Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-08-18
BOB TooMBs; GRAFTON.


ON New Englander.
Several months before the outbreak of
the war Robert Toombs was booked for
speech in Atlanta. When the night
came for tho speech the streets swarmcd
with people streaming up to the court
house 1t so happened that | fell in
with New Englandcr, who was stop
ping at one of the hotels for day or
two, and rs he expressed n desire to
hear the great Georgian | took him
along with me.
"You never heard Edward Everett,
did youP' inquired my companion, as
we started out
"No," / replied, "but we think very
highly of him down here"
Yes, no doubt, but his style would
not suit your people. He Is always
calm and dignifed, He never rants.
His elocution is simply perfect, and no
living man equals him in precision of
! diction."
II don't see how he can move the
Masses" / remarked.
The New Highlander smiled superior.
Therein lies the difference between
your people and mine" he said. You
talk about speaker moving the
masses. With us the masses move the
speaker. mean that our masses are
Intelligent and think for themselves.
They would laugh at speaker who ad-
dressed them in the spread-eagle fashion.
Now, | have been trained up under
such orators as Everett, Sumner, Win
throp, and others of that school, and |
must confess that while am a demo-
crat | can not read the speeches of your
famous southern orators without
amusement Your speakers overdo the
thing. They are too tlorid and grandil-
oqucnt. They do not deal in facts and
logic. Now, sir, no speaker living can
move me-
wait until you hear Toombs," 1
broke out.
"My dear sir" said my New England
acquaintance, 81 feel in advance that
he will not please me. | am so consti-
mted; | have such q judicial mind, as it
were, that | can not help judging u
speech simply upon its merits as logi-
cal argument, If it is only what you
southerners call cloquencc it has no
weight with me-
"All right" | responded rather short
ly; Il trust you will not be bored to-
night"
We walked on for some time in
silence. The New Highlander was a
man of about 45, and his appearance
sustained what he had said of himself.
He was rs stiff as figure cut out of
cardboard. HIS eyes had cold fixed |
stare His thin lips were curlcd in a
perpetual snccr lie seemed to have
about rs much life us Il marble statue.
"What is that noisc?' he asked.
the crowd shouting for Ioombs," I
answered. "Ihcy are impatient"
There is where you differ from us
again. he said. "ln my part of the
country we are not dcmonstrativr. We
never lose our heads. 1t is rat thing
to hear boiStcrouS applause ut Our lub-
lie meetings. As for me, | never APP
paud'
| was disguotcd with this icy cgotism,
and rclapscd into silence. Arriving at
the courthouse we secured seats in the
crowd. Fortunatc Y there WAS plenty OF
room, rs the meeting was held out
doors. gave myself up 10 the enjoy
mCnt of the occasion, and did not even
take TIE trouble to look at my compan-
ion, who sat Il seat or two back of me.
Toombs was ut his best. His indictment
of the republicans and aboitonsts was
terrific. His words seemed to have
wings of flames, and went straight to
the mark. Rising higher and higher
with each flight OF cloqucnce he looked
the very genius OF revolution. The
speech WAS literally thunder and flame.
"Thc wild cheering of the audience
did not annoy me. Ii was music to my
ears, but toward the close Of the speech
came to the conclusion that there must
be maniac Just behind me. Such de.
lirious yclls never heard in NY life.
Finally | shifted my position and
managed to get a look III Toomb's noisy
Admirer Could | believe my cycS'
Standing on II wooden bench, pounlip'
with his cane, and shouting at the top
of his voice stood my New England
friend.
stared at him in paruly&nl amaze
ment. This was the man who couldn't
be moved. didn't care for cloGuancc,
who never applauded Knowing what
/ did, the spectacle was ludicrous. In
his excitement the poor fellow had
broken his cyegaSs. His glossy beaver
was the worse for III part it had taken
in the applause. The mans face was
red with excitement, and his eyes fairly
danced. Just then the meeting broke
up, and driitcd off in the crowd.
But saw my man again that night.
There was n torchlight procession down
town, and in the very front rank rushed
II barcheaded man, waving high his
pitch-pine torch and roaring at every
step, "Rah for Bob Toombs" 1t was
the cold, mdymonstralivr gentleman
from New England,
The next morning | called ut the
hotel where the stranger stopped and
inquired after him.
asleep" said the clerk. You see
he got plumb full of Toombs' speech,
and then fooled around with that torch
light procession he Singcd all his
hair oil, and got all m~Sscd up with hot
pitch until he was sight 10 see. Then
he set 'em up for the boys, and reckon
he'll want some seltzcr when he
wakes
] left and never saw the man again
But always wanted TO get II chance to
ask him what he thnupht nf Toomhs' |