Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-07-24
The Ru.aered Duel.

We publish, this morning, the correspondence
which passed between Messrs Burlingame and
Brooks, in relation to a hostile encounter, which
was of Mr. Brooks own seeking, and which Mr..
Burlingame, being the challenged party, had a
right to locate in such place he thought proper
1t is another sad chapter in the history of
events, that, commencing with the brutal and
cowardly assault upon Sumner, will not close I'M
til, perhaps, another Massachusetts Representa-
tive has fallen by the budgeon, the bowie knife.
or the bullet of South Carolina rufian.
Mr.. Summers speech could not be answered,
and so, if it were possible, the oligarchy must de-
prive him of the power to make another Mr..
Burlingame's noble vindication of Massachu-
sets, his whitening rebukes of the cowardly as
sailant Of Mr.. Sumner, his truthful exhibition of
the weakness and toryism of South Carolina, in
the Revolutionary struggle could be met only by
bullying, and deadly weapons, and so South Caro-
lima thIusts forward the biggest bully in that State
60 quarrel with Mr.. Burlingame, and afford some
pretext for taking his life 1t is very evident
from perusal of all the correspondence that has
passed between the parties, that Mr.. Burlingame
has not acted the towards part in this matter. -
age, or believed, for a moment, that he would
hesitate to face any danger, in good cause -
but the solicitude of his friends and that of the
friends of Mr. Brooks, to prevent collision, which
might be fatal to both, and was certain to be dis
creditable to Mr.. Burlingame, induced them to
arrange letter of explanation, which was ap-
pended to Mr. Brooks speech, as published in
the Globe.
This letter was not considered by Mr.. Burlin-
game, his friends, even as partial retraction,
but it satisfied Mr.. Brooks, and, because he was
satisfied, portion of the public placed upon it
construction which Mr.. Burlingame says he did
not intend it should have, and so the whole ques"
tion is opened up anew, by withdrawal on his
part, of the letter, thus leaving the whole matter,
as far as it was possible to do it. as it stood WI
he sat down, after that noble speech which thrill
ed with delight the hearts of freemen all over
land, and endeared him to his constituents, and
gave him stronger claim to their affections and
regard.
The matter being thus reopened, Mr.. Brooks
sends his challenge, and Mr.. Burlingame, feeling
that his own honor and the fame Of his State
might be compromised if charge of cowardice
or doubt of his personal courage should be har-
bored against him, named the place and time Of
meeting, beyond the jurisdiction of the United
States, and hastens to fulfil his appointment and
with such secresy and celebrity as to battle all at
tempts to pursue him.
Mr.. Brooks, on the other hand, through per-
sonal friend, declines the meeting, which is of his
own seeking, upon the MOST flirnsy pretence ever
connected, bruats about in Washington the story
of what is going on, and throws himself in
the way of the policemen in order to secure his
personal safety. As the matter now stands, the
Carolinian has still further proved himself to be
an unmitigated coward, and the worst that can be
said Of Mr.. Burlingame is that he erred in judg-
ment in admitting for moment, that the code Of
honor or any other,could or should require Of him
any other reply to the challenge of Brooks, than
that under no circumstances could he descend to
such depth of degradation as TO put his life into
the keeping of man who had proved himself
blackguard, and acted the part of as base an as
sassin as ever stabbed man in the back or in
the dark for the love Of ucre or the desire of re-
venge.