I’m someone who has offered a vigorous defense of Congressman Brooks, after having read the actual (and not whitewashed) version of events. Sumner was deliberately attempting to incite a ruckus by viciously attacking Brooks’ relative, SC Sen. Andrew Pickens Butler. Sumner chose to do so when Butler was not present in the Senate, a shameful action, as Butler could not answer the charges made. Sen. Stephen Douglas was present when Sumner went on the attack, remarking to a colleague that his comments were going to get someone killed.
Someone went and alerted Brooks about the speech, and he deliberated as to the proper response. Sen. Butler was apparently content to let the speech not get to him, since he knew Sumner was a blowhard (Butler was also not someone who could challenge Sumner to a physical altercation, as he was an older man, by that era’s standards, and in declining health). Brooks was not so willing to let it go, and after concluding Sumner was no gentleman, indeed, about on the same level as a rabid dog (cur, as they would say), he could not challenge him to a duel. He decided that he should be properly flogged (hence, he could not have been charged with attempted murder - he was not trying to kill him).
As Sumner was on the floor of the Senate, Brooks and his fellow SC colleague, Laurence Keitt, went to confront him (this was days after the original speech). Rep. Keitt stood by to halt any attempt for the flogging with the gutta-percha cane be interrupted by any bystanders as Brooks pummeled Sumner until the cane snapped, concluding the incident. Both Brooks and Keitt resigned and then promptly won back their seats in special elections held, with Brooks being sent scores of brand new gutta-percha canes by admirers.
As you cited, Brooks would die the following year from illness. His relative, Sen. Butler, would die the same year as well. Keitt would die during the Civil War. Sumner would not return to the Senate for several years, being reelected in absentia (and milking his beating for all it was worth). Sumner was, and has been portrayed as a hero, but frankly, he was doing everything possible to foment divisional hatred and bring about war. This was an example of a radical politician whose mouth wrote a check his ass couldn’t cash.
Whitewashed version?
His speech seemed on point to me, it was harsh but the truth was harsh, slavery was evil and we still live with it’s consequences, having an unruly population of Afro-Americans. Seems he wrote it before hand so it’s not his fault Butler wasn’t there, was it? The war was gonna happen, absent massive statesmanship that certainly wasn’t being offered by the losers who preceded Lincoln as President or by congressional democrats.
In any case, different time or not you cannot beat a man half to death on the floor of the Senate for talking smack about your cuz.
If he wanted to duel, I’m in favor of dueling, wish we still had it.
But assault, no.
Lawrence Keitt should been jailed as well, threatening Senators with a pistol to facilitate the assault.