Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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(?Utxi Newspaper Sn ^0tth Carolina NO. 27 DEFENDS COL. BROOKS. Gen. Brooks Resents Attack of Dr. Abbott Upon the Late Preston S. Brooks in The Outlook. GeB. IT. R. Brooks has sent the 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 a "crime": Editor The Outlook: A friend handed me a copy of The Outlook of June 21, 1913, and in reading "Henry Ward Beecher as an Ora tor," by Lyman Abbott. I find the following on page 379: "The true orator must be a real thinker, and he must think clearly and practi cally if he would produce perma nent effects. Wendell Phillips was one of the greatest orators I ever heard. I think I Bhould put him second only to Henry Ward Beech er. 1 heard him deliver an address in Watertown, Massachusetts, di 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 ered 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." I have the ., honor , to be a nephew of the Hon. Preston S. Brooks,who caned the Hon. Charles Sumner in the United States Senate chamber on the 22d of May, 1856, and died at the Metropolitan hotel, in the city of Washington, D. C., on the 27th of January, 1857. He was born at Edgefield Court House, South Carolina, on August 5, 1819. At the time of his death he was a little over 37 years old. Almighty God does not give everything to any one individual. Mr. Sumner was endowed with a powerful intellect and also a tine, large physique, but if he ever had any courage I never heard of it. For six days his well trained voice was heard in the the United States Sen ate (in May, 1856;) his skilful rhet oric, dramatic action, were admired immensely by the Free Soilers dur ing the six days of abuse ht-aped upon South Carolina and her Sena tor, Andrew Pickens Butler, the aged relative of Mr. Brooks. He (Mr. Sumner) was chastised and justly so by as brave a man as the United States Senate has ever pro duced and as gallant a soldier as ever drew a sword on the plains of Mexico, fighting under the stars and stripes. I have never defended his fair name from attacks from blackguards, but when a gentleman of Mr. Lyman Abbott's culture writes of him as making a brutal assault on Charles Sumner-then forbearance ceases to be a virtue. I respectfully call Mr. Abbott's attention to the account of the can ing of Sumner as published in the Washington Star of date May 23, 1856: We have taken occasion to procure an account of the affair that occurred in the Senate cham ber yesterday afternoon from an eye-witness, in whose judgment and in the integrity of whose rep resentation we rely. We present it to our readers as follows: " '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. SumneT being there, Mr. Brooks sat near Mr. Sumner until a few ladies who .wire on the floor had retired. He then went up to Mr. Sumner, who was at bis desk writing, and said: "I have read your speech carefully and with as much disposition to dc you justice as I could command, and I have deliberately come to the conclusion that you were guilty ol a gross libel upon my State and a wanton insult to my absent and gray-haired relative, Judge Butler, and I feel under obligation to in fiict on yon a punishment for tint libel and insult." Mr. Sut thereupon essayed to rise fron seat as though to resist what Brooks had said, when he < Brooks) Struck Mr. Sumner rapid and repeated blows abonl head with a gutta-percha cane, continued his blows in spite of Sumner's efforts to ward them and seize the cane, until Mr. S ner fell. As Mr. Brooks was pending his blows (which he the instant Mr. Sumner fell) Crittendon came up and interpo saying, "Don't kill," etc. Brooks thereupon left the spot remained with hie friends in Senate chamber until Mr. Sumr friends, several of whom were p ent (Mr. Morgan of New York, Mr. Foster of Connecticut, am them) lifting him up, bore him i one of the ante-rooms of the ? ate.' " In Rhodes History of the Uni States we are told that Brooks c: from a good South Carolina fam was well educated and had beei member of the house of represei tives for three years, where his c duct had been that of a gentlem and he had been called admirin by all with whom he was associa "courteous, accomplished, wai hearted, hotrblooded, dear as friend and fearful as an enemy." Sumner assailed Senator But in his absence with such vile vi peration that Lewis Cass, a Nor ern man of the highest standii the Nestor of the 3. .late, declai it to be "the most unAmerican a unpatriotic (speech) that ever gr ed on the ears of members of tl high body. I hope never to hi the like again, here or el6ewher See Dargaa's School History South Carolina. A Hartford pi fessor, many years after the eve in discussing Bacon's essay on "I ven??e," told his class that "A Sumner's vituperation was intol able." The British Quarterly Revi< characterized this speech "as an < ample and proof of the deterioi tion of American tastes,'* and sa , that Sumner used this vile langua ! because he was adapting himself his audience, that he was too mu of a scholar of good sen and good taste to have used it f any other purpose, and that *J must be heartily ashamed of it John Bigelow, who was born No 25, 1817, at Bristol, N. Y., and i years thereafter died, said that tl blood that Brooks drew from Sur ner was the first blood of the wa From "The World's Famous Or tions I take the following: Pre ton S. Brooks in his defence of h .attack on Sumner "Born in 1819; died in 1857; elec ed to Congress from South Carolir in 1853, serving until 1856, whe after the failure to expel him, i resigned and appealed to his coi stituents, who re-elected him in tb same yeir almost without oppos: tion. Served until his death, Jan? ary 27, 1857. Delivered in th House of Representatives on Jul 14, 1856." "Some time since a Senator fror. Massachusetts allowed himself, i an elaborately prepared speech, t offer a gross inBult to my State an* to a venerable friend who is m; State's representative and who wa absent at the time. Not conten with that, he published to th i worH, and circulated extensively this uncalled for libel on my Stat and on my blood. Whatever in suits my State insults rae. He i history and character have com . manded my pious veneration, ant . in her defence I hope I shall alwayi be prepared, humbly and modestly to perform the duty of a son. J should have forfeited my own self , respect, and perhaps the good opinion of my countrymen, if I had failed to resent such an injury bj calling the offender in question to a : personal account. It was a person al affair, and in taking redress into my own hands I meant no disre ? spect to the Senate of the United ' States or to this House. "But if I had committed a breach i of privilege, it was the privilege of : the Senate, and not of this House, which was violated. I was answer ? able there and not here. They had , no right, as it seems to me, to pros ; ecute me in these halls, nor have : you the right, in law or under the L Constitution, as I respectfully sub I mit, to take jurisdiction over , offences committed against them. - The Constitution does not justify i them in making suoh a request, nor this house in granting it If un happily the day should ever come when party or sectional feeling should run so high ;ts to control other considerations, of public duty or justice, how easy it will be to use snoh precedents for the exouse of arbitrary power, in either house, to expel members of the minority who have rendered themselves ob noxious to the prevailing spirit in the house to which they belong. If I desired to kill the Senator, why did I not do it? You all ad mit that I had him within my pow er. It was expressly vo avoid tak ing life that I used an ordinary cane, presented to me by a friend in Baltimoie nearly three months before its application to the 'bare bead' of the Massachusetts Senator. I went to work very deliberately, as I am charged-and this is admitted -and speculated somewhat as to whether I should employ a horse whip or a cowhide, but knowing that the Senator was ray superior in strength, it occurred to me that he might wrest it from my hand, and then-for I never attempt any thing I do not perform-I might have been compelled to do that whijh I would have "*greUed the balance of my natural life. My an swer is that the Senator would not accept a message, and having form ed the unalterable determination to punish him?, I believed that the defence of 'sending ? hostile mee f<2ge,Vsnpcradded to the indictment for assault and battery, would sub ject roe to legal penalties more se vere than would be imposed for a simple assault and battery. That is my answer. "To such as have given their] votes and made their speeches on the constitutional principles involv ed, and without indulging in per sonal villification, I owe respect. But, sir, they have written me down upon the history of the country as worthy of expulsion, and in no un kindness I must tell them that for all future time my self-respect re quires that I shall pass them as strangers. And now, Mr. Speaker, I announce to you and to this House that I am no longer a mem ber of the 34th Congress," and, concluding his speech, Mr. Brooks walked out of the House. Will Mr. Lyman Abbott allow me to suggest that we let the dead rest? TJ. R. Brooks. All Aboard For the Foreign Tour, Thurs day, August 21. Ticket Office, America-Residence of Mrs. Mary J. Norris-Round Trip Tickets for Twelve Years Old and Under 25c-From 13 to 1,6 inclu sive 50O-?-AU Oldc^; Tourists $1. Parties of twenty-five wiil leave America for Japan and the world tour at 6, 6. 