The National tribune., 1904-04-28
BROOKS's ASSAULT ON SUMNER.
Bully's Outrage Which Deeply Excited thu
Whole Nation

Whole Nation.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: On Nav
~ and 20. 1856. the United States Sen.
ate, in Committee of the Whole. had I'M.
der consideration bill authorizing the PEG
pie OF kansas TO form q Constitution and
State Government preparatory to their
admission into the Union when they had
the requisite population. Senator Sum
ner, OF Massachusetts. addressed the Sen
ate In opposition to the measure. occupy
ing both days, in which he referred to Sen
ator Butler. of South Carolina, the leader
OF the Pro-Slavery party in the Senate,
and Senator Douglas, Of Illinois, Chair
man OF the Committee on Territories. as
the Don Quixote and Sancho Panza of the
Senate. Two days afterward. an assault
was made upon him in the Senate Cham
Der by Preston S. Brooks. member of
,rr u"nse, from South Carolina. The
Senate had ad,ou,n--.a, for the day ont of
respect for the death Of d member of the
House. Mr.. Sumner was at his desk
writing when Brooks entered the Cham
Der, accompanied by two other members
Of the House-Keitt. of South Carolina.
and Edmonson. of Virginia. He went up
to Mr.. Sumner, and addressing him. said
Il have read your speech over twice. care
fully, and consider it libel on the State
of South Carolina and Senator Butler.
who is a relative of mine" With that he
commenced beating him over the head and
shoulders with n heavy cane which he held
in his hand. The first blow rendered him
almost senseless. and he fell to the floor
with his legs extending under his desk.
which was fastened to the floor. His as
saiant continued beating him until he
lay. weltering in his blood on the floor of
the Senate, wholly unconscious. James w.
SimontOn. reporter OF the New York
Times who happened to be in the Cham
Der at the time, rushed over to pull Brooks
off, but Keitt pushed him back, exclaim-
ing, with an oath. Let him alone. -
-" Friends of the Senator carried him
to one of the ante-rooms of the Senate and
summoned medical aid. 1t was thought
then that his injuries were fatal. He did
not return to his duties as Senator for
over two years. in consequence of the beat
ing, and never fully recovered from its
effects.
Brooks was tried for assault in the Cir
cult Court Of the District OF Columbia
and fine $500. The next day Senator
Wilson, Summers colleague in the Senate
and afterwards Vice-P President of the
United States. introduced resolution OF
inquiry concerning the matter, and several
Senators made personal explanations. Sell
ators Slidell, of Louisiana: and. Douglas.
of Illinois. were in one of the ante-rooms.
conversing Senator Slidell said: Someone
beating Sumner. We heard the remark
without any particular emotion; Tor my
part, | confess. | felt none"
Senator Douglas said: My first I'M
preston was to come into the Senate
Chamber and help put an end to the az,
fray if I could: hut it occurred to my MIND
in an instant that my relations to Mr.
Summer were such that if / came into the
hall nv motives would be niscOnstruei
perhaps, and I sat down again. Senator
Toombs. of Georgia. said: las for ren,
dering Mr.. Sumner any assistance. ia
not do it. stated to Mr.. Brooks. or some
Of nv friends who condemned the ac.
that l approved it.
Summers speech throughout was charac
terized by sarcasm and bitter denuncia
ton of the means employed by the FRO
Slavery party to make Kansas Save
State. The following quotations from the
speech were the most offensive: ''Tht
frenzy of Don Quixote in behalf of his
wench. Dulcinia del Toboso. is all sur
passed. "As the Senator from South
Carolina is the Don QuiXOta. so the Sen
ator from Illinois its very Sancho Panza
ready to do its humiliating Offices"
No event before or since the war has
caused greater excitement throughout the
country than this assault. The Northern
press. with remarkable unanimity. de-
nounced it as an outrage upon the principle
of free sDeech. while a considerable por-
ton of the Southern press remained pas
siye Organizations. both civic and re-
ligious. passed resolutions Of condemna-
tory character. A great many anti
slavery theologians preached eloquent SER
mons on the subject! among the most
noted were Henry Ward Beecher and
Theodore Parker.
A resolution for the expulsion of Brooks
was introduced in tho House. In looking
over the record. believe | am justified in
saying that at no time in the history OF
Congress have personalities been INDUCED
i'm to n greater extent than on this Occa-
sion. Brooks was denounced as Il COW
ard. Great stress was placed upon the
fact that in the assault he took an advan-
tage of Mr.. Sumner. giving him no
chance whatever to defend himself. He
was sneeringlv reminded that i'm his yea
i'm behalf Of the honor Of his State he
struck down an unarmed man for words
spoken in debate in another body. which
i'm no way referred to him. and then suf-
fered members of the House. who. he
knew. were prepared to meet him on even
ground i'm a personal encounter. to charac-
terize him as bully and coward. An
son Rnrlingame. of Massachusetts. said
Il denounce it in the name of humanity.