The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-05
TOOMBS AND STEPHENS.
How the Latter Was In9ueneed b
tho Former for Seeessioa.

| tho Former for Secession.
An interesting soutberner who hsi
been spending some weeks In Wash
ipgton says the Washington Star, ant
reviewing many old ocpuaintances l.
Judge ]. J. Martin OF East Point, Ga.
who was sixth auditor OF the Treasury
during six years of President Grant,
admiration from 1859 and relinquished
that position to become postmaster o.
Montgomery. Judge Martin was born
| In South .Ceroliua, Oeing o member oi
the family Of that name, aud Is one o.
the republican party In the south. He
was q member Of the famous Palmetto
regiment In the Mexican var, which
went In LOO strong, and after lighting
its way over The walls Of the City ol
Mexico entered the captured capital
under command Of sergeant, all the
commissioned officers having been
killed or wounded. As q survivor oi
that valiant band he IL an heir pos'i'
BILE to historic relic. When Andrew
Jackson died he willed to South Caro-
lima a silver urn which had been pre-
sented 10 him by the ladies Of that
State in honor Of his victory Rt New
Orleans, providing that it should be
given to the bravest South Carolina
soldier developed by the next foreign
war. No one could choose between
the 800 survivors Of the Palmetto regi-
men, who returned from Mexico, and
u choice being impossible the legisls-
ture provided that the urn should De
given to the last survivor. About Q
score of the veterans remain, and
should Judge Martin outlive them he
will receive the treasure. He Ii man
of most interesting personality and has
a rare fund Of "reminiscences OF the
public men who made the south fam
GUS.
REASON GEORGIA SEEDED.
Judge Martin was present iD MI =
ledgeville when the question Of the se-
cession Of Georgia was about to be con-
sidered by the convention.
"The poten tial influence which Rob
ert Toombs exerted over Alexander h.
stephens was the main reason which
] led Georgia's withdrawing from the
Union" sEid Judge Martin to the Star
Reporter. "Stephens up to the eve
of the convention was In line with
Herschel v. johnson and other wise
Georgians against secession: South
Carolina on one side aud Alabama on
| the other had seeded, but Georgia
would have withstoOd the storm bad
, it not been for TOOmbs.
The Light before the convention
Stephens, johnson, Ben Hill and sew.
erai others we're conferring in caucus
behind locked doors In Milledgeville
hotel, when Toombs knocked ut the
door. There was no answer. Again
/ Toonbs knocked, and again none AL
swered. The third time he raped,
saving sharply, is Mr. Stephens
there" The majority Of the group
argued and pleaded against secessiou,
but Toou,bs VAS ininlOvable,
"Do Ms you please IN the convention
tomorrow, be said warningly, but
tell you IL Georgia does not secedr revo'
luton will begin right here at Mill
ledgevill-.' Arterward Toombs im-
pressed most of the other with his own
views about the attitude Of the north.
He believed-indeed. was convinced
that the north would not go to wal
to keen the south in the Union. Ter
! rjble events were needed to wake him
up to proper realization of his error
but he was awaken at last"
Judge Martin believes that the SUB
stautiul department Of the south no"
increa .ing with such prosperous strides
will eventually lead To the reclamation
of his section Ia political sense.
"independence In worldly affairs. y
/ he remarked, "is sure to beget Jude,
p.ndrnce in thought aud action, and
to inspire men to throw Oft the tram
mels nf caste or prejudice that environ
ed them when they were more or les,
dependrnt. Business interests will
have more attention paid to them In
the future political south than mere
party polemics or played out pIeced'
ents. II will need time of course. tn
bring about the changes | speak of,
, but they are, In my opinion, inevita
hIa ,,