t was music t
my ears, but toward the close of tn
speech | came to the conclusion ths
there must be a maniac behind me
Such delirious yells | never heard i
my life. Finally shifted my pos
ton and managed to get a look {
Toombs' noisy admirer. Could m
eyes deceive me? Standing on
wooden bench pounding with HI
cane and shouting at the top of h
voice, stood my New England frienC
| stared at him in paralyzed amaz