The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-28

8sSevA TDs9Aas


30 the last hour Of his life refused 10 disavow
o. excuse the part which he had taken In the
civil war. or TO admit that the status OF his
cause before the bar Of history had been de-
0ided By the arbitrament Of battle. When he
died. In 1885. at the age Of Is. Mr.. Toombs was
Is firmly convinced. - he had been twenty
invs years before. that ths position taken By
most Of the slavs-holdine States In 1850 was
soonstttutionslly sound. and that might not
right. had triumphed In the resultant struggle.
There was something majestic In the old
mans attitude. because Il was obviously
fraught with sincerity. and because Il was ad-
mifably free from any oaptious epreciation Of
his political opponents He was candid and
manly enemy. and his spirit 10 reflected In the
biography By PLHAsANT A SrovAIr. which has
lately been put forth b. the Cassell Publishing
Company. The keynote Of this book 10 struck
IN the words uttered BY Mr.. Toombs I'D the
United States Senate in 1855. which are APP
Dropriately prenxed to the volume before Ms.
"There are." he said. courageous and hon.
est men enough In both sections to light
There IL no question OF courage involved. The
people Of both sections OF this Union have
illustrated their courage on too many bat
tle0elds to be questioned. They have
shown their lighting qualities shoulder to
shoulder whenever their country has called
upon them; but that they may never como In
should be the ardent wish Of every true and
honest patriot" Robert Toombs used to be
REGARDED at the North as . particularly lurid
specimen Of the typical FIRE eater. yet no hon.
est reader OF this temperate and discriminat-
ing biography will doubt that the words Just
quoted expressed the deepest feelings OF his
heart As a lifelong WhiH he could not wish
20 break up tho Union: he could not but abhor
. civil war; but he believed that the slave
- 0AzA- ~ -
Constitution. and when he deemed them i'm
psrilled he appealed reluctantly TO the sword.
Robert Toomhs was Of old English stock.
eransplAnted at an early date to the Old Do
ninion. The FIRST Of the family to come to
America was William Toombs. tho great
grandfather Of the subject OF this biography.
who settled In Virginia about 1880 One Of
Williams sons. Gabriel took part with the
Virginia troops who fought with Braddock at
Fort Duquesne. son Of Gabrers. Major
Robert Toombs, commanded Virginia regi-
mont during the Revolutionary war. and
rendered conspicuous service in Georgia
against the British forces. Major Toombs
came to live in Georgia In 1888. and as his
share Of the award to the soldiers OF the Vir-
ginia line, received rich tract Of three thou
sand acres In Wilkes county. The third wife Of :
Major Toombs was Miss Catharine Huling ofil
Virginia. and Robert Toombs was the nth
child OF tho marriage. He was born In Wilkes
county. about i've miles from Washlngto
July 2. 1870 To those who remem Der his I'm
posing physical manhood 1t will be q surprise
% hear that at school and college he bore the
nickname Of "Bunt" he was not precocious.
physically or mentally. he was always In the
saddle. and perhaps to his incessant horse
back riding was due his ultimate development
OF remarkable physical strength. tits certain
that he was always In good health. He used
medicine until he was "a years old. His pri-
mary instruction was obtained at what was |
known Is an "old field school," Afterward |
he was drilled BY . private tutor. the Rev. |
Alexander Webster. an adjunct professor OF |
tho University OF Georgia. who was also the |
early preceptor OF Alexander q. stephens. |
About the age Of II he entered what was then |
called Franklin College. but is now tho State |
University. at Athens, Ga. forty miles from
Washington. There was no evidence that at |
this institution he was an Industrious scholar. |
he was more noted for outbreaks Of mis- |
chief than for close application. and having on |
ono occasion been discovered playing cards, he |
to anticipate the penalty By obtain
ing an honorable dismissal There Is no req |
ord OF degree being subsequently conferred |
upon him. but he was In process Of time elect
ed trustee Of this university. and his was
long familiar figure on the stage during the |
commencement exercises. It was In Union
College at Schenectady. N. Y. that he finished
his classical course and obtained his A B. de-
gree. Thence he repaired to the University Of
Virginia, where he studied law year. In March.
1890 he was admitted to the Georgia bar. It
Is noteworthy that his license to practise was
signed by William II. Crawford. who was then
Judge Of the Georgia Superior Court. although
in 1923 he had been Secretary Of the Treasury
under John Quincy Adams. and had In 1925 re-
ceived the caucus nomination for President
Crawford. who also was OF Virginan stock. was
q friend and patron Of young Toombs. and the
latter to the end Of his days considered him |
the peer Of Webster and Of Calhoun.
Robert Toombs was married eight months
after his admission to the bar. but this as
sumption Of responsibilities did not immedi-
ately provo . spur to fruitful exertion His
office work was spasmodic. his mode Of plead
Ing In court too headloDg and disconnected to
make marked impression so that for four or
five years he gave but little promise of tho
professional eminence to which he in the end
attained. After 1887. however. when the great
panic which swept over the country caused .
large amount Of litigation. Mr.. Toombs ao-
CURED an immense practice It is said that In
one term OF court IN one county he was
retained in 200 cases. and that his fees reached
5000. an extraordinary amount for the place
and epoch. It was during the six years fol-
lowing tho famine that he made his fortune.
for after 1S43 and until the opening OF tho war
between the States. he was uninterruptedly .
member OF Congress- They who recall his
speeches in court say that instead OF begin
ming with sobriety like Mr.. Stephens, he would
plunge Immediately into fierce and impas-
stoned oratory. and pour forth torrent
Of logic, wit eloquence and satire But
although no may have been q rash
ealker no was safe counsellor and
svinced the incest scruples In the practice of
bis profession. On one occasion he said to q
client who had stated his case to him: Yes.
you can recover in this suit. but you ought not
10 do So This IL . case In which law and JUS
hoe arc on opposite sides" The client told
him he would push the case anyhow. "Then."
replied Mr. Toombs. "you must hire some one
else to assist you in your damned rascality"
At another time . lawyer went tn him and
aak0d what ho Rhould char1a a clisbt in q |