On Friday, May 23, the day after the assault, Hon. Henry Wilson,
colleague of Mr. Sumner, rising in his seat immediately after the
reading of the Journal, made the following remarks.
“Mr. President,--The seat of my colleague is vacant to-day.
That seat is vacant to-day for the first time during five
years of public service. Yesterday, after a touching tribute
of respect to the memory of a deceased member of the House of
Representatives, the Senate adjourned. My colleague remained
in his seat, busily engaged in his public duties. While thus
engaged, with pen in hand, and in a position which rendered
him utterly incapable of protecting or defending himself, Mr.
Preston S. Brooks, a member of the House of Representatives,
approached his desk unobserved, and abruptly addressed him.
Before he had time to utter a single word in reply, he received
a stunning blow upon the head from a cane in the hands of
Mr. Brooks, which made him blind and almost unconscious.
Endeavoring, however, to protect himself, in rising from his
chair his desk was overthrown; and while in that condition, he
was beaten upon the head by repeated blows, until he sunk upon
the floor of the Senate, exhausted, unconscious, and covered
with his own blood. He was taken from this Chamber to the
anteroom, his wounds were dressed, and then by friends he was
carried to his home and placed upon his bed. He is unable to
be with us to-day to perform the duties that belong to him as a
member of this body.
“Sir, to assail a member of the Senate out of this Chamber,
‘for words spoken in debate,’ is a grave offence, not only
against the rights of the Senator, but the constitutional
privileges of this House; but, Sir, to come into this Chamber,
and assault a member in his seat until he falls exhausted and
senseless on this floor, is an offence requiring the prompt and
decisive action of the Senate.
“Senators, I have called your attention to this transaction.
I submit no motion. I leave it to older Senators, whose
character, whose position in this body and before the country,
eminently fit them for the task of devising measures to redress
the wrongs of a member of this body, and to vindicate the honor
and dignity of the Senate.”
Mr. Seward followed with a resolution.
“_Resolved_, That a Committee of five members be appointed by
the President to inquire into the circumstances attending the
assault committed on the person of the Hon. Charles Sumner, a
member of the Senate, in the Senate Chamber yesterday; and that
the said Committee be instructed to report a statement of the
facts, together with their opinion thereon to the Senate.”
On motion of Mr. Mason, of Virginia, the resolution was amended,
so that the Committee should be elected by the Senate. It was then
adopted. Mr. Pearce, of Maryland, Mr. Allen, of Rhode Island, Mr.
Dodge, of Wisconsin, Mr. Geyer, of Missouri, and Mr. Cass, of Michigan,
were elected. Mr. Seward, who introduced the resolution, and Mr.
Wilson, who announced the assault, were excluded.
On the 28th of May Mr. Pearce made a report from the Select Committee,
which, after a brief statement of facts, says, that “the Senate,
for a breach of its privileges, cannot arrest a member of the House
of Representatives, and, _a fortiori_, cannot try and punish him”;
that “that authority devolves solely upon the House of which he is
a member”; and that “the Senate cannot proceed further than to make
complaint to the House of Representatives of the assault committed by
one of its members.” It was ordered that “a copy of this report, and
the affidavits accompanying the same, be transmitted to the House of
Representatives.”
Nothing further was done in the Senate on this matter.
In the House of Representatives, on the day after the assault, Hon.
Lewis D. Campbell, of Ohio, moved a Select Committee of five “to
investigate the subject, and to report the facts, with such resolutions
in reference thereto as in their judgments may be proper and necessary
for the vindication of the character of the House.” The resolution was
adopted, and the following Committee was appointed by the Speaker:
Lewis D. Campbell, of Ohio, John Allison, of Pennsylvania, Howell Cobb,
of Georgia, Alfred B. Greenwood, of Arkansas, and Francis E. Spinner,
of New York. Alexander C. M. Pennington, of New Jersey, was substituted
for Mr. Allison. To this Committee were referred the proceedings of the
Senate.
