The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-02-02

THE LATE PRESTON S. BROOKs-CONGREs-
SIGNAL MocKERY AND FLUMMERY.-A Christian
missionary among the Feejee Islanders, wholly
ignorant of the savage outrage in the United
States Senate chamber Of May last, on reading
the late funeral speeches delivered in both houses
Of Congress upon the character and public SER
vices Of Preston S. Brooks would naturally sup
pose the deceased to be possessed of the gentle
meas of Fenelon, the chivalry of Bayard the
patriotism of Leonidas. the eloquence of a
Cicero, and the craftsmanship OF Hamilton.
The missionary would exclaim--so young, too,
and yet so great What q loss to his country
What loss to mankind But who can imagine
the establishment Of the innocent missionary, on
being subsequently convinced that the only per-
sonal act which has given the late Mr.. Brooks
public notoriety beyond his Congressional dis
trict, was an act Of murderous barbarity, dis
graceful to himself and to his State, and calcu-
lated deeply to disgrace our country, its society
and its institutions in the eyes of the whole
world, not excepting the Feejee islanders
Such are the Egyptian mockeries and mum
meries of Congress over dead Congressman. W
find no pleasure in these hypocritical eulogies In
honor of the deceased Mr.. Brooks. The oily
thing which has made him a conspicuous public
character-the only thing which overshadowed
all other things, with every speaker and every
listener of these Congressional Qualifications
was the very thing which no member of Cor
gress, except one, had the moral courage 4
defend or to touch upon as an act "
heroism. Singularly enough, the name of th,
member is expressed in the very word that most
iitly defines the character of the deed which he
was consistent and courageous enough to glorify
to the last. There was a savage manliness in
this that is refreshing, whatever we may say f
want of prudsh decacy. The moral, howeve
of these funeral ovations and orations in memory
of Mr.. Brooks is a painful one. 1t is another
striking illustration of the demoralizing intiu-
ences Of party politics in these degenerate times.
The funeral triumph Of Mr.. Brooks forcibly re-
minds us, in fact, Of the memorable pageant in
New York city to the memory of Bill Poole. He
was shining light among the Know Nothingsf
our city-they believed that he fell martyr to
what they called his American principles" His
last words were, 81 die true American and
so he was honored with funeral display ex
ceedipg in the popular turn out the reception
here of General Jackson and even of Lafayet 4
and scarcely excclled by the reception Of Kos
suth. Yet the death which thus made Bill Poole
immortal was brought upon him in drunken
row, and bis loss was gain TO the community.
Yet he was partizan hero and party martyr,
and so they covered over the infamy Of his acts
with the glory of bis principles
With regard to Preston s. Brooks, the most
charitable construction we can put upon that as
sault in the Senate chamber is that il was done
under the murderous excitement of partiz,n adj
vice and alcohol. We are willing TO admit this plea;
but We deplore that party Generalization which,
in Congress, in the case of Mr.. Snools or Mr..
Brooks aspires TO emulate our New York glo.
rjfcatioDs over the illustrious Bill Poole. These
arc among the most lamentable evidences of that
decay in party decencios and public morals
which is always the harbinger of national fatali
tics. All these party debaucherics, too msy be
traced to The greedy and ravenous contention
among our politicians, cliques, factions and par
ties for the public spoils aud plumber. Too much
of prosperity and riches is productive of luxu-
~. incidence, official corruption and general dc.
moralizaton and ruin. We have the warning OF
the future in The history of the past There is
nothing healthy or sound in these honors to