Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-07-29
The Brooks and BurIingame
Affair.
The Statement of Hon. Lewis d. Camp

tne Cfaeon Oh the Z3d INST, with the note OF
his friend Gen. Lane appended, in which my
name is mentioned, will, 1 hope, excuse me
IN presenting the following statement OF facts
III reference to my connection with the sub
| ject which it discusses:
| On the 2lst inst, about o'clock P. NJ,
meeting the Hon. Mr.. Burlingame on Penn
| sylvania Avenue, he placed in my hand the
| following note, and requested me to act as his
| friend and adviser, first assuring me that he
had decided to accede to the request il con-
tanned:
WASHINGTON, July 81, 1856.
SIR: Will you do me the kindness to indi-
cate some place outside this District, where it
will be convenient to you to negotiate in re-
ference t. the difference between us.
Very respectfully, P. S. Brooks.
To A. Burlingame.
No hostile meeting was proposed by the
note, and l agreed to render the desired SER
vice. Having reason to suspect, from the
circumstances connected with the case. from
! rumors l had heard, and from my knowledge
of schemes that are sometimes resorted to in
regard to such matters in Washington, that
meddllng persons might seek to tarnish Mr..
Burllngame's reputation by an arrest, l adj
vised him to leave the street immediately,
which he did, and to prepare to absent him
self from the District. At o'clock he met
me at a private room, by appointment. The
following reply was prepared, and was in
structed to deliver it to Col. Brooks, in per-
son, as soon as he could be found this being
deemed the proper course, because he had
not named in his note any person authorized
! to receive it.
WASHINGTON, July 81, $50.
SIR: Your note of this date was placed in
my hands by Gen. Lane this afternoon. In
reply, have to say that l will be al the Cliff
ton House, on the Canada side of Niagara
Falls, on Saturday next, at II o'clock NJ, to
negotiate in reference to any differences be-
tween us, which in your Judgment may re-
quire settlement outside of this District.
l have the honor to be, your obedient SER
want, A. BURL1NGAME
To Hon, P. s. Brooks
l took carriage at o'clock, and ought
for Col Brooks, with view to deliver the
reply to him. Failing to find him at his lodg-
ings, looked for him unsuccessfully at the
hotels until ii o'clock, Mr.. Burlingame hav-
ing expressed great anxiety that his note
should be delivered Immediately. l then re-
| paired to the residence of Gen. Lane, and
found him entertaining visitors. AS soon as
his company left, | wrote at his table the fol-
loving note explanatory of my reasons for
delivering to him Mr.. BuIlingame's reply to
|
WASHINGTON, July 2lst S. IL o'clock,
P. M.-My dear Sir,-This evening, about
o'clock, Hon A. Burlingame handed me the
enclosed note to be delivered to Col. Brooks
| Failing to find the Colonel, after calling at
his lodgings twice, deem it proper to place
it in your hands, and to ask that you deliver
| it to him. l would have called on you with
! the reply of Mr.. Burlingame, but for the fact
that your name is not mentioned in the note
Of Col. Brooks.
Very truly yours, etc,
LEWIS D. CAMPBELL.
To Hon. Jos. Lane, Washington.
This note, and Mr.. Burlingames reply,
were delivered, unsealed, to Gen. Lane, who
read them both, at my request. Our inter-
view was brief. He spoke of the point
named, the Clifton House, as inconvenient,
and desired to know in the event of their
going there, what kind of weapons were to
be used
replied to this, that regarded the note of
Mr.. Burlingame as legitimately and fully re-
| sponsive 10 that of Mr.. Brooks. and that de-
| clined any negotiation at that time, having
r~fe-e.>~~ - urnapnIns as premature,
| 1t is due to Gen. Lane to say that lie loo
| to-day informed me that he derived the i'm
preston from my remarks in regard to weap.
ons, etc., that [ was not then authorized to
fix upon terms for a hostile meeting, and that
| he SO informed Col. Brooks. l in formed him
that Mr.. Burlingame, acting under my ad-
vice, could not be seen in the District, but
that could be found at my lodgings, or at
my seat in the House, and would receive and
deliver to him any communication touching
the subject matter of the correspondence.
After few suggestions, in which we mutu-
ally concurred at to the propriety of keeping
the affair from the public, we separated, Gen.
Lane saying, If after an interview with Col.
| Brooks, he (Col. 3D. deemed any communica-
ton necessary in the premises, it would be
handed to me on the next day.
The foregoing statement, as to what &C.
| Cured between Gen. Lane and myself has
been examined by him, and admitted to be
substantially correct.
AT II o'clock l reported the facts to Mr..
Burlingame, and he Immediately left the Dis.
trict in private conveyance, accompanied by
Mr.. James, of Wisconsin.
l was either at my lodgings or at my desk
in the House during the whole of the next
day, the 22d. No Communication from the
parties, verbal or written, was made to me.
and I was surprised, at the dinner table of
the hotel, that day, when l heard friend of
Mr.. Brooks publicly state the contents OF the
correspondence.
On the morning of the following day, the
23d, the Union newspaper contained the pub
lication of Mr.. Brooks, embracing his note,
and the reply, with the statement of Gen.
Lane appended, in which the place of meeting
was declared absurd, and the insinuation
made that his arrest was the result of the con-
duct Of MIR. Burlingame's friends. 1t is not
improper here to say that no information was
given TO me BIZ NJ Brook mr. his friends of
design to pub iSh the correspo dence, nor that
the place deslg atea v as d "A ectionable to him,
except verbally by Gen. Lane in the interview
mentioned, prior to his publication in the
Union.
Up to the present hour have learned moth
ing OF MIR. Brooks or his friends, outside of
newspaper publications, except on the oath
inst, when, on inquiry of Gen. Lane, was
told that Col Brooks would not be at Niagara
Falls to day to meet the appointment suggest
ed by Mr.. Burlingame. therefore took mea-
sures to have Mr. Burlingame return to his
seat in the House. having previously pub
lished in the Union of that day, oath, in his
absence, the following card
"Mr. Burlingame has been absent from the
city since the evening of the 2lst instant. AS
his friend who suggested the propriety of his
absence, ask a suspension Of the judgment
OF the public who may have read Mr.. Brooks's
card and its exhibits appended thereto, pub
lished in the Union of to day. until Mr.. Bur-
lingame returns and has hearing.
LEWIS d. CAMPBELL.
Washington, July %, 1856"
These are the material facts in the case, so
far as they are embraced within my knowledge,
with the interviews, conversations, writings,
aWHa aNn aE4 ka .avfta 4