The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-03-15
HISTORICAL
DEPARTMENT.
LAWMAKERS BECOME LAW
BREAKERS.
How Brooks Assaulted Charles Sum
ner in the United States Senate.
CONGRATULATIONS

Washington, D. C.-The only as
sault in the senate in which blows
were administered was in the thirty
fourth congress on the 22d of May,
1855, when Preston c. Brooks of South
Carolina assaulted Senator Charles
Sumner of Massachusetts. Sumner
| had a few days previous made a
speech favoring the admission of Kan
saS as a state under a constitution
prohibiting slavery. The speech pro-
duced the most intense political ex-
citement over the land, more espec-
tally so in the south
On the 22d the senate adjourned in
consequence of the announcement of
the death of Mr.. Miller of Missouri
Mr. Sumner remained at his desk in
the senate chamber writing when he
was approached by Preston S. Brooks
and L. NJ. Keitt. congressman from
South Carolina, each carrying a cane.
Brooks walked up to where Sumner
sat and said.
Mr.. Sumner have read your speech
carefully, and with as much calmness
as l could be expected to read such a
speech. You have libeled my state and
slandered my relative who is aged and
absent, and 1 feel it to be my duty to
punish you for it,"
Without waiting for any reply or
asking for any explanation Brooks in
stantly struck Mr.. Sumner a violent
blow on the top of his bare head. 1t
was followed with 9 succession of
blows, all dealt with herculean
strength. Mr.. Wilson, his colleague,
afterward vice president, rushed into
the senate on hearing of the attack.
but found Mr.. Sumner had been re-
moved to the vice presidents room in
a deplorable condition. There were
frightful cuts on his head, and his
clothing was covered with blood.
@ @ @
On the ensuing day the outrage was
brought to the attention of the senate
by Mr.. Wilson, who said: The seat
of my colleague is vacant today. For
the first time, after five years of pub
lie service, that seat is vacant. Yester-
day. after the touching tribute of re-
Spect to the memory of Mr.. Miller of
Missouri a deceased member of the
house of representatives, the senate ad-
journed. My colleague remained in
his seat, engaged in public duties.
While thus engaged, with pen in hand
and in a position which rendered him
utterly incapable of protection, or de-
Tending himself, Mr.. Preston S. Brooks
a member of the house from South
and abruptly addressed him. Looking
up and before he had time to utter a
single word in reply to him he received
a stunning blow on the head from the
cane in the hands of Mr.. Brooks, which
made him almost senseless and uncon-
scious; endeavoring, however, to pro-
tect himself, in rising from his chair
his desk was overthrown, and while in
that powerless condition he was beat
en- on the head. and shoulders by re-
peated blows from Mr.. Brooks, until he
sank upon the floor &C +!2e senate, I'M
conscious, exhausted and covered with
his own blood. He was raised from
the floor by few friends, taken into
an anteroom and his wounds dressed.
From thence he was taken to his house
and placed upon his bed. He is thus
unable to be with us today, to perform
the duties which belong 10 him as
member of this body. To hold a mem
Der of the senate responsible out of
this chamber for words uttered in de-
bate is a grave offense, not only
against the rights of a member, but
against the constitutional privileges of
this body; but, sir, to come into this
chamber and assault a member in his
seat, until he falls exhausted upon the
floor. is an offense requiring the prompt
action of this body. Sir, l submit no
notion-I leave it to older senators,
whose character and position in the
senate, and before the country, emil
nently fit them to take the lead in a
measure to redress the wrongs of
members of this body, and vindicate
the honor and dignity of the senate"
A committee of investigation was APP
pointed.
In due time the committee of investi
CATION made a report, but the only ac-
ton taken by that body was to trans
NIT a message to the house. complain
ing that Mr.. Brooks, one of its men,
bers. had made a violent assault on
Senator Sumner, but that. as Mr..
Brooks was a member of the house of
representatives. the latter alone had
the power to arrest, try and punish
him.
The committee of investigation ap-
pointed by the house reported resolu
tions of expulsion against Brooks and
censure against Keitt. The resolution
to expel Brooks received, after a vio-
lent debate, 12I votes, and there were
ninetyfive votes in the negative,
two-thirds vote being required to ex-
pei a member the resolution failed The
resolution of censure passed. Mr.. Hoff-
man of Maryland was the only south
ern member who voted TO expel
Brooks.
Brooks. however, stung by the re-
bulle conveyed by the vote of a ma
iority of the house, made a speech of
coarse defiance in which he said- s'Tf