a high pedestal of the same material in the
corner, attracting particular attention, and a pleasant fire in the open
grate making the December evening social. A step presently heard in the
hall, elastic, buoyant, and vigorous, was altogether too characteristic
of Mr. Toombs's portly, muscular, confident, and somewhat dashing
figure, to be mistaken for any other than his own. Mr. Toombs appeared
to be now about forty-five years of age, but carried in his whole mien
the elastic vigor, and irresistible self-reliance, frankness, decision,
and sociality of character, which mark his oratory and his public
career. His good-evening, and inquiry concerning the college named on
the card of the writer, were in a tone that at once placed his visitor
at ease.

"Your first visit to Washington, Mr. ----?"

"Yes, Sir. Like others, I have been attracted by the political crisis,
and the purpose of studying it from unprejudiced sources."

"Crisis? Oh, _that's past_."

The writer will not soon forget the tone of perfect confidence and
_nonchalance_ with which this was uttered. The time was the last week of
December, 1860.

"You are confident, then, Sir, that fifteen States will secede?"

"Secede? Certainly,--they _must_ secede. You Northerners,--you are from
a Northern college, I believe,"--referring to the writer's card,--"you
Northerners wish to make a new Constitution, or rather to give such an
interpretation to the old one as to make it virtually a new document.
How can society be kept together, if men will not keep their compacts?
Our fathers provided, in adopting their Constitution, for the protection
of their property. But here are four billions of the property of the
South which you propose to outlaw from the common Territories. You say
to us, by your elected President, by your House of Representatives, by
your Senate, by your Supreme Court, in short, by every means through
which one party can speak to another, that these four billions of
property, representing the toil of the head and hand of the South for
the last two hundred years, shall not be respected in the Territories as
your property is respected there. And this property, too, is property
which you tax and which you allow to be represented; but yet you will
not protect it. How can we remain? We should be happy to remain, if you
would treat us as equals; but you tax us, and will not protect us.
We will resist. D--n it,"--this and other striking expressions are
precis