Edgefield, South Carolina, Advertiser Quotes
Our Representative, Mr. Brooks, was among Mr. Senator Sumner's audience, on the second day; and it was on this day that Sumner, emptied one of his vials of vile vituperation on the head of Senator Butler, who was then absent at home. As soon as the speech was done and the Senate had adjourned, Mr. Brooks advanced to Sumner and demanded some explanation or retraction of his abuse of Judge Butler; and upon Sumner's refusal to accede to the proposition, our member fell to work upon him with a cane he happened to have in hand at the moment. The beating is said by all the reporters to have been a thorough one. Some say he received fifty stripes; yet we very much doubt if the Captain cared to exceed the legal number of thirty-nine, usually applied to scamps. But the beauty and propriety of the proceeding consists, to no small extent, in the fact that it was accomplished while yet the galleries had not emptied themselves, and while many of Sumner's constituents were probably there to look upon the deed. For our own part, we feel that our Representative did exactly right; and we are sure his people will commend him highly for it.
Congressman Preston Brooks had attacked and almost murdered, Senator Sumner, who was caught in his desk and could not defend himself. While the beating of legislators who positions that were disliked was castigated by almost all newspapers and community leaders in the North and many in the South, this editorial shows how far the polarization of American had gone before the Civil War. It also illustrated that the issue causing the schism was slavery and not as later Southern apologists suggested, different philosophies of government.
Edgefield, South Carolina, Advertiser, Editorial, "Hit him again.", May 28, 1856
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
In the lowest point in Senate history, Senator Brooks snuck up behind Senator Charles Sumner, stuck Sumner a massive blow to the back of the head with a heavy stick. While Sumner was half conscious and caught in his desk, Brooks continued to beat Sumner senseless. Sumner did not die but was seriously handicapped for life. Preston attacked Sumner supposedly because Sumner made a senate speech condemning slavery practices in South Carolina and “insulted” Brooks’ cousin—a Congressman who was defending slavery. Because of the polarization between North and Southern senators, no resolution could be passed to condemn and discipline Brooks so the Senate became the only place in America where someone could beat an unarmed, defenseless man senselessly with impunity. Even some Southerners were surprised because at that time “Gentlemen” still fought duels over disputes and in those, both parties would be equally armed.
In 1856 Senator Charles Sumner, a strong slavery opponent, was writing at his Senate desk and a Southern Congressman, Preston Brooks, sneaked up behind him and beat him senseless with a heavy cane. The beating shocked most of the country and ended much of the comity between pro-slavery and anti-slavery members of Congress. Sumner was in treatment and therapy for 3 years, but returned to the Senate to be one of the radical Republican abolitionists who pressured Lincoln on the emancipation issue and led the vigorous Reconstruction efforts after the war. For the northern newspapers, this became the symbol of Southern lack of civilization and fanaticism which did as much as anything to set the stage for the Civil War. A majority of the House of Representatives voted to expel Brooks, but the necessary two-thirds could not be obtained because Southerners supported Brooks creating even more division between North and South. Brooks was so shunned however that he shortly resigned.
The Congressman was not even chastised by the House of Representatives.
Adams had submitted to the House a petition from some of his constituents calling for a dissolution of the Union on the grounds that the existence of slavery nullified a sufficient part of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights so that the union should be nullified and in effect anti slavery states such as Massachusetts would not be bound by slavery supporters blocking anti-slavery legislation. State’s rights and succession cut both ways potentially in America’s race history. The vast majority of the house members were indignant that any responsible member would introduce a petition, and there were calls for Adam’s expulsion from the House from the majority of the members. The leadership however thought this might set some bad precedents, and tried to persuade the membership to on the grounds of mercy and comity just censure him. Adams responded with this famous quotation cutting the legs from under both the leadership and the membership with the result being that no action was taken.
with which he beat senseless Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist in a sneak attack
This quotation is very interesting historically. Despite the fact that Washington DC was a thoroughly racially segregated city, and the Southern racists controlled much of Congress, Blacks as well as whites were welcome in the Congressional galleries, and they attended many debates. Slavery and equality were not just debated in the 1850s but the issue was in constant friction from the earliest Congress.
This statement was made long after slavery had been abolished and Jim Crow was on the rise in the South.
Parker and other escaped slaves in Christiana fought off slave catchers and killed the slave owner leading them. Charged with treason, he escaped to Canada with his family and lived there the rest of his life. While not a polished writer, after he himself had escaped and went to Christiana and leaned to read and write. He wrote this narrative of his life as a slave—one of the few written works we have from slaves.
After Adams’ term as President, he was elected to the House of Representatives where he served for the rest of his career. He was constantly calling for the emancipation of slaves (see {77463}) in the House debates. The Southern Congressmen were so offended by this that they got the majority of the House to pass a rule that made using the word “slavery” out of order. It was called the “Gag Rule”. Adams, one of the best legislators and lawyers of his day, then started reading in the House debates petitions of his constituents calling for an end to slavery. The Southerners called for the Speaker to declare him out of order for violating the gag rule. But Adams pointed out that the Constitution gave citizens the right to petition Congress with no controls on the petitions. Therefore the reading of the petitions was Constitutionally mandated and trumped the Rules of the House. He then arranged to have many petitions submitted which he dutifully read on the House floor to the extreme anger of the Southerners.
