The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-11-20
IN The SENATE THAI WAS

Preston Brooks-the South Caro-
lima congressman who broke his cane
over Charles Summers back and was
dubbed Bully Brooks by William
Cullen Bryant-died tfty-four years
ago. Now comes Il brother OF the
dead man. who in a letter to the Col
ymbia State defends the action of his
brother. The letter was called out by
q passing reference in an article by
E. j. Edwards on Il duel that did not
come off. The duel referred to was
the observation-disclosures affair. and
grew directly out OF the umrer cam
ing event in the II Among ctn-
er things. the brother OF the ehaiiens'
er writes:
Mr.. Edwards, as a contempor-
aneous narrator. must Know. OF
be very ignorant. that the inlpos-
sihle place Of meeting selected
wa. Canada-just as we'll would
il have been Boston. OF course
"Eurlin@me was ready" Tor
Canada. Col. Brooks friends re-
rarded this as either a bluff or a
scheme for his assassination n
declined. but in order 10 test the
r1ett;e of Eu7!inEa,rs's courage
they proposed 10 have the meet
Ing a. ,ae old duel;ns ground.
BlaIenshurs. nea. the city' Of
Washington. The duel. however
was never fought. though Bur
lingame was ready. MI. Ed
wards should have gone further
or gone not AT all. Innuendo
and insinuation are the hasest.
mos, cowardiy method Of attach
and are generally associated with
fa!sehood. My brothers courage
had been tested on the field OF
battle in Mexico and on the field
Of honor in his own state. A
doub, Of it expressed TO his
friends or acGuaintances would
have been met with deris!on n
ridicuie. . Il despair OF
justice ever being done my broth
er. but I will stand sentinel as
long as l live to guard his reputa-
ton and 20 give the lie TO any as
sailant of his honor.
Somehow this published letter, re-
calling as it oes a time which only
the Oldest of the Times readers re-
member and which to the younger
generation seems practically as re.
mote as Selkirk's colony at Pembina
or The Lewis and Clark expedition
brings TO mind a March afternoon In
the senate that was. The year was
1886 and Kansas was under discus
sion. Senator Butler. the uncle o.
the Brockses. and the man about
whom Sumner used the language thai
cost him the Gaming. had taken ,ht
floor TO defend the president agains'
the unsparing criticism Of the anti
slavery senator's alnong whom SUM
ner was a leader. Eefore he haG
closed his speech he had declared hi!
conviction thai h union was alread!
dissolved. He said:
II We are to be drifting this
way into a dissolution of the
union. l would rather 1t should
ne dissolved tomorrow wish
my words measured-in prefer
ence to living in a union without
the protection OF a constitution
which gives me equality.
He was followed by Senator Touce.
Of Connecticut who continued the de
tense Of the president. bitterly at
taclins the assailants Of the admins
traf1on. and accusing them OF coward
ice. On this score he said:
There is a elias Of persons VIII
are acitating in opposition to n
portion of the constitution Of the
United States. know
,,o,, ,,-L1 ,ol,a a 1aaI IN
that agitation. Sir. if they will re-
sort to open force. if they will
unite. with arms in their hands,
for the purpose Of resisting the
execution Of that portion Of the
constitution, their fate Is before
them; the constitution indicates
their fate. . These men do
no - that. sir When l enter
into an agitation against any por-
tion Of the constitution Of my
country. I shall do it in a
which will make me amenable to
its laws. shall do it openly.
Senator John P. Hale. Of New
Hampshire followed and after paying
his respects in caustic terms to the
senator from South Carolina, he turn.
ed his attention to the Connection,
senator who had preceded him. Here
are a part of his remarks:
He (Mr. ToucerD did not dee.
cribe all the characters which We
have iii our New England states.
I will describe another character.
We have amongst us there Il set
Of politicians who make loud
profession OF Democracy and
have great reverence for the con-
%stitutiOn. They see that there is
one controlling interest in this
country. as no man can fai! to see
An Interest which knows NO
Wings and no Democrats, and
which has generally dispensed
political power and patronage in
this country. Before that pat
r"nage-disl,ensing power the
class which l am describing lie
fiat. They seem, when they conie
into its presence. to think tina,
the sentence which was bro.
nounced upon the tempter is
ringing in their ears: Upon thy
belly shalt thou go. and dust thou
shalt eat all the days of thy life"
SIS. None OF those animals
ever creep here. Of course. We
keep them at home. Or. at
least. IL they ever do get here.
it IL by mistake.
Such was the emo and temper OF
t6A oanovo that MOE ~--. ~.