30, 7, 7.30 and the last one at 8 o'clock. Decide at which house you expect to leave and begin to make preparations. Japan-Residence of Mrs. W. E. Lott. Italy-Mrs. A. E. Padgett. China-Mrs. E. J. Norris. Africa-Mrs. J. L. Mims. Mexico-Mrs. Lovick Mims. America-Mrs. Mamie N. Tillman. At each home, about twenty minutes will be delightfully spent, and refreshments served everywhere. After you have bought your ticket and entered one of the touring cars for your destination there will be no further expense. Everything is included in the price above. TOUR COMMITTEE. . JOHNSTON LETTER. Miss Kenny and Miss Wright Entertain. Engagements An nounced Dr. Allen Ex pected Home. Mrs. Ernest Satcber and children of Augusta are guests at the home of Mr. W. W. Satcher. Mrs. L. C. Latiraer is visiting her son, Mr. Edward Latimer, at Ma cou, Ga Mrs. P. B. Waters, Jr., is visit ing her cousin, Mrs. David Phil ipps, at Springfield. Mrs. W. G. Templeton, of Sum merville, is spending awhile in the home of her brotLer, Mr. Herbert Eidson: Miss Minnie Craig Taylor has re turned to Camden after a visit to her friend Miss Elise Crouch. Miss Maud Nickerson spent the past week in Greenwood with Mrs. Taylor Goodwyn. Following have gone to Way nesville, N. C.: Mr. and Mrs. Jack A. Lott. Misses Mertis, Sue, Ella and Ola Smith, Lylie and Pet La Grone. Mesdames A. P. Lewis and Liz zie Crim will represent the mission society at the annual W. M. U. held at Saluda on '28,29th, and dele gates from the Y. W. A., will bel MisRes Beulah Sawyer and Sara! Norris, alternates, Misses Martha Watson and Zena Payne. Miss Flora Kenny entertained a number of her friends on Tuesday evening, complimentary to her friend Miss Cooner, of Greenwood. Eight tables of progressive games were played out on the veranda, and Mr. Auburu Moyer made the highest score, and received the gift. Punch was served during the time, and at the couclusion an ice course, with cake was served. Mr. Gus Powell, the father of Mr. Bob Powell died on last Thurs day morning, August 7th at his home near town. He was just ready to go to the services being held at I Rocky Creek, and feeling indispos ed, returned to the house to lie] down. He was administered to by those with him, but he died within half an hour after his return to the home. Dr. B. L. Allen is expected home this week from the city hospital Augusta, and it is a source of great| pleasure to his many friends that he is improving **nd will soon bel among them again. Miss Emmie Wright gave a very pleasant party on Monday evening, and Rook was the chief means of amusement and after an animated game, Miss Maud Sawyer was giv en the prize, a box of confections. The refreshments served were ar tistically arranged, the colors of pink and yellow being used, and this color predominated in the flow ers used in the decorations. About 30 friends were present and the affair was in honor of ber friend and class-mate, Miss Mabel Cooner, of Batesburg. Mr. Paul Perry, of Florida, has been visiting his father, Mr. Pope Perry. Misses Annie Crouch and Eula Satcher are guests of friends in Sa luda. Mr. and Mr?. Mike Clark enter tained with a Lea on Thursday even ing. Rev. and Mrs. Hamlin Etheredge are cuests of friends here. Prof. Eric W. Hardy, who bas been superintendent of the school at Fork Union, Va., is spending awhile at the home of his father, Mr. J. W. Hardy. Mr. W. S. Stevens, Mrs. Ida Stevens and Miss Lena Stevens, Mr. J. K- Allen and Miss Mary Lewis, of Meeting Street, were visitors here during the week. Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Mobley are at home from Florida where they have been for the past 8 months. They have a winter home at Au burndale, and the stay there has benefitted them both. Miss Alma Woodward is at home from a visit to friends in Atlanta, and to the Isle of Palms. Miss Bessie May King, an attract ive young lady of Savannah, has re turned to her home after a visit to the home of her aunt, Mrs. M. A. Hmet and also to home of her friend Miss Sara Stevens. Mesdames Horace Wright, of Georgetown, Henry Clark of Aiken, and Miss Daisy Sawyer ol' Fairfax, are visiting their sisters, Misses Sawyer. , Mr. W. T. Walton is at home froui a month's stay at Hot Springs. Mr. and Mrs. G. P. Cobb enter tained on Saturday night with a delightful au?rag, complimentary to Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot Ouzts. Mrs. Ephriam Andrews has an nounced the engagement of her daughter, Miss Angelle Bacon An drews to Mr. John Milhu, of Chat tanooga, Tenn., the marriage to take place in the early part of Sep tember. Miss Andrews is one of the towu's sweetest and most accom plished young women, and by her cordial manner has always made warm friends here, and that ber marriage will remove her to another state, is a source of keen regret. Mr. Milhu is one of Chattanooga's most progressive business men. Mrs. Hearsey, of Waynesboro, Ga., has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. Carl Lowrey. The W. C. T. VJ. from here will send a large delegation to the ?tate convention to be held at Saluda in September. The local officers, Mrs. T. R. Denny, president; Mrs. Fanr nie Hoyt, treasurer; Mrs. Olin Eid{ son, recording secretary; Mrs. J. P. Bean, corresponding secretary, and Mrs. A. P. Lewis, state officer, will attend and the delegates are Mes dames P. B. Waters, J. L. Smith, J. L. Walker and Miss Zena Payne. Ten Commandments of Health. The Bulletin of the Chicago Department of Public Health prints the following Ten Commandments: 1. Thou shalt honor thy city and keep its laws. 2. Remember thy cleaning day and keep it wholly. 