* * * * *
In the testimony taken and reported by the Committee will be found an
authentic account of the assault. The Committee visited Mr. Sumner at
his house.
“HON. CHARLES SUMNER, being sworn, testified.
“_Question_ (by Mr. Campbell). What do you know of the facts
connected with the assault alleged to have been made upon you
in the Senate Chamber by Hon. Mr. Brooks, of South Carolina, on
Thursday, May 22, 1856?
“_Answer._ I attended the Senate as usual on Thursday, the 22d
of May. After some formal business, a message was received
from the House of Representatives, announcing the death of a
member of that body from Missouri. This was followed by a brief
tribute to the deceased from Mr. Geyer, of Missouri, when,
according to usage, and out of respect to the deceased, the
Senate adjourned.
“Instead of leaving the Chamber with the rest on the
adjournment, I continued in my seat, occupied with my pen.
While thus intent, in order to be in season for the mail,
which was soon to close, I was approached by several persons
who desired to speak with me; but I answered them promptly
and briefly, excusing myself, for the reason that I was much
engaged. When the last of these left me, I drew my arm-chair
close to my desk, and, with my legs under the desk, continued
writing. My attention at this time was so entirely withdrawn
from all other objects, that, though there must have been many
persons on the floor of the Senate, I saw nobody.
“While thus intent, with my head bent over my writing, I was
addressed by a person who had approached the front of my desk
so entirely unobserved that I was not aware of his presence
until I heard my name pronounced. As I looked up, with pen in
hand, I saw a tall man, whose countenance was not familiar,
standing directly over me, and at the same moment caught these
words: ‘I have read your speech twice over carefully. It is
a libel on South Carolina, and Mr. Butler, who is a relative
of mine----’ While these words were still passing from his
lips, he commenced a succession of blows with a heavy cane
on my bare head, by the first of which I was stunned so as
to lose sight. I no longer saw my assailant, nor any person
or object in the room. What I did afterwards was done almost
unconsciously, acting under the instinct of self-defence.
With head already bent down, I rose from my seat, wrenching
up my desk, which was screwed to the floor, and then pressed
forward, while my assailant continued his blows. I have no
other consciousness until I found myself ten feet forward, in
front of my desk, lying on the floor of the Senate, with my
bleeding head supported on the knee of a gentleman, whom I soon
recognized, by voice and countenance, as Mr. Morgan, of New
York. Other persons there were about me offering me friendly
assistance; but I did not recognize any of them. Others there
were at a distance, looking on and offering no assistance, of
whom I recognized only Mr. Douglas, of Illinois, Mr. Toombs, of
Georgia, and I thought also my assailant, standing between them.
“I was helped from the floor and conducted into the lobby of
the Senate, where I was placed upon a sofa. Of those who helped
me to this place I have no recollection. As I entered the
lobby, I recognized Mr. Slidell, of Louisiana, who retreated;
but I recognized no one else until some time later, as I
supposed, when I felt a friendly grasp of the hand, which
seemed to come from Mr. Campbell, of Ohio. I have a vague
impression that Mr. Bright, President of the Senate, spoke to
me while I was lying on the floor of the Senate or in the lobby.
“I make this statement in answer to the interrogatory
of the Committee, and offer it as presenting completely
all my recollections of the assault and of the attending
circumstances, whether immediately before or immediately after.
I desire to add, that, besides the words which I have given as
uttered by my assailant, I have an indistinct recollection of
the words, ‘old man’; but these are so enveloped in the mist
which ensued from the first blow, that I am not sure whether
they were uttered or not.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Greenwood). How long do you suppose it was
after the adjournment of the Senate before this occurrence took
place?
“_Ans._ I am very much at a loss to say whether it was half
an hour or fifteen minutes: I should say ranging from fifteen
minutes to half an hour, more or less; perhaps not more than
fifteen minutes. I have already testified that I was so much
absorbed with what I was doing at my desk, that I took very
little note of anything, not even of time.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Cobb). Was the first blow you received from
Mr. Brooks before he had finished the sentence?
