The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-16

The assault of Preston s. Brooks in the
United States Senate chamber eighteen
years ago, upon Charles Sumner, possesses
more than ordinary interest at the present
time. We give the following brief nara
tive Of the same AT the close OF This de-
bate the Senate adjourned. That was on
Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon,
May %, 1856 about half-past one O'Clock,
after the session of the Senate, which was
simply to pass resolution of respect to n
deceased member, Mr.. Sumner was sitting
at his desk in the room now occupied by
the United States Supreme Court. lie
was writing. Preston S. Brooks, member
of Congress from South Carolina. entered
the chamber, and, advancing to Mr.. Sum-
ner, said :-'Mr. Sumner, / have read
your speech on South Carolina-I read it
carefully, deliberately and dispassionatey
in which you have libelled my State and
slandered my white-haired old relative,
Senator Butler, who was absent, and |
have come to punish you for it, Mr.
Brooks then struck the Senator some
dozen bows on the head with his cane,
which was of gutta pereha, about one inch
in diameter, and was broken by the as
sault-Some Senators were present. John
}. Crittenden endeavored TO remove Mr..
BROOKS, but he was supported by Mr.
Keith, member OF Congress, and Mr.. Ed
mundson, of Virginia. Mr.. Sumner, per-
fectly unconscious, sunk on the floor, all
bloody, dreadfully bruised and he re-
NAMED there until he was raised b. his
friends.
We all OF us must remember the extraor-
binary excitement Occasioned by this event.
The Massachusetts, legislature unanimously
passed resolutions meetings we're held all
over the country. In the senate Mr.. Will
son, Eow vice president, offered a resolu-
ton calling attention to the fact, and a
committee was appointed, composed of
democrats, to inquire into the assault. In
the House committee was appointed In
dlgnation meetings were held throughout
the country. South Carolina passed resolu-
tons endorsing the ruiiian who assaulted
the senator, while Massachusetts passed
resolutions condemning his conduct. De-
bates OF most angry character were in
obliged in, so much so that Senator Butler
went so far as to call Senator Wilson
a liar. A meeting was held in New
York, at which were present William
NJ. Eyarts, Moses Taylor and William c..
Bryant. Speeches were made and delivered
by Chas. King. L. B. Morgan, Henry Ward
Beecher, and finally report was presented
eXpelling Mr.. Brooks from the House, the
consequence being that that gentleman re-
signed as Representative, and was imme-
diately afterwards reelected from South
Carolina. The report was signed by Lewis
d. Campbell, Il. Il. Spinner and A. NJ. G..
Pennington. AS the result of this attack
Mr.. Sumner was compelled practically to
retire from public life. lie visited Europe
FOR long time, and it was thought he never
would recover But by the efforts of
eminent surgeons in Paris, and after under
going cruel and extraordinary treatment,
he was so far recovered in 1860, when the
campaign for the Presidency opened, that
he made a speech on the barbarism of
slavery, and took prominent part in the
support of Lincoln and Hamlin.