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

cultivated state of society.
For the first time in the history of the
country, personal rcncontrc between mem
bers Of Congress has been maynieI into
national Importance, and taken up as a war
cry by one OF the parties of the Union. An
old, once respectable and respected co m
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Observation-Disclosures
and without evidence undertook to pass
resolutions Of ccnsurc upon our representa-
tive and inpcitincnt requirement upon Con-
.,ress. The act Of our representative,
prompted 10y a burning scncc OF wrong and
by high aud noble impulse, was charac
terizcd rs u cowar'llv outrage; and the
Congress ofthe United States was required
! To- cxpel him rs unworthy of Il seat in it.
| The Black Republican Party in the House OF
! Representatives took up the charge as an
element of a@itatiUn--enblaZnnc upon
their banners their own shame and cndeav-
orcd To cXpc him from Congress as unwor-
! thy Of a seat amonwS, them. They failed in
| their wicked attempts; but i'll our view it is
almost to he regretted that they did FAIL
lfthat mongrc crew Of black spirits and
gray had succeeded in cxpclling our Rep.
rescnlative from Congress without precedent
without law-without proplicty or decent
prctcXt, it would have been an ostracSm as
honorable to him and rs immoralin history
as that Of ArislidcS, who was expelled from
his own city avowcdly because he was the
| best man in it.
The eFnr, to expcl Mr.. Brooks was po-
liical manuuvre of a fanatical faction.
| They wished to weaken the Democratic
Party by assailling him, and they wished TO
strengthen the Black Republicans by point
ing to the sores on Mr.. Summers head and
the cry of free speech, Frcc-Soil and Ere
mont. If that sectional faction wish to
make our representative and Mr.. Sumner
the opponents respectively of the two parties,
we certainly have no obi ecton. lfthey are
willing to accept as the living embodiment
Of their principles and their party. Mr..
Charles Sumner, with all his talschood-
with all his hypocrisy all his coward
ice-and with all "the deep scars of thun.
der intrenchcd upon his forehead" we will
accept as the exponent Of our section and
our party the gallant representative of the
fourth Congressional District Of South Caro-
lima, Hon. Preston S. Brooks, who, when
provoked beyond endurance by ISLANDERS
hcapcl upon lis State anil absent friend,
! bv publicly Gaming him in the ScnatefCham-
Der Of the United States, and then, like
law-lovine and law-abi,lipg. citizen as he ia,
submitted himself to the judgment of the
law.
The effort to cxpcl our representative
failed, but pending resolution to ccnsurc
him, he resigned his seat. Knowing his
constituency and being unwilling that they
should be di>hcnorcd in his person, he ap-
pealed: from Black Republican, House of
Representatives. to them. They have al
ready justified his confidence and indorscd
his course by the most extraordinary elcc-
tion which has ever taken place in this coun-
| try-by unanimo.ts y rising up and re-elect-
ing him, without his returning to them at
all, or being absent from his seat more than
brief period Of recreation.
During the whole course Of this affair we
have watched our representative with great
| and increasing anxiety. We have heard
his gallant act in defence Of his State and
blood heraded rs Il crime, and cmblazoncl
upon the piebald banners Of Black Repnb.
licansm. We have seen that his act dis
gracing their champion has "fronT the bot
tom stirred the hell within" these Abolition
lists. We have seen him in continual peril,
bcset, by yelping crew, in and out Of Con
grcss, and We knew that, if they wanted the
courage to meet him face to face and eye to
eye, some Of them were not too good TO en-
ecutc their threats fassassinaion upon him.
| In the true spirit of their clvalv he has even
been invited TO traverse the encmys country
TO travel eight hudred miles towards the
Falls of Niagara. and thusfall into the am
bush of their spirited and patriotic, heroes,
under the miserable prctext Of enjoying the
''cool and refreshing breczes ofsthe Clifton
House, in Canada" We have observed all
this with anxiety, butzit was an anxiety
overhalanced by admiration. We never
looked tothe scene Of struggle but we saw
the nodding Wliite plume Of our gallant
representative waving proudly foremost and
proudly plainest over all, and, animated hy
his spirit in the contest, our watchword his
been Buchanan and observation-disclosures
and Brooks. Loud cheers.
Gen. MCGOWAN then turnd to Mr.. Brooks,
and addressed him as follows
Sir: IN addressing your constituents, have
alluded, irs brief terms, to some Of the meas
nres and some Of the incidents Of the last
Congress, in reference to which they approve
your course 1t could not bc expected that
I should repeat them to YOU pers6nalIy.
The long-continued struggle iu which yo.i
have lately been engaged, is over and it
ismy pleasing duty, in The presence and by
the authority of your fellow citizens here
assembled, &fth hearty congratulations to
welcome you back into the limits Of your
own proud and grateful South Carolina,
whose character you have defended, and
whose spirit, as illustrated throughout the
Revolution, and latterly afresh at Contreras
Churubnsco,' Chapultepec, and. Garita de
Belen, you have so well exemplfed, maifs
tained and honored. -
Welcome, sir, welcome back to the
Fourth Congressional District Of South
Carolina, whose principles you have 80 wei
represented, aud whose honored citizen y6t
have defended at the psrit Of your life. Tim
Congressional District now enrols you,