“_Ans._ I have no recollection beyond what I have stated.
“_Ques._ My question was, whether a blow was struck before Mr.
Brooks finished the remark to you which you have just quoted?
“_Ans._ The blow came down with the close of the sentence.
“_Ques._ Then the sentence was closed before the blow was
struck?
“_Ans._ It seemed to me that the blow came in the middle of an
unfinished sentence. In the statement I have made I used the
language, ‘While these words were still passing from his lips,
he commenced a succession of blows.’ I heard distinctly the
words I have given; I heard the words ‘a relative of mine,’ and
then it seemed to me there was a break, and I have left it as
an unfinished sentence, the sequel of which I did not hear on
account of the blows.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Campbell). Did you, at any time between the
delivery of your speech referred to and the time when you were
attacked, receive any intimation, in writing or otherwise, that
Mr. Brooks intended to attack you?
“_Ans._ Never, directly or indirectly; nor had I the most
remote suspicion of any attack, nor was I in any way prepared
for an attack. I had no arms or means of defence of any kind.
I was, in fact, entirely defenceless at the time, except so
far as my natural strength went. In other words, I had no arms
either about my person or in my desk. Nor did I ever wear arms
in my life. I have always lived in a civilized community,
where wearing arms has not been considered necessary. When
I had finished my speech on Tuesday,[141] I think it was,
my colleague came to me and said, ‘I am going home with you
to-day; several of us are going home with you.’ Said I, ‘None
of that, Wilson.’ And instead of waiting for him, or allowing
him to accompany me home, I shot off just as I should any other
day. While on my way from the Capitol, I overtook Mr. Seward,
with whom I had engaged to dine. We walked together as far as
the omnibuses. He then proposed that we should take an omnibus,
which I declined, stating that I must go to the printing-office
to look over proofs. I therefore walked alone, overtaking one
or two persons on the way. I have referred to this remark of my
colleague in answer to your question, whether I had in any way
been put on my guard?
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Cobb). What do you attribute the remark of
your colleague to? In other words, was it founded upon an
apprehension growing out of what you had said in your speech?
“_Ans._ I understand that it was. He has told me since that
a member of the House had put him on his guard, but he did
not mention it to me at the time. I suspected no danger, and
therefore I treated what he said to me as trifling.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Pennington). Have you ever defied or invited
violence?
“_Ans._ Never, at any time.
“_Ques._ State what was the condition of your clothing after
this violence, when you were taken from the Chamber.
“_Ans._ I was in such a condition at the time that I was
unaware of the blood on my clothes. I know little about it
until after I reached my room, when I took my clothes off. The
shirt, around the neck and collar, was soaked with blood. The
waistcoat had many marks of blood upon it; also the trousers.
The broadcloth coat was covered with blood on the shoulders
so thickly that the blood had soaked through the cloth, even
through the padding, and appeared on the inside; there was also
a great deal of blood on the back of the coat and its sides.
“_Ques._ Were you aware of the intention of Mr. Brooks to
strike or inflict a blow before the blow was felt?
“_Ans._ I had not the remotest suspicion of it until I felt the
blow on my head.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Campbell). Do you know how often you were
struck?
“_Ans._ I have not the most remote idea.
“_Ques._ How many wounds have you upon your head?
“_Ans._ I have two principal wounds upon my head, and several
bruises on my hands and arms. The doctor will describe them
more particularly than I am able to.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Cobb). You stated, that, when Mr. Brooks
approached you, he remarked that he had read your speech, and
it was a libel upon his State and upon his relative. I will ask
you, if you had, prior to that assault, in any speech, made any
personal allusions to Mr. Brooks’s relative, Mr. Butler, or to
the State of South Carolina, to which Mr. Brooks applied this
remark?
