Year: 1874

BROOKS ATTACK ON SUMNER.


The following interesting cpeech Of. Mr..
Emerson has been called to the attention OF
some who heard 1t nearly eighteen years ago:
REMARKS OF Nh. EMERSON AT MEETING IN


CONCORD, TO CONSIDER THE OUTRAGE UPON


Mr.. SUMNER.


Mr.. CHAIRMAN: sympathizc heartily with
the spirit Of the resolutions. The events of the
last few years and months and days have taught
us the lessons Of centuries. LIDO not see how q
barbarous community and q civilized COM
munity can constitute one State. think we
must get rid of slavery, or we must get rid Of
freedom. Life has no parity of value in the
free State and in the slave State. In one It is
adorned with education, with skillful labor,
with arts, with long prospective interests, with
sacred family ties, with honor and justice. In
the other, life is q fever; man is an animal,
given to pleasure; frivolous, irritable, spending
his days IN hunting and practicing with deadly
weapons to defend himself against his slaves
and against his companions brought up in the
same idle and dangerous way.


Such people live for the moment; they have
properly no future, and readily risk on every
passion life which is of small value to them
selves or others. Many years ago, when Mr..
Webster was challenged in Washington to a
d duel by one of these madcaps, his friends came
forward with prompt good sense, and said such
thing was not to be thought Of Mr.. Web
ster's life was the property of his friends and
OF the whole country, and was not to be risked
on the turn of vagabond's ball. Life and
life are sncommensurate. The whole State OF
South Carolina does not now offer any one, or
any number of persons, who are to be weighed
for moment in the scale with such a person
as the meanest Of them all has now struck
down. The very condition of the game must
always be-the worst life staked against the
best. It is only when they cannot answer
your reason that they wish to knock you down.
If, therefore, Massachusetts, could send to the
Senate a better man than Mr.. Sumner, his
death would be only so much more quick and
certain. Now, as mems bodily strength or
skill with knives and guns is not usually in
proportion to their knowledge and mother wit,
but oftener in the inverse ratio, It will only do
to send foolish persons to Washington if you
wish them to be safe.


The outrage is the more shocking from the
singularly pure character of its victim. Mr..
Summers position is exceptional in its honor
He had not taken his degrees in the caucus
and in hack politics. It is notorious that, in
the long time when his election was pending,
he refused to take single step TO secure it.
He would not so much as go up to the State
house to shake hands with this or that person
whose good will was reckoned important by his
friends. He was elected. It was homage to
character and talent. In Congress he did not
rush into party position. He sat long and
studious. His friends, remember, were told
that they would find Sumner a man of the
world like the rest; tits quite impossible to be
at Washington and not bend; he will bend as
the rest have done. Well, he did not bend
He took his position and kept it. He meekly
bore the cold shoulder from some of his New
England colleagues, the hatred of his enemies,
the pity of the Indifferent, cheered by the love
and respect of good men with whom he acted
and has stood for the North, q little in advance
of all the North. and therefore without ade-
quate support. He has never faltered in his
maintenance of justice and freedom. He has
gone beyond the large expectation of his
friends in his increasing ability and his manlier
tone.


have heard that some of his political friends
tax him with Incidence or Negligence in refus-
ing to make electioneering speeches, or other
wise to bear his part in the labor which party
organization requires. say it to his honor.
But more to his honor are the faults which his
enemies lay to his charge. think, sir, if Mr..
Sumner had any vices, we should be likely to
hear Of them. They haYe fastened their eyes
like microscopes now for five years, on every
act, word, manner and movement, to find
flaw; and with what result2 His opponents
accuse him neither of drunkenness, nor de-
bauchery, nor job, nor speculation, nor rapa-
city, nor personal aims of any kind. No; but
of whata Why, beyond this charge, which It
is impossible was ever made, that he broke
over the proprieties of debate, find him ac-
cused ofpublishing his opinion of the Nebraska
conspiracy in . letter to the people of the
United States, with discourtesy.


Then that he is an abolitionist, as IL every
sane man were not an abolitioniss, or a be-
Hever that all men should be free. And the
third, crime he stands charged with is, that his
speeches were written before they were spoken;
which, of course, must be true in Summers
case, as it was true of Webster, of Adams, of
Calhoun, of Burke, of Chatham, of Demosthe-
mes, of every irst-rate speaker that ever lived.
1t is the high compliment he pays to the intel
Hgence of the Senate and Of the country. When
the same reproach was cast on tho nrst orator
of ancient times, by some caviller Of his day,
he said, 81 should be ashamed to come with
one unconsidered word before such an assem-
bly,"


Mr.. Chairman, when I think of these most
small faults as the worst which petty hatred
could allege, think I may borrow the Ian
guage which Bishop Burnet applied to Sir
Isaac Newton, and say that Charles Sumner
"has the ewhitest soul ever knew" Well, sir,
this noble head, so comely and so wise, must
be the target for pair Of bullies to beat with
elubsl


The murderer's brand shall stamp their fore
heads wherever they may wander on the earth.
But wish, sir, that the high respects Of this
meeting shall be expressed to Mr. Sumner; that
q copy of the resolutions that have been read
may be forwarded to him. / wish that he may
know the shudder of terror that ran through
all this community on the first tidings of this
brutal attack. Let him hear that every man
of worth in New England loves his virtues;
that every mother thinks of him as the protec-
tor of families; that every friend of freedom
thinks him the friend of freedom. And If our
arms at this distance cannot defend him from
assassins, we confide the defence of life so
precious to all honorable men and true patriots,