Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-26

sunL1seAns Asp BROOKS.
General L. -. Campbell Relates the Excis
ing Incidents Of Their Quarrel.
Richmond (Ind.) Telegram.

General L. ID. Campbell Relates the Excis
ing Incidents Of Their Quarrel.
Richmond lind Telegram.
The following letter from the Hon
Lewis D. Campbell, with regard to tn
most exciting event in the Congress that
Immediately preceded the war of the rebel
lion, was received by Mr.. Robert O
Dormer, of this city, in response to q
request for the particulars of the affair
The letter was not intended for publica-
tion, but in view of its historical value
Mr.. Dormer has permitted us to put it il
print
HAMILTON, o., March 5, 1S79.-R. o.
Dormer, esq.-Dear Sir am in receipt
of your letter of the 1st instant. I am the
only 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, quarter of cen.
tury ago, when knock downs, the drawing
of bowie knives and pistols were not un-
frequent in the halls of Congress, and
dueis and rumors of duels in Washington.
Senator Butler. of South Carolina, was
Brooks uncle. He was very aged man,
tottering over the grave. He had been
striken with paralysis and trembled like
an aspen leaf. Sumner, in making very
aggressive anti.slavery speech in the
Senate, assailed Butler and referred to his
physical weakness. Sumner was then As
years old, full six feet high, we'll propor-
toned and a fine specimen of physical
development. Brooks, the nephew,
looked for Sumner on the avenue to chas-
tise him. Failing to find him, he went to
the Senate chamber, after the body had
adjourned, and there beat Sumner over
the head with guttapercha cane, fear
fully. l arrived in the chamber soon
afterward, washed the blood off of Sum-
ner, and brought him to consciousness. l
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 cOmmittee) l offered a
resolution for an investigation. and was
appointed chairman of the committee.
Subsequently, as chairman, l reported a
resolution to expel Brooks, and it was car
ried. Brooks was reelected, and came
back to the House of Representatives.
Some months afterwaId BurliDgame made
carefully prepared speech, in which he
referred to Brooks, saying "He stole
into the Senate chamber in a cowardly way
and there smOte the senator from Massa.
chusetts as Cain smote his brother"
There was then challenge expected,
of course. However, friends interfered
and some explanations were made on
Burlipgame's part, which we're accepted
by Brooks friends and published. There-
upon the New England papers comment
ed severely upon Burlingame's conces-
sions and charged him with showing the
white feather. These things stung him to
the quick. Then for the first time he
came to me for counsel. told him if he
really did not mean what he had said in
his speech he ought to take it back un-
equivocally. Ifhe did mean it he could
afford to cay so and accept the cOnse.
quences. He then came out in card in
the National IntelLigencer saying, in sub
stance, that he maintained what he had
said in his speech. This speedily brought
him what was, in substance, a challenge.
1t was not delivered by Keitt, as you
suppose, bat by General Joseph Lane, of
Mexican war fame, then the delegate from
Oregon. 1t simply invited Burlingame
out of the District of Columbia to settle
the affair. This, of course, meant chal.
lenge, and was so worked to evace the
law OF Congress. Burlingame again pressed
me into service l wrote the reply and
delivered it to General Lane. He called
on me to name the place Ioutside the dis
trict. named the "CliftOn House, on
the Canada side of the Niagara Falls, and
the following Thursday morning at
O'clock" for the meeting. l sent Bur-
lingame to New York the Same night to
prevent arrest.
Two days after this Lane came out in
the papers objecting to the "CliftOn
House," because it was in the North, and
he did not intend to take Brooks Through
the enemy's country" replied that, be-
iug called on to name place outside of
the district, l was not fool enough to
name "Richmond or Charleston" and
take my friend through his "enemy's
country" Brooks was arrested and put
under bonds. telegraphed Burlingame
to return He did so. He, too, was ar
rested and put under bonds-myself his
surety. Burlingame Immediately left for
the West.
Soon afterward Brooks aud Lane and
their friends discovered that it was re-
garded among duellists as let down on
their part, and that Burlingame's record
Was all right. Lane wrote me threat
ening letter, asking to open up the CORES
pondeuce, and saying that unless l in.
formed them where 4 letter would reach
MIR. Burlingame by the next Tuesday they
would make expose, etc. To this l
promptly replied in substance that Bur
lingame had gone West, and that if they
wanted him to go and hunt him and if
they hankered for my blood they need not
wait till Tuesday, and they should hurry
up the cakes - that was Oh hand, etc
This ended the correspondence.
I will simply add that it we'll known to
members of Congress from the South and
from the North that was the best, both
with the rifle and pistol, there was in the
body. There seemed to be prevailing
opinion, too, that I would fight if called
on. This was perhaps because 1 had more
cheek than most members. You know that
cheek is often mistaken for courage.
Whether it is SO in my case am not
a proper judge. never received but one
challenge for duel, and that party soon
found a reason to withdraw it when he
learned from a Southern friend that l
meant business. Although differing
widely in politics at that time Brooks was
my warm personal friend and died so. So
was General Lane. The popular opinion
that Brooks was coward is far from COR
rect. He was sensuous and impetuous,
but had many excellent traits OF
character. In haste.
Very truly yours,
LEWIS ID. CA MPBELL,