New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-09-13

whom Atchison had so hastily retreated.
just as the attention of the friends Of Freedom
and Free Speech so suddenly arrested and so deeply
| fixed by the assault on Senator Sumnor-and still
more by the unanimous approval of that assault on
the part Of those who control the expression of pub
| lie opinion at the South-was beginning to be d.
yerted to other matters of deep public interest,
which in these stirring times crowd so rapidly upon
| us-the assassin Brooks and his constituents
again Obtruded themselves on the notice and repro
baton of the public, by ovation given to him at
| Columbia, and his extraordinary speech on that
occasion. This is all very well. The longer and
closer the public attention is kept fixed that i'll
famous outrage and the oftener attention is recalled
to it, the better. The universal and execra-
ton of the civilized world is the best Of pun
| ishing and depressing such crimes.
At the time of the assault it was generally be-
leved at Washington that the outrage had not been
undertaken by Brooks on his own mere motion, but
that it was the result of consultation and con-
spiracy among the South Carolina and some other
slayehOding members, by whom Brooks was
selected and designated for this sneaking and muir
derOus enterprise When it was seen in what light
the affair was regarded by the public an attempt
was made to keep this conspiracy out of sight, aud
to put the assassin forward as the mere private
avenger of his injured uncle; yet in the public
ovation given to Brooks at Columbia, in his speech
on that occasion, and in other circumstances con-
nected with the affair, We find strong reasons for
believing in the fact of the alleged conspiracy.
1t is said that Brooks undertook to avenge his
uncle. But is Butler his uncle Before accepting
that explanation Of BrOokss conduct, we should
like to see some preOf of that fact. In the next
place, if this was BrOOkss private quarrel how hap
pens it that he receives the Columbia demOnstra-
ton, and is everywhere hOnOred and applauded, as
the shareholders championl Any Congressional in
quiry into the subject was resisted by BrOOks's
friends on the ground that the assault was not q
public but private affair fit was private affair,
where is the propriety of all these public demonstra
tons of approval
II is plain from the ovation given to Brooks by
bis Columbia constituents that they consider him
as having acted not in private but in repre-
sentative capacity, and that it representing
them and fulfilling their wishes that he waylaid Mr..
Sumner and prepared to murder him. And the gen.
eral approval of his conduct throughout the State,
and in so many other Southern States, goes to show
that so far from being looked upon as a mere pri-
vate brawler revenging private grievance Brooks
is regarded having acted not merely the repre-
sentative of the Columbia District, but as the
designated champion of the entire save-driving
interest.
1t would seem from a passage in BrOOks's speech
that the conspirators who designated him to act as
the assailant of Senator Sumner had thought of 9
different mode of Operation-the one indicated in
the following passage:
"When he said lately in the House of Representa-
tives that he had it in his power to raise revolution,
il was egOstic boast. He felt that he had done
much any man to concentrate the feeling of the
South and when he spoke of revolution he knew that
had nc stepped forward and snOe OF their Adolf
ton in the House. their enmity to him would
have precipitated them against him. and then his
friends would have covered the floor of the House of
Representatives with human blood"
Such would appear to have been the method of
operation which first suggested itself to the con-
spiratOrs. This, however, was altogether too
dangerous an operation for men of the Brooks
kidney The possible and probable superior per-
sona strength of their opponents, or superior skill
in the use of weapons in the case Of the Burlin
game duel, always enters deeply into the patriotic
calculations Of these gentry, who however anxious
TO serve their constituents, not willing to do it
at any risk to themselves. So, instead Of "cov-
"ering the floor of the House of Representatives
with human blood" shed in general fight on the
floor of the House, it was resolved to cover the
aoor of the Senate Chamber with human blood, by
a cowardly attack upon seated, unarmed man.
and when nobody was by but Douglas and Others
who could be relied upon not to interfere, even 10
nreyent the commission Of murder.
The plan Of commencing revolution by murder
ING one Of the Free.State Representatives on the
ooor of Congress, to be followed up by general
fight. having failed, this South Carolina Catiline
now proposes different method ofprOcedure, though
tending to the same revolutionary result. He
let's it forth in his speech as his deliberate opin-
sion" in case Fremont is successful-and Of that
there is no longer room for doubt" that on the
.4th of March the people should rise in their
Knight, march to Washington, and seize the ar
.chives and treasury Of the Government" precisely
the same thing, by the way which Burr in con-
yersstion with General Eaton once proposed to do,
70 which Eaton replied that Zone single word