“_Ans._ At the time my assailant addressed me I did not know
who he was, least of all did I suppose him to be a relative
of Mr. Butler. In a speech recently made in the Senate I have
alluded to the State of South Carolina, and to Mr. Butler; but
I have never said anything which was not in just response to
his speeches, according to parliamentary usage, nor anything
which can be called a libel upon South Carolina or Mr. Butler.”
HON. HENRY WILSON, the colleague of Mr. Sumner, first heard of the
assault as he was passing down the street, and hastened back. As to
threats of violence before the assault, he testified:--
“I know of none, of my own knowledge. Mr. Bingham, of the
House of Representatives, said to me just about the time the
Senate adjourned: ‘You had better go down with Mr. Sumner; I
think there will be an assault upon him.’ Said I, ‘Do you think
so?’ He said, ‘I have heard remarks made from which I think an
assault will be made.’ I afterwards said to Mr. Sumner that
I would like to talk with him, and I spoke to Mr. Burlingame
and to Mr. Colfax to walk down with us. While I was standing
talking to Mr. Burlingame, Mr. Sumner went to Mr. Sutton’s[142]
desk, and then went out of the side door. I waited, supposing
he would come back and go down with us. But he did not come,
and we left the Capitol, but waited some time near the porter’s
lodge, until we heard he had gone home. That is all I know, and
it is merely hearsay. I gave myself little trouble about it. I
went up to his room afterwards, but did not find him at home.
Mr. Sumner paid no attention to what I said. I merely said I
wanted to walk down with him,--that I wanted to talk with him.”
HON. JOHN A. BINGHAM, of Ohio, being sworn, testified.
“_Ques._ Had you any reason to apprehend that an assault would
be made on Mr. Sumner after the delivery of that speech?
“_Ans._ I can only say that I had no reason to apprehend danger
to Mr. Sumner, except what I inferred from the language of
Senators at the time he closed his speech. What they said then
led me to believe that an attempt to assail him was intended,
or was intended to be encouraged.
“_Ques._ Were the threats of Senators, of which you speak,
uttered in debate or outside?
“_Ans._ They were uttered in debate. I do not recollect hearing
anything of the kind except what was uttered in debate, coupled
with the manner of Senators. These are all the reasons I had
for apprehending an assault.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Cobb). Did you communicate to Mr. Wilson your
apprehensions in reference to Mr. Sumner?
“_Ans._ I did, before the Senate adjourned, communicate with
Mr. Wilson. I said to Mr. Wilson that it was my opinion an
assault was intended upon Mr. Sumner, and that he had better
see to it that no assault was made.”
JAMES W. SIMONTON, ESQ., reporter of the _New York Times_, being sworn,
testified.
“I was standing in the Senate Chamber near Mr. Clayton’s seat,
conversing with Mr. Morgan and Mr. Murray of the House, when
I heard a blow. I exclaimed, ‘What is that?’ and immediately
started. One step brought me in view of the parties. My
attention was directed at once to Mr. Sumner, with a view to
notice his condition. I saw that he was just in the act of
springing forward. As he came upon his feet, I noticed him spin
around, and then stagger backwards and sideways until he fell.
Mr. Brooks was striking him with his cane, which then seemed
to be broken off one third its length. I rushed up as rapidly
as possible, with other gentlemen, and, as I reached him, or
near him, Mr. Keitt rushed in, running around Mr. Sumner and
Mr. Brooks with his cane raised, crying, ‘Let them alone! let
them alone!’ threatening myself and others who had rushed in to
interfere. Mr. Brooks continued to strike until he was seized
by Mr. Murray, and until Mr. Sumner, who had lodged partly
against the desk, had fallen to the floor. He did not fall
directly, but, after lodging for an instant upon, then slipped
off from his desk, and fell upon the floor. I do not know of
anything further.
“_Ques._ How often did Mr. Brooks strike?
