Rome [ga.], 13th Nov., 1846.
Dear Cobb, Your
letter of the 10th inst. was received by last night's mail. I agree with you
that the Southern democracy have not redeemed their pledges to their Northern
allies; that while we have contended for and obtained the whole of Texas, we have
sacrificed and given up one half of our claim to Oregon — and this of itself is
enough to account for the defeats that our friends have met with in Pa., N. Y.,
and other Northern and Northwestern States. But is this the cause of our
disasters? I think not entirely. Indeed I incline to the opinion that our
Northern allies are not prepared to support some of the cardinal measures of
the Democratic party. With the Southern' portion of our party a tariff for
revenue only is a cardinal principle, and we cannot consent to compromise this
principle, even for success itself. But in Pennsylvania and in New York and
some other states North and East this doctrine is repudiated by those who claim
to be associated with us in principles. I need not inform you that such Democrats
received no encouragement or countenance in the legislation of the last session
of Congress. I am not surprised therefore that these men have been repudiated
at home. In fact I rejoice that Whigs have superseded such Democrats as Dr.
Leib, Yost, Black etc. etc., and for my part I had rather be in the minority
than to be in the majority controlled by such men. The bill making
appropriations for rivers and harbours caused a similar division among our own
friends in different sections of the Union, and has likely contributed in some
degree to these disastrous results. But shall we give up our opposition to
protective tariff and to these extravagant appropriations on this account? By
no means. Let us commence the contest anew and have nothing to do with any man
or set of men who combine for our destruction; and if we have not the power to
accomplish positive good, we may have power to prevent harm and prevent our
destruction. Some of our warm and influential Democrats in this section of the
State are disposed to censure the President and his Cabinet and attribute these
results to the want of management in our Executive. I disagree with all such. I
do not believe that Genl. Washington, or Genl. Jackson in his prime, could have
directed the ship of state with more ability. Indeed, no man living or dead
could have produced harmony and ensured success with such conflicting and
discordant materials. I am amazed when I see what was accomplished at the last
session, and can never censure the President for any of these disastrous
results. I differ with the President in one point only, and that is purely a
question of policies, and that is in regard to appointing men to office who do
not agree with him in principle. I do not mean such as are politically opposed
to him alone, but such as do not sustain the great, leading measures of his
administration that are nominally identified with the Democratic party. More of
this when we meet. I shall be with you in Augusta on the first. Mrs. L. unites
with me in regards to Mrs. Cobb.
_______________
*A leading Democrat of northwestern Georgia, Member of Congress,
1843-1849 and 1855-1857; judge of the superior court of Georgia (Cherokee
circuit), 1849-1850; a close friend and voluminous correspondent of Howell
Cobb.
SOURCE: Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Editor, The Annual
Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1911, Volume 2: The
Correspondence of Robert Toombs, Alexander H. Stephens, and Howell Cobb, p.
86-7
