“Then why did Brooks apologize to the Senate, face an expulsion vote and end up resigning his seat (as did Keitt)?”
You forgot to ad that Brooks was re-elected by a LANDSLIDE.
“Except that Preston Brooks wasn’t the one insulted by Sumner. It was his uncle.”
He was family. Southern families are traditionally close.
“You can’t think of a better reason to beat someone almost to death than he insulted you? “
Insulted his Uncle on the floor of CONGRESS. Big Difference.
Heck, I almost got beat up for crossing a picket line at a cafe in NYC!
Seems Southerners aren’t the only ones that resort to violence.
I didn't say his action wasn't popular with his constituents. In fact, the general applause that Brooks got throughout the south did more to alienate northern public opinion against the slave power than did the beating itself.
Seems Southerners aren’t the only ones that resort to violence.
And if they'd beaten you up, they should have been arrested. But I haven't seen widespread newspaper editorials celebrating the beating of picket line crossers.