“_Ans._ With great rapidity: at least a dozen, and I should
think twenty blows. Mr. Sumner, at the first moment when I
looked at him, seemed to me to be unconscious.
“_Ques._ (by Mr. Pennington). Do you know of any concert
between Mr. Brooks and any other person, a member of Congress,
to attack Mr. Sumner?
“_Ans._ I do not know anything of my own knowledge. I noticed
several persons who were there. I saw Mr. Keitt there. I have
a distinct recollection of seeing several parties, perhaps not
distinct enough to mention them. I saw several Senators present
immediately afterwards, but whether they were there at the time
of the occurrence I could not say. My attention was directed
especially to Mr. Sumner, and to Mr. Keitt, who seemed to be
acting in concert with Mr. Brooks.
“_Ques._ State, if you can, what Mr. Keitt said or did from
first to last.
“_Ans._ I saw him as I was approaching the parties. I noticed
him run in from the centre aisle, and raise his cane. He used
the words I have spoken; or rather, my impression is that the
precise expression was, ‘Let them alone, God damn you!’”
This is only a portion of the evidence.
* * * * *
The Committee, after taking evidence, made a report, signed by Mr.
Campbell, Mr. Spinner, and Mr. Pennington, which, after setting forth
the facts, concludes with the following resolutions.
“_Resolved_, That Preston S. Brooks be, and he is forthwith,
expelled from this House as a Representative from the State of
South Carolina.
“_Resolved_, That this House hereby declare its disapprobation
of the said act of Henry A. Edmundson and Lawrence M. Keitt in
regard to the said assault.”
A minority report, signed by Mr. Cobb and Mr. Greenwood, concluded with
the following resolution.
“_Resolved_, That this House has no jurisdiction over the
assault alleged to have been committed by the Hon. Preston
S. Brooks, a member of this House from the State of South
Carolina, upon the Hon. Charles Sumner, a Senator from the
State of Massachusetts, and therefore deem it improper to
express any opinion on the subject.”
In the House, the substitute moved by Mr. Cobb was lost,--yeas 66, nays
145. The resolution of expulsion was lost,--yeas 121, nays 95,--the two
thirds required for expulsion not voting in favor thereof. The other
resolution, declaring disapprobation of the act of Henry A. Edmundson
and Lawrence M. Keitt, was divided, and the censure of Keitt was
voted,--yeas 106, nays 96; that of Edmundson was lost,--yeas 60, nays
136. A long preamble, setting forth the facts, was adopted,--yeas 104,
nays 83.[143]
Immediately after the vote upon the resolution of expulsion, Mr.
Brooks, with some difficulty, obtained leave to address the House.
Mr. Giddings objected, but, at the request of friends, withdrew his
objection, contrary to his own judgment. In the course of a speech
vindicating his conduct, Mr. Brooks took credit to himself for not
beginning a revolution.
“Sir, I cannot, _on my own account_, assume the
responsibility, in the face of the American people, of
commencing a line of conduct which in my heart of hearts I
believe would result in subverting the foundations of this
Government and in drenching this Hall in blood. No act of
mine, and on my personal account, shall inaugurate revolution;
but when you, Mr. Speaker, return to your own home, and
hear the people of the great North--and they are a great
people--speak of me as a bad man, you will do me the justice
to say that a blow struck by me at this time would be followed
by revolution,--and this I know. [_Applause and hisses in the
gallery._]”
Afterwards he seemed to take credit for using the instrument he did.
“I went to work very deliberately, as I am charged,--and this
is admitted,--and speculated somewhat as to whether I should
employ a horsewhip or a cowhide; but, knowing that the Senator
was my superior in strength, it occurred to me that he might
wrest it from my hand, and then--for I never attempt anything I
do not perform--_I might have been compelled to do that which I
would have regretted the balance of my natural life_.”
At these words, according to the papers of the day, there was a voice
from the House:--
“He would have killed him!”