The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-24
The Aroeks and But7angamo A2Air-Daxbax-
ism NJ Waahangton.


as the public were aware yesterday having fixed
the place Of meeting to be the Canadian side Of
the Falls Of Niagara, left for the North, arrived
here, and was stopped en- route by the letter from
Mr.. Brooks, which he read in the HERALD Of
yesterday morning On perusal of this document,
Mr.. Burlingame and his friend instantly retraced
their steps, and took the afternoon train for Wash
ington. II appears that the selection of Niagara
as place of meeting was an error due to the in
experience of Mr.. Burlngame, who, we have no
doubt will be prepared to meet Mr.. Brooks when
ever and wherever he chooses, and the law allows
The latter has been arrested and held to bail the
former win probably be arrested on arrival They
have the choice therefore, of waiting till their re
cognizances expire or voluntarily FORGETTING them
The former course would probably allow their
heated blood to ceol but in the excited state of
the public mind, a few thousand dollars will not
be allowed to stand in the way Of the qualification
of their resentment, and it is quite possible that
ere day or two has elapsed we may hear of a
fatal duel between them.
Such is the state of things at Washington
One cannot think of it for moment with
out inquiring in terror where are we tending?
What is to become Of us? Is the duel here
after to become the cornerstone institution of re-
publican America? Can we no longer discuss
politics without billingsgate and pistols?
There must be something very singular in the
atmosphere Of Washington. Here we find man
was distinguished before he went to the capital
for the gentleness of his manners, the refinement
Of his feelings, the decorum of his language, es
sentally gentleman and a man of fine mind
well, he no sooner finds himself in the Senate
than he begins to belabor his fellowcitizens and
their States and ends by discharging at their
heads philippe which is, perhaps, unrivalled
as model Of vituperative eloquence. How was
he transformed? This was the same Sumner,
who was so gentle SO mild spoken, so amiable;
how came he to acquire the ferocity which his
speech reveals? What made him sink the gen.
tleman to assume the garb Of the browbeating pet
tifoggers
Again, there is Mr.. Brooks. According to all
accounts Mr.. Brooks was gentleman of kind,
conciliatory manners; opposed to violence and
fighting; as pleasant and genial a man on his
plantation as one might wish to meet or
dine with. Yet he no sooner resides for a short
while in Washington than he becomes
a perfect bully and ruffan. He attacks United
States Senator as q Five Points bully might fall
upon a fellow blackguard; beats him as no
Southern gentleman would venture to beat his
own niger. Nor is this all When the whole
country-except the crazy Southern editors-is
up in arms against the outrage, Brooks does not
Try to excuse himself or to account for what he
did by saying that the brutal act was done in a
fit Of passion. On the contrary he justifes, glo-
ries, boasts Of it. He tells the Senate and a
court of justice that he would do it again. Nor
does he even stop here. He insists on every one
else doing the same and praising him, or at least
holding their peace. When a man-as who
would not, being in his right mind!-says the
act was brutal, cowardly and dastardly Brooks
claims the right of calling him to account and
shooting him, by way of proving that he is not
brutal, cowardly or dastardly. He does this not
in one instance, but in several. He announces
with grand flourish, that he intends to "cutn
every member Of Congress who does not think
the telling and stunning Of Senator landable
act ard winds up his performance with the I'M
speakably foolish declaration that he holds revo-
luton ia his hand, but that out Of pure kind
ness and benevolence ne will spare the Union for
O while!
The picture might be enlarged. We are
credbly informed that all the Northern mem
bers Of Congress, and many Of the Southern, are
crazy for hghting-that they are all jealous OF
Burlingame for having had the good luck to
fall a prey to the dcvouring Brooks-while
Keitt, on bis side is dying Of spite because he
allowed Brooks TO beat Sumner and reap all the
glory of the act, when he might have done il
himself. We hear that no man walks the street
without a revolver-that no man makes a
speech without making will-that Northerrals
and Southerners cannot meet without scowling
upon each other-that daily street fights are
anticipated.
Now is this the net result Of republicanism in
the capital Of the United States? Has il come
to this after eighty years Of struggles and patient
progresss Are we actually going backward over
the road, declining not advancing in the scale
Of civilization? II looks very like it. Why
itutlA pbhk.Cc. orroIldtlIu WIN
oficeholdeis and persons doing business with de-
partments Of the federal government, should
naturally tend to dcprave the mind and degrade
the manners, one cannot easily discover; but
such undoubtedly is the case. Men worthy Of
esteem so long as they reside in the States, be-
come worthy Of contempt only when they settle
in the District of Columbia. The air Of Washing
ton transforms them; like the entertainments OF
Gree. il turns them from men into swine
Whether Any Ulysses is to break the charm
heaven only knows; but il i certain that if It IL
not broken, the whole federal government, and
Congress Itself, will soon fall into general and
well merited contempt
CUErors NNow NOTHING MovExESTs.-The
following IN the latest pronunciamento Of Com