Robert Toombs to Alexander H. Stephens. R.
Washington, D. C, 11 Jany., 1860.
Dear Stephens, I recd. your letters of the 1st, 3d, and 6th and 7th inst. yesterday morning and last night. The freezing up of the Potomac piled up all the mails at Acquia Creek and expect kept mine to you here. Yours of the 7th inst. contained your check, for which I am obliged to you. I must have left my brief in the Swan case at home with the bill of exceptions, as I can find it nowhere; but I do not know that I have anything new in it. The Missouri case I suppose you can find in Savannah.
I should pay no attention to the letter of Judge Warren. You have said your say and ought to let it rest. If you answer all the suggestions of the same nature which will be made before the Charleston convention you will get tired of it. Hunter is hurt in Virginia by Wise tho’ he is very confident of carrying a majority of the delegates. Wise’s friends are willing to support him if he can get the greater outside of Virginia influence, about which there can be no doubt if he has any chance at all. There are very decided indications of the North in favor of Breckinridge. Pennsylvania is certainly for him and so is N. York if she can carry him. His great difficulty is with Douglas. Douglas is very much opposed to him, indeed he told me in private that he was Ms last choice,—but keep this to yourself. I am very sorry for it. I do not see how we can elect a President or even nominate one without Douglas men, and he is not cordial in favour of Hunter; in fact he would go to him with reluctance. I fear Hunter’s want of vim will defeat his nomination. I am quite sure if we could get him up he would make the best race and the best President of any in the lot. But I much fear that he is [too] honest for the tricksters and too modest to make his way even with the better materials. Douglas’s friends and he himself seem more inclined if he can not get it himself to go for you. This may be because you are not in the ring by your own act of exclusion.
I think Mr. Buchanan would like to prevent the nomination of an other in order to make himself necessary. This is impossible. He weakens with the party every day. You can understand how little he knows of the use of patronage when he sends Grund to Havre and Faulkner to Paris. Grund caught a senatorial veto. I suppose they will pass Faulkner.
The weather here has been warm and foggy for the last three days, as disagreeable as possible overhead and underfoot. I intended to speak this week but my throat has been sore and I have had a very bad cold. I think I shall speak early next week. I shall give a very thorough review of the present and urge the union of all sound elements to drive out the Black Republicans next fall as the only mode of giving peace and security to the country.
Julia is well. I saw Ward a few days ago, he has not yet finished your bust, he says it will be ready in a week or two.
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From Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1911.
Robert Augustus Toombs was an American lawyer, planter, and politician from Georgia who became one of the organizers of the Confederacy and served as its first Secretary of State. They are looking ahead to the 1860 general election and the likelihood of a “Black Republican” prevailing.
Alexander H. Stephens would later become Vice President of the Confederated States of America