Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-08-08
The Constitution against the cudgeI.
SPEEC OF
HON. CHAUNCEY L. KNAPP,
r MASSACHUSETTS,,
In THE HOUSE oB REPRESENTATIVES,,

july u, 1856.
The House having consideration the report of the
select committee on the assault upon HoS. CHARLES
SUMNER by Hon. PRESTON S BROOKS
Mr. Knapp said Il could have wished Mr.
Speaker, that my first utteranees in this Hail.
apart from the routine of ordinary business,
had been upon some more congenial theme
but standing, as l do, in this place, as the rep
resentatiye Of people whose rights and inter
ests are deeply affected by the issues involved
in the resolution before us, l feel no inclina-
ton to shrink from any just responsibility that
attaches to me- participate in the regret
which was expressed the other day by one of
| my colleagues, Mr. Comins, that under the
| operation of the rules of this House, it was
found necessary, or deemed necessary that we
should come to the consideration of this mat
ter with such tardy steps. But this delay, I'M
| pleasant as it has been in view of the magni-
tude of the outrage committed, as L conceive,
upon our common rights, upon the Constitu-
! ton, and upon the sovereignty of Massachu-
| setts is the less to be regretted since, from
| the lapse of time, that aCerbity Of feeling or of
! passion which the character of the offence was
| so well suited to evolve, may in a measure
shave subsidized, and left the House in better
frame of mind to judge dispassionately and
lks
other advantage has been cleaned from this
delay. The responses of the people have been
uttered. Some of us, at least have had an
| opportunity of nlingling with our constituent
cies. have visited my home on the banks of
| the Merrmack. l have met the working men
| of Lowell-have seen the fire in their ewes and
| felt their indignant heart throbs. Yes, sir,
| and the noble women, congregated in such
| numbers in those hives of busy industry. have
| not been backward in manifestations of their
| deep concern. The mechanic in the shop, the
| shoemaker on his bench, the farmer beside
| his plow, the maiden in the mill-in a word,
| the pulpit, the press, the people cry out with
one accord. Forgetful of former partisan
fueds, men Of all parties, animated by feeling
akin to that of the revolutionary epoch, rush
together in masses, veing with each other in
the earnestness Of their protestations.
The knowledge of this outrage, of course,
was immediately transmitted to every extrem-
ity of the land The Legislature of my own
beloved Commonwealth, then in session, had
immediate information Of the facts. In the
| previous discussions upon this question, some
animadversions have been INDUCED in in ref
| erence to what has been represented as hasty
and inconsiderate proceedings on the part OF
the Legislature of my State. This outrage
was perpetrated on the 22d of May Within
twenty four hours the knowledge OF its essen
tial particulars was disseminated throughout
the land. 1t was a matter Of history. twas
as well known to the people of Massachusetts,
as the essential facts connected with the great
event of the battle of Bunker Hill Every
body knew it, and everybody was startled by
| the intelligence. Throughout the free StaIes,
the moral sense of the people received shock,
such as venture to say has never been paral.
leled in the annals of our history. But the
| Legislature of Massachusetts did not proceed
hastily. They delayed their action until they
! had received-I will not say atfidayits, will
not say sworn testimony, but they waited long
| enough to receive the conceded, knowledged
facts of the case, published by those who were
/ supposed to be in the interest OF the accused
and, L may also add, said TO have been pub
lished by his authority. How long, then,
| should Massachusetts have waited under the
! pressure of this great indignity which had
been exhibited towards her sovereignty in
! view OF this transa etion, in which the Sena-
| tor OF her choice, the prida ef tho Gar,a,a.e.,
wealth., nad been stricken down in the place
appointed for the discharge of the high func
tons of his othce--stricken dow II in the dis
charge OF the functions of Senator of the
United States, here in the very temple of our
liberty Massachusetts waited until ten DAYS
had elapsed, and then, in response to what I
may say was the universal sentiment of her
million OF people, she uttered her voice and
that voice has been well and appropriately
embodied in series Of resolutions which have
been transmitted to the Representatives of the
| Commonwealth, under the attestation of bar
proper officers, which have been presented at
| your table, and, by the order of the Honse
have been printed and placed upon your files
here place them OIL the record of this de-
bate:
/ RESOLVED By The Senate and House of Representa-.
t1Ues Of the Commonwealth Of Massachusetts That we
have received, with deep concern, Information of the re-
cent violent assault committed in The Senate CbaIha
at Washington, upon the pereon of the Hon CHAp1Ps
SUMNER, one of Senators in Congress- by Preston
BROOKS member of the House Of Represent lives from
south Carollnaan assault which no proyocaton copId
Jusy-brusl and cowardly in itself-a gross breach -
parliamentary privilege ruthless attack upon the iii
ery OF speeehan outrage of the decenees of civilized
| me- and an indigniy to the Commonwealth of Massa
| chusetts - 'S"
ResOEved, That the Legislature of Massachusetts IN
ne name OF her free and enlightened people, demands
Tor her representatives, in the National Legislature entire
freedom Of speech, and will uphold them in the m
exercise OF that essential right of American citizens
Resolved That we approve of Mr. SUMMERS manliuess
ana courage IN his earnest and fearless declaration of
Tree principles, and his defence Of human rights and free
territory. 'oIN ''' ''eo
ResotUed That the Legislature OF Massachusetts ia
imIeravely called upon by the painest dictates nj %
rom decent regard to the rights her citizens and
pect 9r her character as sovereign State to demand
mand Of the national Congress- prompt and strict in
Vestgaon into the recent assault upon Senator SrxEp
ana the expulsion by the House of Representatives. Of
mr. Brooks Of South Carolina, and any other member
concerned with him in said assault
Resoiued, That His Excelency the Governor he re-
quested TO transmit copy OF the foregoing resolves tn
Ine PRESIDENT Of the Senate and Speaker of the House Of
representatives and to each of the Senators and mem
oers OF the House of Representatives from this Common
wealth IN the CJngress Of the United States.
Mr.. Speaker hazard nothing in saying
that the sentiments of those resolutions are
OUT the echo OF the feelings and sentiments
winch animate the great mass of the people of
the whole Commonwealth irrespective Of bar
" alVlslons. Ay, sir, if the voice of the peo-
pie oil massachusetts in response to this out.
rage, could be embodied and uttered here. il
would be uttered in a manner so potential as
10 be heard in " in every log house beyond
the mountains That voice would be-"re.
tribution /"
Sir, IN the course of this long debate. the
points of constitutional law, and the prece-
dents which lie in the path Of the practice and
usage of legislative bodies. in this and other
countries, have been sufficiently gone over
confess that, in view of the plain provisions
OF the Constitution, under which we are act
ing, and which we have sworn to support. l
nave little patience to travel III that direction.
feel, in view of this aspect of the question.
ike Lord Chatham, who, on an OCCASION not
disslmilar to this, in the British Parliament.
exelaimedi 81 will not come into Parliament.
with authorities turned down in dog ears. i
hold that the power Of self. protection inheres
necessarily in every legislative body; ard
am willing, for one, acting under NV oath
OF oillce, as Representative here, and taking