When Congress Wasn't So Boring
So today, I went to my Early American History course. I sat down, and things went along. I took notes. I took a lot of notes. And I heard some amusing things. I heard the methods used by southerns to influence the Popular Sovernty in the Kansas Territory described at "Here's my gun, there's your head, now do what I tell ya." But the most interesting thing I heard was concering the incident between the Senator Charles Sumner, and the Representive Preston Brooks.
It all started, really, in the Kansas territory. Stephen Douglas' idea of Popular Soverignty was being put to a massive test, as both Northern Abolitionists and Sounthern Pro-Slavers stepped in to try and force the vote in their own favor. On May 21, 1856, a group of Southern extremeists attacked the town of Lawernce, Kansas. There they killed 5 people, and then razed the city to the ground. Now, three days later, extreme Abolitionist John Brown, the self-proclaimed "Avenging Angel of the Lord", visited the pro-South town of Pottawatomie, and there proceeded to drag 5 random men out of their houses, and hack them to death in front of their families. Anyway, on May 20, the Senator from Massachusets, Charles Sumner, came before a joint session of Congress, and made and impassioned speech against the way the pro-southern peoples had moved into Kansas and, as he put it, propigated the 'rape of virgin territory', blaming the whole situation in Kansas on the souths 'depraved longing for a new slave state'. Now, this is normal banter for the day, but our good Senator went one step further. In this speach, he targeted specificly the elderly Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. For quick perspective, Sumner was 45 years old at the time, Butler was 60. At any rate, Senator Sumner picked out Sentaor Butler, calling him a liar, and aledging that he kept a slave mistress, finally teasing the man about his speach impediment, which came as the effect of a stroke.
Now, seated in the session was another congressman from South Carolina, one Represitive Preston Brooks. According to my professor, he was the Son in Law of Senator Butler. As Senator Sumner lashed out at Butler, Brooks was sitting there, getting more and more angry at this man's accusations. Now, we must remember that he was of the antibellum south, and he felt that his father in law had been dishonored by the comments of Sumner. Of course, he knew Butler was far to old to do anything about this, but he, being a strapping young man of only 37, decided to do something about it. He waited, fuming, for two full days, contemplating his actions. He though very poorly of Senator Sumner's honor, therefore he did not challenge him to a dual. Instead, he moved to teach the man his own kind of lesson. He came into the Senate two days later. He stoled up to the desk of Senator Sumner, where he was putting the postage marks on copies of his speach. Brooks accused Sumner of libel against both Butler, and South Carolina, and then began to beat the man with a light cane. Now remember, this is happening ON THE SENATE FLOOR. He contines to wail on this man, while stunned Senators look on. Sumner tries to get up, knocks over his desk, and collapses. He is latered carried away. So sever was the beating that he could not work for 3 full years. Brooks, after beating the man soundly, straightend his clothing, and walked out of the Senate. He was arrested, but suffered only a fee of $300.00. He was censured in the House, meaning he could not debate on anything, and so he resigned. BUT, so proud of him were the people of South Carolina, that the re-elected him back to his post, and he returned, with full privilages. Of course, the Abolitionists got their due......Brooks dropped dead the next year of disease, and the seat of Senator Sumner was left vacant, as a constant reminder.
Here.....look at a picture
So there you have it. The Congress doesn't always have to be a boring, quiet place. Heh.
End of Line
It all started, really, in the Kansas territory. Stephen Douglas' idea of Popular Soverignty was being put to a massive test, as both Northern Abolitionists and Sounthern Pro-Slavers stepped in to try and force the vote in their own favor. On May 21, 1856, a group of Southern extremeists attacked the town of Lawernce, Kansas. There they killed 5 people, and then razed the city to the ground. Now, three days later, extreme Abolitionist John Brown, the self-proclaimed "Avenging Angel of the Lord", visited the pro-South town of Pottawatomie, and there proceeded to drag 5 random men out of their houses, and hack them to death in front of their families. Anyway, on May 20, the Senator from Massachusets, Charles Sumner, came before a joint session of Congress, and made and impassioned speech against the way the pro-southern peoples had moved into Kansas and, as he put it, propigated the 'rape of virgin territory', blaming the whole situation in Kansas on the souths 'depraved longing for a new slave state'. Now, this is normal banter for the day, but our good Senator went one step further. In this speach, he targeted specificly the elderly Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. For quick perspective, Sumner was 45 years old at the time, Butler was 60. At any rate, Senator Sumner picked out Sentaor Butler, calling him a liar, and aledging that he kept a slave mistress, finally teasing the man about his speach impediment, which came as the effect of a stroke.
Now, seated in the session was another congressman from South Carolina, one Represitive Preston Brooks. According to my professor, he was the Son in Law of Senator Butler. As Senator Sumner lashed out at Butler, Brooks was sitting there, getting more and more angry at this man's accusations. Now, we must remember that he was of the antibellum south, and he felt that his father in law had been dishonored by the comments of Sumner. Of course, he knew Butler was far to old to do anything about this, but he, being a strapping young man of only 37, decided to do something about it. He waited, fuming, for two full days, contemplating his actions. He though very poorly of Senator Sumner's honor, therefore he did not challenge him to a dual. Instead, he moved to teach the man his own kind of lesson. He came into the Senate two days later. He stoled up to the desk of Senator Sumner, where he was putting the postage marks on copies of his speach. Brooks accused Sumner of libel against both Butler, and South Carolina, and then began to beat the man with a light cane. Now remember, this is happening ON THE SENATE FLOOR. He contines to wail on this man, while stunned Senators look on. Sumner tries to get up, knocks over his desk, and collapses. He is latered carried away. So sever was the beating that he could not work for 3 full years. Brooks, after beating the man soundly, straightend his clothing, and walked out of the Senate. He was arrested, but suffered only a fee of $300.00. He was censured in the House, meaning he could not debate on anything, and so he resigned. BUT, so proud of him were the people of South Carolina, that the re-elected him back to his post, and he returned, with full privilages. Of course, the Abolitionists got their due......Brooks dropped dead the next year of disease, and the seat of Senator Sumner was left vacant, as a constant reminder.
Here.....look at a picture
So there you have it. The Congress doesn't always have to be a boring, quiet place. Heh.
End of Line