Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-11
LATEST NEWS.
The Brooks and Sumner Case

The Washington Star of Tuesday evening gives
the following full report of tho speech Of Hon. Z.
= Brooks, of 5. C., before Judge Crawford of
Washington.
The evidence being concluded, Mr.. Brooks
rose. and the ihronged count room listened in alb
sorhed silence while he proceeded. in few brief
words, most appropriately expressed, to address
the court n follows:
May il please your Honor: May be permitted
say wordl Judge Crawford / Certainly.
] appear in person before this honorable court
simply to receive its Judgment | would have
preferred that the person upon whom the assault
was committed had been present to answer wheth-
er or not his speech which libeled my State and
my blood, printed before its delivery in the
Senate. feel confident that under oath he could
not have denied this fact which with due defer
ence to your Honor, regard as material to my
defence. insomuch asa libel is contrary to law,
and TO that extent would operate in extenuation
of my offence.
| would like to have inquired of him. in per
son, as TO the degree of his personal injuries, and
in what way he could reconcile that part Of his
statement as to to the words used by mo when the
assault was made. with the sentence which i'm
mediately succeeds this language in his testimo-
ny before the Investigating Committee, and
which is as follows:
while these words were passing from his [myl
lips, he commenced u succession of blows with II
~
/ icuS stunned SO as to lose sight"
1t would have gratfied me had he been com
PEELED TO answer under oath as to the violence of
the tirrt blow which, aver, was but IA tap. and
intended toput him on his guard
But, sir, he Is conveniently and deliberately ab
sent ON travel, notwithstanding but six days ago
| this case was postponed on account of his ex-
treme indisposition and the materiality of his tes
timony; and yet, with all these disadvantages
| prefer to receive the judgmen. of the court than
! to continue in suspense.
1t is not my purpose to adduco any evidence
! in defence.
have already accomps shed more than half of
! the journey of life, and this is the first time that
| it has been my misfortune to be arraigned before
any judicial tribunal as Il breaker of any law of
my country l confess, sir, and without shame.
| that my sensibilites are disturbed by my novel
position and have but to express my profound
regret that in dscharging duty imposed upon
me by my own sense of right and the sentiment
of the gallant people it is my pride and honor to
represent, | am constrained as consequence to
approach you as violator and not as a maker OF
the laws.
Inextenuaton of my offence permit me to say
| that no extraordinary power of invention is re-
quiste to imagine variety of personal grievan .
ces. which the good of society and even public
morality require to be redressed; and yet no ado.
quate legal remedy may be had. So also are
those cnses which may fall under the condemna
ton of the letter of the law and yet like consd-
erations will restrain it's penalties The william
who perverts the best feelings of the better sex
and rewards unsuspectng devotion with ruin may
bid defiance to this honorable court. But where n
sisters dshonor is hotted out with the blood OF
her destroyer, an intelligent and viruous jury,
always has aud always will control the law. and
popular sentiment will applaud what the books
may condemn.
1t is the glory of the law that it is founded in
reason But can that reasoning be Just that is
not regardful of human feeling! Sir, no one
| knows better than yourself that such reproach
does not rest upon our Jurisprudence, for even
the stern letter of the law touches with tender.
| nessthe husband who Stays in the act the usur-
! per of his bed The child who kills in defence
of its parent is excused by the law, which is ever
regardfu of the virtuous impulses of nature.
BY purity of reasoning patriotism is re-
garded by every nation upon earth rs the cardi-
nal political virtue. Sons made TO reward it,,
aud 10 perpetuate the names of those who ara its
exemplars. And can it be expected-wil it be
required-that |, with heart TO feel and an arm
10 strike, shall patiently hear AMI ignobly sub
NIT while my political mother is covered with in.
suit, aud oboquy, and dishonor while her char
acter is slandered, and her reputation libeed
Sir the substance which | have been gather
ing for my children may be squandered, my body
may be consigned 10 the common Jail, my life
| itself may be forfeited, but will be true to the
| instincts of nv nature-true to the home of my
maturity. and to the mother that bore me.
The first political lesson which my ripenng
faculty fully comprehended appreciated was the
| high moral and social obi gat"n of every citizen
TO bow himself to the Majesty of the law. In
obedience 10 the precepts of my youth, which
are sanconedby the experience and judgment
of maiurer years, submit my case to TIE disore-
ton of the court with entire confidence, that
while you sir,as magistrate perform your whole
duty to the country and yourself, you will
remember that in every regulated community,
public opinion distinguishes between crime and
! honorable resentment, and tolerates the refuge
| which men sometimes seek in the magnanimty
of their judges.
Upon the conclusion of Mr.. Brooks remarks
Judge Crawford proceeded to give the following
decision:
.'As this matter will be within short time
the subject of investigation in another place, and
us it is not necessary to the discharge of my duty
that | should remark on the evidence adduced,
which | could not do without touching some
of the points that will probably be raised else
where it appears to me to be proper that the sem
tence of the Court should be pronounced with
out comment. The sentence is that the defen
dant pay fine of $500
Col Fremont Letter Defining his Position.
NEW York, July 9.-The papers here contain
La. tI,..r