The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-02-05
COMMUNICATED.
TRIBUTE OF RESPECT.

a tribute OF respect to the memory Of the lion.
PREsroN S. BnooKs, our immediate Representa-
tive in Congress, the intelligence of whose deatl,
had few days before reached US
On motion Of JOHN II. WILSON, Esq.,, Mr..
Tnos Thomson took the Chair, and ]. WAnpLAw
PERRIN acted as Secretary.
Mr. THOMSON, in few feeling and appropri-
ate remarks, announced the death of Mr. BRooKs,
and stated that the meeting had assembled TO
pay tribute Of respect to his memory
Dir. WILSON proposed the following Preamble
aud Resolutions:
Our immediate Representative in Congress,
the Hon. Preston S. Brooks is no moro. lie
died suddenly at Washington Oh Tuesday cve-
ming the 9th ultimo. 1t has pleased God, in his
mysterious providence to cut off from among us,
in the prime of manhood and in the midst of his
usefulness, our honorcd and beloved Representa-
tive. faithful sentinel OIL the watch tower.
he has fallen nt his post with his armour on, noLIy
doing buttle in our cause, and in the cause of the
South. Therefore he it
RrsoireA, That we deeply lament the sudden
and untmely dentf, of our beloved and Ionorcd
Representative i'll Congress. the Hon. PRESTON $.
BRooKs.
Rcsoirc,l, That in his death. South Coro,ino
has lost loyal, devoted and chivalrous son the
South IN able and fearless chu,npion nnd his
constituents an honest, bold, and faithful Repre-
sentative.
Resolved, That whilst we mourn his death, we
VIII ever cherish his memory, and honor his
nnne for his devotion tO our cause his int epri,y
his fidelity and his patriotism; and especially will
we ever hold Inn in lively remembrance for the
perils he SO gnllnutly encountered in our service
both against the enemies of our country, and the
enemies Of our institutions.
P-erJr,,} l,,t
to obtrude upon the snnctity of domestic sorrow.
we most cordially tender our syInputhies and
coincidence t" his bcreaved and afflicted family
in their grief for the rreparable loss they have
sust aimed.
Rcsoirrel That these proceedings he published
in all the papers of the Congressional District
and that manuscript copy be forwa arded by tho
Secretary to the family of tho deceased.
Mr.. MEG owAN rose and said, in substance, MS
follows:
second the resolutions, and in doing so, beg
melancholy event.
Mr.. Chairman: There is nothing more true
than the solemn declaration that in the midst of
life we are in death" But whilst we know that
death is daily sezing its victims in our midst. and
that wclive hourly under the incxoruble law that
all men are born to die, yet we are stnrtled, the
blood runs back with n sudden rush upon the
heart, when one young in years and in b.ooning
health-when one possessing the conf dencc of
his fellow citizens and ACTUALLY in ilc enjoyment
of high seat of honor, is suddenly cut dow,
without warning or premonition, and far uvvav
from family und home friends, is precipitatclv
hurried to the tomb. In this world Of sorrow, it
is difficult to conceive anything more sorrowful
than this.
Mr.. BnooKs is dead We arc Informed that he
died suddenly in Washington City, OH Tnes,lay
evening the 9th ultimo He has been cut down
III the very morning Of life, and in the midst of
his honors and usefulness We can scarcely reul-
ize al event So unexpected, 60 startling, and so
overwhelming!
have known Mr. BRooEs long, and the reIa-
tl"ns in which we have been associated, enabled
ME to know him well. We were in college, TO-
gether, where the warrnest and most tisintercst-
ed friendships OF life arc contracted. After the
bonds of college brotherhood were sundered by
our graduation, and entrance upon the stern re-
ailties OF life similar nclinatiuns suon threw lis
together again, and met him in the Mexican
war, as Captain of the EdgeticId Company, iii
better test Of the qualities of IL man than the
hnrdshps of n soldiers life. We endured to-
gcther for eighteen months, the labors and perils
the privat;ons and sacrifices, of that magnificent
campaign, which captured the Capital Of Mexico.
occupied the heart Of the enemies country, and
conquered an honorable peace for the nation.
Soon after his return from Mexico, Mr.. Books
was elected to Congress, under circumstances
highly creditablc to him. He was reelected
twice, and the last time without opposition, and
unanimously. We can say Of him, in the ut
most truth, tla, he proved himself equal to any
and to all the positions Of honor and trust award
ed to him by his fellow citizens. 1t is unneccs-
snry even to alude to mis- course in Congress
that is well known TO every citizen Of this Con-
gressional District. He surpassed the expecta-
tions Of his most sanguiue friends, and has
doubtedly enrolled his name in tho long list Of
Carona's distinguished orators and statesmen,
and impressed it upon the general history of the
country.
gressional District received him buck from W ash
ington, with jubilee at Ninety Six. as warm, as
cordial, aud grand, any triumph ever
awarded 10 a Roman General, for victories won
over barbarian enemies Of the Empire. Today
his cold and lifeIess corpse may be, and most
probably Oiti be, received ut the same place in
deep humility, sorrow and mour ming.
What an illustration of the instability of all
things mortal How true the remark of the
great orator upon an OCCASION somewhat similar: !:
"Ths melancholy event plainly reads us an aw-
fnl lesson against being too much troubled about
any of the objects Of ordinary ambition Our
worthy friend, who has been suddenly snatched
from us, willis. his desires were as warm aud his
hopes as enger ours, has feelingly told us what
shadows we are, and what shadows we pursue"
Tue Resolutions were unanimously adopted
and the meeting sorrowfully aud silently dis
persed
J. wARDLAw PERRIN, sec'y.
sB The papers Of the Fourth Congressional
| District arc respectfully requested to copy.