3. Thou shalt love and cherish thy children and provide for them decent homes and playgrounds. 4. Thou shalt not keep thy win dows closed day or night. 5. Thou shalt keep in order thy alley, thy back-yard, thy hall and stairway. 6. Thou shalt not kill thy neigh bor's bodies with poisonous air, nor their souls with bad corn pinions. 7. Thou shalt not let the wicked fly live. 8. Thou shalt not steal thy children's right to happiness from them. 9. Thy shalt bear witness against thy neighbor's rubbish heap. 10. Thou shalt covet all the air and sunlight thou eau i ob tain. On the reverse side of the card is a diagram graphically setting forth these facts: Good housing promotes: Health, life, mortality, success, ambition. Bad housing promotes: Failure, stupidity, crime, disease, death. LOCKING COACH DOORS. Custom of the Southern Rail way Answers no Good Pur pose and is Inconvenient to Passengers. Spartanburg, S. C., Aug. 1, 'IS. Editor Advertiser, Edgefield, S. C. Dear Sir: The Southern Railway company has in force a rule requir ing the locking of the rear doors of passenger coaches upon approach ing and leaving stations, which is highly inconvenient to the travel ing public and positively dangerous. All passengers are forced to enter and leave by the front door, requir ing twice as long to make the ex change of passengers as would be necessary did they enter by the rear door and leave by the front. Where ladies and children re quire assistance in getting on trains, often the one assisting attempts to leave the train by the rear door as the train begins to move only to rind the door locked and he must run to the front door and alight from the fast moving train. During the interval between the locking of the rear door one or two miles before reaching the station, and unlocking it one or two miles after leaving it, accidents of al most any nature might occur, ef fectually closing the only avenue of escape. Should the car become derailed, front end collision, fire or panic of any kind, the pas sengers would be caged like rats in a trap. When the Iroquois theatre burn ed in Chicago, taking its toll of the lives of men, women and children, a wave of horror swept over the oonntry which resulted in the chang ing of the hanging of doors to all public buildings, so ae to allow people to escape in times of dagger or panic. And yet more people v travel every day over the South ern railway in South Carolina than were in the Iroquois theatre, and with far greater probability of acci dent, and proportionate risk of life and limb. The helpless women and children demand the protection which we can give by a little effort just now. The undersigned, representing Spar tan Council 323, U. C. T.'8, has the matter pending before the railroad commission at this time. We urge every person in South Carolina who appreciates the situation to write the Hon. John G. Richards, Jr., chairman railroad commission, Co lumbia, S.C., insisting upon an or der from the commission requiring the Southern Railway company (the only offender in this particular) to keep open and accessible at all times both front and rear doors of all pas senger coaches in operation. W. F. Strickland, Chairman R. R. Com. Spartanburg, S. C. South in Saddle. Judson Welliver, a Washington correspondent, says that the south is in the saddle now insofar as gov ernmental affairs are concerned and offers the following as proof of it: "The president is a native of Virginia. "The speaker of the house is a uative of Kentucky. "The leader of the house is a native of Kentucky. "The ten members of the cabinet include one native of Texas, one of Georgia, two of North Carolina, one of Kentucky. Two were bom under the British flag, and the oth er three are natives of Illinois, New York and New Jersey. "The chairman of most of the important committees of both sen ate and house are natives of the south and elected from it. "The chief justice of the supreme court is a native of Louisiana. "Aside from all this, the south is getting in the general personnel of executive positions that are filed by appointment, a vastly larger pro portion of big and influential posts than it has held since the civil war." John, I've just heard where you may buy a fine new automobile for half price." "All right, dear. Now if you can hear how we may be able to keep it going for half prioe I'll buy the thing""