The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-02-17
BOB TooMBs BOLD SPEECH

S~O0S~NO0
outside the halls of congress all the
more bitter and as most of the his
tories, especially school histories,
have emanated from northern authors,
the onus of the civil war has been
fastened upon the south.
But the ADLER statesmen of the coun-
try and the profoundest expounders
of the constitution, north and south,
conceded the right while denying the
expediency of secession.
The south's attitude and grievances
were perhaps more boldly and clearly
set forth by Mr.. Toombs, of Georgia,
than any other of our representatives
in congress at that time.
The wings were thought to have
been the most conservative forces of
the country. Mr. Henry Clay of Ken
lucky was leader of this party. Mr..
Greeley was attached to it and Mr..
Toombs had been elected to congress
as a wing, so, in the beginning of his
career, at least, he was not fire
eater"
He resigned his seat in the senate
of the United States in January 1861
after delivering his speech against the
"Crittenden compromise" In that
speech he held the north responsible
for the dissolution of the Union and
the civil war.
Mr.. Toombs said that the people of
the south appealed to the constitu-
ton, appealed to justice, until the con-
stitution, the decisions of the courts,
fraternity and justice, were all in
vain: 81 warn you this day." he
said: Touch not Saguntum."
We make the following extract from
his wonderful speech:
Senators, my countrymen have de-
manded no new government; they
have demanded no new constitution.
Look to their records at home and
here from the beginning of this nation
al strife until it's contamination in the
disruption of the empire, and they
have not demanded single thing ex-
cept that you shall abide by the consti-
tuition of the United States; that con-
stitutional rights shall be respected,
and that justice shall be done. Sirs,
they have stood by your constitution;
| they have stood by all it's require
ments; they have performed all it's du-
ties unselfishly, overwhelmingly, disin-
itereStedly, until a party sprang up in
this country which endangered their
social system-a party which they ar
raign, and which they charge before
the American people and all mankind,
with having made proclamation of out
| lawry against four thousand millions
lof their property in the territories of
the United States; with having put
them under the ban of the empire in
all the states in which their institu-
lions exist, outside the protection of
federal laws: with having aided and
abetted instruction from within and
| invasion from without, with the view
of subverting those institutions, and
Idesolating their homes and their fire.
sides. For these causes they have Ia
ken up arms shall proceed to vindi-
cate the justice of their demands, the
patriotism of their conduct | will
show the injustice which they suffer,
and the rightfulness of their resist
ance.
/ have stated that the disconnected
states of this Union have demanded
nothing but clear, distinct, unequivo
cal, well-acknowledge constitutional
rights; rights affirmed by the highest
judicial tribunals of their country
rights older than the constitution
rights which are planted upon the i'm
mutable principles of natural justice
rights which have been affirmed by
the good and the wise of all countries
and of all centuries. We demand nc
Ipower to injure any man. We demand
Ino right to injure our Confederate
Estates. We demand no right to inter
fere with their institutions, either by
word or deed. We have no right tc
disturb their peace, their tranquility
their security. We have demanded Of
them simply, solely-nothing else-tC
give us equality, security and tranquil
lily. Give us these, and peace restores
Itself
Then Mr.. Toombs recited the south'S
five demands which were vouchsafeG
by the constitution and upheld by the
decision of the supreme court of the
United States.
! Speaking of the refusal of the gov
ernros of the non-slaveholding state:
to carry out the compact of the rem
, EDITION of fugitive slaves. Mr.. Toomb:
! said:
There is the bargain;
there is the compact. You have sworI
to it. Both these governors swore tt
: it. The senator from New York swort
: to it. The governor of Ohio swore Il
it when he was inaugurated. You can
mot bind them by oaths. Yet they
talk to us of treason. - 1t il
natural we should want this provision
/ lof the constitution carried out The
! constitution says slaves are property
the supreme court says so: the con
stitution says so. The theft of slaves
is crime; they are a subject matter
/ of felonious asportation. BY the tex
. and letter of the constitution yor
agreed to give them up. You have
sworn to do it, and you have broken
your oaths.