Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-05-30
An Old Duel.

Telegram, written by the only surviving
participator, reveals one of the most
exciting events of the American Con.
gress
DEAR SIR--I am in receipt of your
letter of the LIST inst. l am the onlv
man living who knows all about the
Brooks. Burlingame affair, about which
you make inquiry.
You are clearly in error in regard to
the matter. 1t occurred in those stormy
days. h quarter of a century ago, when
knockdowns, the drawing of bowie
knives and pistols were not infrequent
in the halls Of Congress. and duels and
ramors of duels i'll Washington.
Senator Batter, of South Carolina,
was Brooks uncle. He was a. very
aged man, lettering over the grave.
! He hat been stricken with paralysis
and trembled like an aspeh leaf. SUM-
ner. III making very aggressive anti
I slavery speech in the Senate, assailed
Butler and referred to his physical
| weakness. Sumner was then forty five
| years Old. full six feet high, we'll pro-
! portioned, and fine specimen of
ply steal development. Brooks, the
nephew, looked for Sumner ON the
avenue to chastise him. Failing to
find him lie went to the chamber, after
the body had adjourned, and there
beat Sumner over the head with gutta
percha cane fearfully. l arrived i'll the
chamber soon afterward, washed the
blood off Sumner and brought him to
consciousness. also requested the
surgeon to sew up the scalp wounds
and take him to his boarding house.
The next day (being Chairman of the
Ways and Means Commlttee) l offered
| a resolution for an investigation, and
WAS appointed Chairman OF the com.
mittee. Subsequently, as Chairman,
reported u resolution to expel Brooks,
which was carried. Brooks was re-
elected, and came back to the House OF
Representatives,.
Some months afterward Burlingame
made carefully prepared speech, in
which lie referred to Brooks, saying:
- He stole into the Chamber Ill u cow
ardly way, and there smote the Senator
from Massachusetts as Cain smote his
| brother"
There was then challenge expected,
of course. However, friends iuterfered
and some explanations were made on
Burllngame part, which We're accepted
by Brooks friends and published.
lhereupon the New England press
commented severely on BurlingAme's
concessions aud charged HIM with
showing tho white feather. These
things stung him to the quick. Then
for the first time he came to me for
| | al. a In A a
not mean what he had said IN his
speech he ought to take it back un-
equivocally. If he did mean it
lie could afford to say SO and accept
the consequence. He then Came out
i'll IL card III the National Lnteifiyc.cer
saying, in subtance, that he maintained
what he had said Ill his speech. This
peedliy brought him what was in sub.
stance Il challenge.
1t was not delivered by Keltt, AS you
suppose, but by Gen. 10. Line, of
Mexican war fame, then the Delegate
from Oregon. 1t simply invited
Burlingalue oM of the District vi Col
umbia to settle the affair. This OF
course meant u challenge and VAS so
wurded to evade the law ot Congress.
Burlingame again pressed me into his
service. l wrote the reply and de-
| livered it to Gen. LAue. He called on
me to name the place OuiSidc Of the
District. named the Clifton
House on tue Canada side of the Nj
agara Falls, and the following Thurs
uay morning at 6 clock" for the meet
lug. sent Burllngame to New York
the same night to prevent his arrest.
Two days after this Lane came out
in the papers Directing to the elf
ton House," because 1t Was in the
North, and he did not intend to take
Brooks Through the enemy's coun-
try" replied, that being called on
to name place outside Of the district,
1 was not tool enough to name Rich
mond or Charleston" and take my
friend through his " enemy's country"
Brooks was arrested and put under
bonds. l telegraphed BurliDgame to
| return. He did 80. He too was ar
rested and put under bonds-myself
his surety. Burlingame immediately
left for the West.
Soon afterward Brooks and Lane,
and their friends, discovered that it
was regarded among duelists rs let
down on their part and that Burlin-
games record was all right. Lane
wrote to me threatening letter, asking
TO open up the correspondence, and
saying that unless l informed them
where letter would reach Mr.. Bur
lingame by the next Tuesday they
would make expose, etc. To this
promptly replied in substance that i.
had gone West, and if they wanted
him to 60 and hunt him-that ii they
hunkered for my blood they need not
wait till Tuesday, and they might
hurry ny the CAKES !" that 1 was on
hand. etc. This ended the correspon-
depce. ...
will simply add that it was well
known to members of Congress, from
the South and from the North, that l
was the best shot both with rifle and
pistol there VAS in the body. There
seemed to lie prevailing opinion, too,
that l would fight if called on. This
was perhaps because had more cheek
than most members You know that
cheek IL often mistaken for courage.