The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-06-12
A WHIPPING that
FASTENED A WAR
THE ATTACK OF BROOKS UPON
SIMMER FAMED FLAMES.
Bloodied Senators
South Carolinian Was Highly Praised
Throughout the
South.

Sixty-three years ago this month,
Col. Preston S. Brooks, then mem
ber of the lower house of congress.
severely chastised Senator Charles
Sumner of Massachusetts, for certain
aspersions cast on Senator Butler, al
so from South Carolina and an uncle
of Colonel Brooks. The following
story from the New Orleans Times
Picayune will be read with interest
today on this, the 63rd, anniversary
of an incident which famed into con-
suming fame the heated passions be-
tween the North and the South.
A paper was being circulated in
this city authorizing call for mass
meeting of citizens, irrespective OF
political afiliation, to be held in Ly-
ceum (City) hall on the evening OF
the 18th of May, 1855. The object
of the meeting was to adopt resolu-
tions expressive of the sympathy OF
New Orleans for Col Preston S.
Brooks, of South Carolina, then a
member of the lower house of con-
gress, and making manifest its con-
viction of the jurisdiction Of Colonel
Brooks's assault upon the Hon.
Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, on
the 22nd in the senate chamber at
the capitol. This affair was the SEN
sation of the day and, it was said
did more to hasten the war between
the North and South than even the
question of slavery itself. All over
the South the conduct of Colonel
Brooks in thus chastising Senator
Sumner for the ridicule and sarcasm
which the latter heaped unsparingly
upon Senator Butler was universauy
paIliated, if not applauded, from the
fact especially that Senator Butler
was an uncle of Colonel Brooks, and
was absent from the senate at the
time the language resented was used
1T was recalled by the New Orleans
papers that Colonel Brooks had
served gallantly in the Mexican war
where he had a brother killed. He
was represented by persons who knew
and had seen him in congress as a
splendid specimen Of man-open
generous hearted, kind and chivalric
Incapable of a dishoiorable act OF
feeling. He was 80 years of age, re-
markably fine looking, very popular
in congress, and was said to have
been on good terms with and liked
/ BY many of the most violent aboli'
tionists. Senator Butler, on the other
hand, was an old man, with long
white hair, and venerable in appear
ance, while Sumner was quite young
enough to be his son; and this fact
probably added greatly to the provo
s cation. which The Delta observed
e'must be great indeed to have in
duced such a man as Colonel Brooks
to punish Sumner in the way and al
the time and place he did,
'tThe illustrious example giver
by Henry S: Foote and Thomas H
BENTON said The Picayune, com
menting upon the Brooks-Sumner af
fair, Sin their famous senatorial re
contre, appears likely to have man!
imitators, and official life in Wash
ington is every year becoming les!
dignified and less agreeable. A shor
time since, Horace Greeley, pro
5 fessed non-combatant, was violentl.
assaulted by Mr.. Rust of Arkansas
who had an easy victory over a yer!
weak individual, who was inferior tt
him in physique. 1t appears that Mr.
Greeley reviewed one of Mr.. Rust
speeches rather severely, but his re
marks were not such as to demand
the very harsh penalty exacted fo
them"
Col. Preston S. Brooks took ex
ception to the following languag
used by Senator Sumner in his speecl
of the 22nd: with regret I COM
again upon the senator from Soutl
Carolina (Mr. Butler), who omni
present in this debate, overfowe'
with rage at the simple suggestion
that Kansas had applied for admis
siou as State and with incoheren
phrases discharged the loose expec
toration of his speech, now upon he
representative and then upon he
people. There was no extravaganza
of the ancient parliamentary whicl
he did not repeat nor was there an,
possible deviation from truth whicl
he did not make. But the senate
touches nothing which he does no
disfgure with error sometimes o
principle, sometimes of fact. H