was probably cherishing in his heart a vague
hope that one day he might be called to the presidency of a common
country.

Senator Toombs was very active in attending to his public duties. He was
interested in every species of legislation. His remarks upon the
different matters of national business exhibited versatility, study, and
interest in everything that affected the public welfare. Those who
believe him to have been a conspirator, using his high position to
overthrow the government, have only to look over the debates in Congress
to see how active and conscientious were his efforts to promote every
real interest of the Union.

In the United States Senate, on July 31, 1854, Mr. Toombs gave an
elaborate exposition of his views upon the policy of internal
improvements. He said he had maintained opposition to this system as a
fundamental principle. Since he entered public life, he had sustained
President Polk's veto of the River and Harbor bill in 1847. He believed
that Congress had no constitutional power to begin or carry on a general
system of internal improvements. He wanted to know where this power of
the Constitution could be found. Madison and Jefferson had opposed this
system. Monroe, Jackson, and Clay had yielded to the popular pressure
and sanctioned it. "Instead of leaving the taxes or the money in the
pockets of the people," he said, "you have spent nine months in
endeavoring to squander and arranging to have more to squander in the
next Congress. I should like to use a polite term," said he, "for I am a
good-natured man, but I think it is corruption.

"In this bill you offer me seventy thousand dollars for the Savannah
river. Ships were sunk in that river for the common defense of the
country during the Revolutionary War. You are bound to abate your
nuisance at common law. You might offer me this Capitol full of gold,
and I would scorn the gift just less than the giver. You ought to have
removed these obstructions long ago. When we come and ask of you this
act of justice, you tell me to go with you into your internal
improvement bill and take pot-luck with you."

Mr. Toombs claimed that the power given to Congress to regulate
commerce, simply meant to prescribe the rules by which commerce could be
carried on, and nothing else. "The people of Maryland," he said, "had
never asked that the harbor of Baltimore should be cleaned at the
expense of the people of Georgia. They did not ask that other people
sh