The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1903-01-01
Letters to the Editor.
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Davis, Toomhs and YanceH.

Davis, Toomps ana 4ancey'
Editor The Advertiser.
Your uniform generosity in the publ
cation Of views not wholly concurrent
with your own utterance. leaves me free
to remark briefly upon line in your edi-
tortal notice of the recent address or
Charles Francis Ada ms of Massachusetts
at the New England Society celebration
at Charleston, 8. c. The sentiments of
Mr. Adams are remarkable evidence that
a reaction against palpably false history,
in regard to the Southern movement IN
1860, has set In. Mr.. Adams is more than
a match to Mr.. Roosevelt as writer
of history and we may expect something
more Of justice In future than we have
received in the past from Northern pub
fishers. when a man of his claims upon
public confidence calls for recognition by
publishers.
You say in your timely article on Mr.,
Adams: What Mr.. Adams thus con-
cedes Is no more and no less than Da-
Wis. Toomhs and Yancey upheld in re-
gard to the policy and right of State Sc
cession. That Is quite true. ! only make
the point that there was a wide difference
between the conduct of opinions OF Da-
Wis, Toombs and Yancey in the era OF
the maturing right and policy of seces-
sion.
The question Of State secession first
arc Sc in the South in lS50-5l. At that
time South Carolina. Georgia and Mis-
sissippi were the only States that serious
ry S. Foote was then the anti-secession
candidate Tor Governor of Mississippi ano
Gov. John A. Quitman the secession can
didate. Quitman withdrew about forty
days before the election and Senator JET
ferson Davis promptly resigned his seat.
hastily took the stump and came within
about l,OOO votes of an election as Cover
nor. But Davis disavowed secession in
all his campaign speeches. Foote dld the
same, of course. The difference between
Davis and Foote was that the former held
to the abstract right of secession when
ever the poncy indicated the necessary
exercise OF the right, while Foote's con-
tenuon fas for "'liberty ana union now
and forever one and inseparable." The
most ordinary reading of the three vol
umes of history OF himself, written by
Mr.. Davis, and the two volumes along
the same line written by his wife viii
show that he was never In sympathy
with the policy of secession. Mr.. Adams
contends for the policy as matter or
course.
AS TO Toombs, he bitterly fought the
was founder of the short lived Nnion
Party" organized by friends OF the Clay
compromise - that time. Mr.. billiard Of
was also among the found
srS Ioombs never diS sdwS S ,e se 1Sh
Brown raid was seen TO be In ract
enterprise. He gave great force
to the cause of ultimate secession put
he came to It's support late.
There was a resolute enoTt MADE by
Yancey, John Cochran, bullock, Alex
White, Judge Rice, {. c. Pegues, Judge
Mays and others to have secession con-
vention called in Alabama in lSoO-0l, but
il failed utterly. Only two counties held
meetings In view OF this movement, Mont
Eomery and MarCnEo. William X. King
wrote a letter to the Montgomery County
meeting opposing a secession convention
and the meeting did nothing. In Ma
-engo Brooks and Henley managed to
pass resolutions to await Developments
Yancey did succeed in changing the