The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-03-06

ncmbeis of that high body" That speech
contained 4 gross and unprovoked libel upon
the State OF South Carolina, and the cl,ar-
actcr of our bciovee! and distinguished Sen
ator, Judge Butler, who WAS then absent
Ibis Mr.. Sumner, So far aS have been able
to learn, ncophyte in politics-a narrow
minded higot III sentiment, without one i'm
pulse Of Il gentleman, or the first quality of
Il statesman; and in addition to all that, the
greatest blackguard in America, had the i'm
pn"cn,e to say in the Senate of the United
states that the Constitution of South Caro-
lima sis Republican only in nanlr," and that
her "Shamr'tul inl"ci1v from Slavery was
confessed throughout the Rcvolutun." He
not only said this of Dur State, but he in
'!nlral III the most vulgar abuse of one of
her Senators, citizen Of thi, Congress sioual
District, an,l whose nanlc here at home is
synonymous with high ton"-hiyh spi,i,
and high honor AppIauSe.l Soon after
tins extraordinary speech Was ,lrlivrrcd-
wl!il.' the news Of the rhetorical DISPLAY
WAS trembling upon the lightning line to
every part Of the country, our immediate
representative, Hon. y. s. Brooks, who rep.
r''s"n's the District Of sold Ninc,v.Sx,"
took the responsibility Of rescutimu the out
rage upon t!:e spot where it w;> uven, and
Inflicted corp"rcal and dsrracc!ul punish
m"nt upon the said Sunncr, whilst the cal
nnna!"r WAS i'll the very act Of rrankinr
his own saunders to poison public opinion.
'llim there they founI
Squat like a toad close ut the ear of Eve
A>~aving by his rvi>!, art tn reach
Til" "r-.auS Of her I.rncv and with them fpr,c
Illusions rs he lit, phani:>,ns and dreams
Him thus intent. Ithuricl with his spear,
Touched lightly
TIP he start,
Discovered and surprised"
Fc!low-ciiizcnS, i! is not always nor indeed
generally in Sucll matters cxcl,sabIc to resort
t" vi"Irncc-t!at should be avoided, if DOS
sib!e, especially i'll the Halls of Leg gislation,
but st is not TO be denied that in certain ca
Scs there is virtue in the cane. akin 10
that which tempered the spear OF the guar
dian angel, lthuricl, and gave it the mirracu-
lons power TO uncover hypocricy, detect
taischo"!, and punish crime [Appause.1 I
Such i'll our judgment was the case Of Mr.
Sumner, whom neither high position nor any
sense OF drccncy, truth, Or propricty could
restrain from the Inference OF barcEaccd
tal<chnols and the indulgence Of q, mean
"n1 cowardIy maligni!y. 1t is a high and
solemn duty which every member Of de-
liberate assembly owes to himself and his
position, which duty is only the more in
cnmbent upon him because Of the privilege
OF his placc--to use gentlcmanly language
in debate, and to scrupulously forbear from
giving personal insult. The Duke of Wei
limg;on expressed the idea when, in his cor
rc>p"ndencc with the Earl Of Wincelsca, lie
sail, No man has Il right hy speech or in
writing to insult another by atiriLutinn to
him motives Of lis conduct which will dis
grace or crininate him. If gentleman.
commits such an act indiscrce,lv in the heat
"t '!"hHtc or IL n moment Of party violence.
he is always ready TO make rcparaton to him
whom he may thus have injured None
but the meauest Of mankind could avail him
self of the high and sheltered position of A
Senator from which to utter cruel and wicked
ISLANDERS, and then refuse under the pretext
Of Parliamentary privilege, to give to the
injured party redress, Parliamentaryspriv-
il"ge! 1t is the privilege which the calum-
niator desires to publish sander with impu-
nifty. Liberty Of speech indeed! 1t is The
Liberty Of the assassin who stals from un-
der cover, and then with "a holy horror of
violence, claims immunity from Just punish
lnent.
The absolute necessity Of invoking the
virtues OF the cane in this case, was created
toy The cnornity Of the oifnce-thc hiuh
place i'll which it was given, and the utter
impos>ibilty Of obtaining legal redress pro-
poriionate to tho, wrong. It was one of
those offences which the law does not reach.
or, II 1t did, could not atone for in the cold
ana dilatory forms Of Courts. The summary
punishment inflicted by our Representative
was well deserved and it was well eiven.-
[AppIause.
The caStiGation which our immcdiative
Representative inflicted upon the offender,
although wcl-merited, WAS, nevertheless, q
technical breach of the law. However great
the prov"cation, or strong the circumstances
OF mitigation, yet words do not justify an
assault. With the characteristic prudence
OF the sandcrcr, Mr.. Sumner, got the law
upon his side, and though pilIoried himself
in eternal infamy,
a fixed figure for the hand of seorn
10 point his slow unswerving finger at
yet, assuming the position of injured limo.
tence aud Indignant virtue, our immediate
Representative was indicted for this act and
arraigncd at the bar Of justice AS for high
/ crimes aud inisdemeanors. Being law
: abiding man. and representing law
abiding constituency, He submitted himself
properly and gracefully to the Judgment Of
the law. Obedience to Lawful! authority is
striking characteristic of Southern socie.
ty. and we, therefore, honor our representa-
tive for his course in this particular. We
felt that he represented us correctly when
failing TO find Mr.. Sumner elsewhere, he
walked into. o.thc Senate House, and anina.
ted by the exact sentiment of his seohstitu.
ency, made the traduosr of his State and
blood lick the dust Of the Cl,amber which
he had desecratcd; but we felt even more
pr@td of him, when he stood up in the Hall
OF Justice and said, "TlIe first political les
Son which my ripening faculties fully com
pretended and appreciated, was the high
moral and social obligation Of every citizen
to bend himself 70 the majesty Of tbe'law
| In obedience tn 'fIIa' fif6tnnta of ,ny ,,o,;E