Year: 1879

few days ago Bob Toombs had an oppor-
tunity of re-echoing the old Rebel yell, and of
course embraced it. In response to an invita-
tion to congratulate Grant on his safe return
to America, he sent dispatch announcing
that he was ready for a renewal of hostilities,
and closed with Death to the Union h.
Toombs" Toombs reminds one of a school
boy, who, after he has been thrashed almost
blind by another, busters round the play


ground, talks of another fight and expresses


the wish that his enemy was dead. 1t was
just such bloody minded, cold hearted men as
Toombs who led the southern people into a
rebellion that they wished themselves well out
OF before it was over, and longed for the end
to come 1t was such men Toombs who
countenanced the atrocities of Andersonville,
the poisoning of springs in Virginia and the
sending of infected cotton bales to New 1ork


Neither brave in war nor honorable i'll peace,
Toombs was a man who did not know how to
lead battle or cover a retreat. There were
men fighting on the eide of rebellion during
the war, who conscentiously felt that they
had the same good reasons for so doing that
their forefathers had in the Revolution. They
fought courageousy, without bluster, and


when defeated laid down their arms, took
Grants advice in regard to Spring ploughing,


went AT once to their homes and there endeav


ored by following the pursuits of peace, to re-


trieve the shattered fortunes of war. Slavery
became a thing of the past, and men who had


lived in idleness and sloth began for the first
time in their lives to work for their daily
bread A new energy was infused into the
people of the South, and season of industry
and prosperity followed. To-day they are bet
ter Off than ever before, 80 far as the prosper
ity of the masses is concerned. Here and
there is heard the voice of the once opulent
slave owner, bemoaning the fact that he has
no vassals to lash along the cotton
rows, or chase through the swamps with blood


hounds He sits in front of his dilapidated
mansion and curses the Yankees because su-
gar, corn and cotton will not grow on his es
tate, without the stimulus of manual eadeavor
on his part. Such men want plenty without la
Dor, and will walk to the verge of starvation
before they will exercise either their brains or
their hands. These are the men who will ap-
plaud the rowdy sentiment of Bob
Toombs, and long for the time when
they can beat their rusty sickles into
swords and their useless pruning hooks
into spears. They would rather hear the
crash of battle, at reasonable distance, than
listen to the hum of the reaper. They would
rather see stands of arms stacked upon the
plain than ripe sheaves of wheat. They would
infinitely prefer ruined North to prosperous
South. They would rather be idle vagabonds
and proving csmp.iollowers than industrious
farmers or busy mechanics. Such men, how
ever, are not SO numerous in the South as
they were. The sentiments of disloyalty which |
Toombs utters whenever the opportunity pre-
sents ITSELF only excite smile, and through |
the tolerance of the Government, whose over |
throw he has been permitted to fight for, he |
has received full forgiveness for his work of |
treason. In some countries he would not
have gone so far, and Jared worse.