Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-08-13
DEFENDS COL. BROOKS.
Gen. Brooks Resents Attack OF
DIR. Abbott Upon the Late
Preston S. Brooks in
The Outlook.

following letter to The Outlook,
defending the late Preston S.
Brooks from an attack by DR.. Ly-
man Abbott who refers TO the can
ing of Sumner as crime:
Editor The Outlook: A friend
handed me a copy of The Outlook
of June 81, 1918, and in reading
Henry Ward Beecher as an Ora
tor" by Lyman Abbott. | find the
following on page a79: The true
orator must be real thinker, and
he must think clearly and practl-
cally if he would produce perma-
nent effects. Wendell Phillips was
one of the greatest orators / ever
heard. / think I should put him
second only to Henry Ward Beech
er. ] heard him deliver an address
in Watertown, Massachusetts, d.
rectly after the brutal assault of
Preston Brooks on Charles Sumner.
The reader of to-day cannot easily
conceive how deeply stirred was the
State of Massachusetts by that
crime, nor conceive how profoundly
stirred was the Massachusetts, au-
dience by the restrained eloquence
of Massachusetts great orator, the
Mark Antony of his time. But the
speech was wholly Ineffective, be-
cause when we came away from his
indictment Of the slave power and
thought over his address we discov-
cred that the only remedy which he
proposed was that Massachusetts
should call home her Senators and
Representatives and secede from
the Union-a remedy which was in
stantly rejected by our sober second
thought
Ihave the: honor to be nephew
of the Hon. Preston S. Brooks, who
caned the Hon. Charles Sumner in
the United States Senate chamber
on the 226 of May, 1856, and died
at the Metropolitan hotel, in the
city of Washington, D. c., on the
9th of January, 1857. He was
born at Edgefeld Court House,
South Carolina, on August 5, 1919.
At the time of his death he was a
little over 81 years old.
Almighty God does not give
everything to any one individual.
Mr.. Sumner was endowed with a
powerful intellect and also fine,
large physique, but if he ever had
any courage never heard of it. For
six days his well trained voice was
heard in the the United States Sen
ate Tin May, 1859 his skilful rhet-
oric, dramatic action, were admired
immensely by the Free Sellers dur
ing the six days Of abuse heaped
upon South Carolina and her Sena-
tor, Andrew Pickens Butler, the
aged relative of Mr.. Brooks. He
tMr. Sumner) was chastised and
Justly so by as brave man as the
United States Senate has ever pro-
duced and as gallant a soldier as
ever drew sword on the plains of
Mexico, fighting under the stars
and stripes. ] have never defended
his fair name from attacks from
blackguards, but when gentleman
of Mr.. Lyman Abbott's culture
writes of him as making a brutal
assault on Charles Sumner-then
forbearance ceases to be virtue.
] respectfully call MIR. Abbott's
attention to the account of the can
ing of Sumner as published in the
sshingtcn Star of date May 9s,
1856: We have taken occasion to
procure an account of the affair
that occurred in the Senate cham
Der yesterday afternoon from an
eyewitness, in whose judgment
and in the integrity of whose rep.
resentation we rely. We present it
to our readers as follows:
F" Yesterday after he had sought
Mr.. Sumner elsewhere without find
ing him, Mr.. Brooks went to the
Senate chamber (the Senate then
having adjourned.) Mr.. Sumner
being there, MIR. Brooks sat near
MIR. Sumner until few ladies who
were on the floor had retired. He
then went up to Mr.. Sumner, who
was at his desk writing, and said:
"I have read your speech carefully
and with as much disposition to dc
you justice as could command
and l have deliberately come to the
conclusion that you were guilty OF
a gross libel upon my State and
wanton insult to my absent and
gray-haired relative, Judge Butler,
and feel under obligation to in
fict on yop punishment for this