The Caning of Charles Sumner

1. The Caning of Charles Sumner How did Senator Sumner survive the attack? How did Preston Brooks attack the large-framed Sumner so brutally, and how did Sumner escape with his life? The intense passions Brooks felt led him to an actual physical attack on Sumner. Timing had a lot to do with the event. Brooks attacked Sumner as he was seated working at his desk. Brooks had the element of surprise on his side, and began attacking Sumner with a thick gutta-percha cane. Sumner’s large frame caused him to be stuck in the chair that was bolted to the floor. The cane was struck against Sumner multiple times as he struggled to break free of the confining chair. He eventually escaped and collapsed on the floor with Brooks still attacking him. The only thing that stopped the attack was the fact that Brooks’ cane fractured into a variety of pieces. It is astounding that Brooks was able to physically subdue Sumner, and it is a miracle that Sumner was able to survive the attack itself. Senator Charles Sumner, born January 6, 1811 A passionate, fiery personality combined with a tall frame gave Charles Sumner an imposing presence. However, this presence was not able to dissuade Representative Preston Brooks against attacking Sumner. Sumner was strongly dedicated to the eradication of slavery and was adverse to the idea of its expansion. In 1856, Sumner delivered a passionate speech titled “The Crime Against Kansas” in which he denounced the Slave Power and attacked the authors of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. His blatant attack of Stephen A. Douglas, a relative Preston Brooks, caused Brooks to become infuriated with Sumner. So intense was this sense of dishonor that Brooks cornered Sumner while he was writing at his desk in the Senate chamber. Representative Preston Brooks, born August 5, 1819 Preston Brooks was insulted by Senator Sumner’s speech and felt that his honor and the honor of South Carolina were at stake. Brooks consulted with Laurence Keitt on how to initiate a duel with Sumner. However, Keitt replied that dueling was for gentlemen and that Sumner was no gentleman. Because of this, Brooks took matters into his own hands. After the incident, Brooks was not severely punished or chastised for his actions. Instead, he paid a fine of three hundred dollars and faced no jail time. This attack earned a lot of attention from the media and news of the event was spread throughout the nation. People took different stances on the attack. The North hailed Sumner as a martyr and the South heralded Brooks as a hero. Works Cited: 1.