The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-12-19
LEW CAMPBELL.
WHITE HOUSE "REMINISCENCES
BY AN OLD DEMOCRATIC
WAR HORSE.
VIEWS UPON THE POLITICAL Is
SUES OF THE DAY,
DEMOCRACY NOT DEAD-EFFECT
OF THE ACTIVE POLICY
IN TIMES PAST.
ANOTHER "IRREPRESSIBLE CON
FLICTn COMING.

The Washington correspondent Of the
New York World has had prolonged in
terview with Col. Lewis y. Campbell, rep
rcsentatve of the third Ohio district, and
the successor of Gen. Schenck. Col.
Campbell was in congress continuously
from lS4S to 1858, and portion of the
conversation was devoted to recollections
of those years. In regard to the assault
of Brooks on Sumner, and the Brooks
Burlingame duel affair which grew out of
9 it, the following conversation took place:
=, Correspondent--You know something
about the assault Of Brooks on Sumner?
Campbell-A great deal. I got to the
, senate chamber just as they were carry
ing Sumner out. I washed the blood off
G his face and brought him to conscior sness.
Q / was the first person he recognized, and
, i held the scalp to the proper place while
! the surgeon DIR. Boyio) stitched and dress
$ ed the wounds. The next day moved
. | an investigation, for which j was threat
d ened with punishment and death by some
e of the excited parties, and had to go arm
ed for self-defence. l was chairman of
the committee that Investigated the mat.
r ter and reported resolution for the ex-
n pulsion of Brooks. Some interesting facts
y connected with this affair within my know
I ledge have never yet been made public.
/ Correspondent-Why not give them
= out?
Campbell-I don't see what good it
would do. Nobody would be made hap
, pier were l to disclose them. Sumner
never appreciated my services, as good
: Samaritan, and subsequently, when he had
o an opportunity Of being my friend, he was
my bitter enemy.
!, Correspondent-TheB Brooks Burlingame
4 duel affair grew out of that assault, be-
leve?
r Campbell--It did.
Il Correspondent-And you we're Burlin-
games friend, were you not?
. Campbell-Yes have all the original
If papers still in my possession, beginning
r. with Brooks challenge. One side of the
- correspondence was all written by myself
10 except Mr.. Burlingame's signature.
respondent-Were all the stories OF
accounts of that affair which were pub
er lished at the time of Burlingames deatl
"A true?
. Campbell don't know that I reac
In them all. Those that ! did read wer
no very inaccurate. All the stuff about m
training Burlingame with q rife, abou
IN, his splendid craftsmanship, shooting
he snakes head of, g., a., was silly fictior
l never saw him shoot off a gun or pi:
tol, or snap percussion cap, or discharg
even popgun. Stories now going th
ev- rounds about my old friend "bluff BE
of Wade" making arrangements to igl
a.. Toombs, and inquiring of the condition
us "Lew Campbelrs rifle are not less foo
en- ish Wade ard often conferred in tho
mite days and we generally agreed that Il
I'M best way to get along with our southel
r. friends was to treat them as they treatt
you us, and not to back down if they BEGAN
Al of aggressors. Wade never expressed to I
Her any disposition to shoot Toombs with II
III" ras or IN any 9her Mqy and d96 ar
the blood of Ohios senator. 1t may be
and rarded as pretty certain that neither
nth's them considered himself ready for eterni
tbo in those days. How rapidly they ha
progressed in the great work of prepar
ONE ton since know not.
DR.. Correspondent-Did you regard Broo
nact as a coward
= Campbell-Not all His conduct
the Burlingame affair evinced nothing
that sort. The management and diplom
'orh cy of his friend, Gen. Joe Lane, were vel
ago bad and gave me vantage ground,
has which awaited myself to extricate II
nigh friend burilngame. BROOKS assault
'ec" ton of the affair to me, and the infuenc
the which prevailed over i'm at the time, we
loid of mitigating character. Brooks W
be very brave in the Mexican war. Mype
,yal , ,Un", ,e'",G ;,h R"ri; n m''' 4".u 10
garded him as cowardly.
9 Correspondent--Was Burlpgamc
man Of the wonderful pluck attributed
ar him.
be- Campbell-He seemed to have amp
) to courage during the pending of the alta
and with Brooks When he was arrestC
-" here became his bail. The peculiar eli
Goa cumstances of the arrest and his subs
ach, quent conduct modified my opinions o
att this point very much. II would be a lon
story to give the unpublished account
these matters and the under-currents tha
If were at work. Besides, it would not b
" proper now to go into them l will sa
We this, however, that the reading communit
by were more humbugged by the newspape
n sensations rs to the protracted danger c
is Summers sore head, and the extraord
nary exploits of Mr.. Burlngame in til
Brooks affair, than upon any other tw
,,,- subjects that have been written upon.
Correspondent-If the question be nc
me impertnent, Mr.. Campbell, l should lik
sin, to know how you got along without helm
ill challenged?
T., Campbell-Well, personally, | thin
!" many of the southern members rather like
me. Besides, was known by them to b
a iirst-rate shot with pistol and rife, an
~" perhaps they were foolish enough to b,
ave lieve that might fight if cornered. Thes
ks. facts may have operated AS a protection
sos some extent. was several times threa
'''' ened, but new received but one host
document of kind.
Correspondent-Oh, you were cha
lew lenged once2 How did you get through
an Correspondent-It was n member of IL
uce house who hankered for fight. l simp
:. moved the previous question.
Correspondent-And that cut of all d
L. bate 2
Campbell-Yes, and spoiled fight,
'ro- suppose. But what has this seeming
I be egotstic account of old matters, in whic
far much gas and no blood was wasted, to ,
M. with the political situation2 Suppose '
mas drop it and turn our thoughts on peac
who hath her votaries.
-, The conversation next turned upon 4
the tariff bill of 1867, ard Mr.. Campbeils co
the nection with it as chairman Of the wa
n, Is and means committee, after which Il
the following colloquy occurred relative
the work before congress, and the pass,
or possum Motley,