mit murder had he
failed to overcome his antagonist with a cane. He had also taken the
precaution to have two of his friends ready to prevent any interference
before the punishment was completed. Toombs of Georgia witnessed a
part of the assault and expressed approval of the act, and everywhere
throughout the South, in the public press, in legislative halls, in
public meetings, Brooks was hailed as a hero. The resolution for his
expulsion introduced in the House received the support of only one
vote from south of Mason and Dixon's Line. A large majority favored the
resolution, but not the required two-thirds majority. Brooks, however,
thought best to resign but was triumphantly returned to his seat with
only six votes against him. Nothing was left undone to express Southern
gratitude, and he received gifts of canes innumerable as symbols of his
valor. Yet before his death, which occurred in the following January,
he confessed to his friend Orr that he was sick of being regarded as
the representative of bullies and disgusted at receiving testimonials of
their esteem.

With similar unanimity the North condemned and resented the assault that
had been made upon Sumner. From party considerations, if for no other
reasons, Democrats regretted the event. Republicans saw in the brutal
attack and in the manner of its reception in the South another evidence
of the irrepressible conflict between slavery and freedom. They were
ready to take up the issue so forcibly presented by their fallen
leader. A part of the regular order of exercises at public meetings of
Republicans was to express sympathy with their wounded champion and with
the Kansas people of the pillaged town of Lawrence, and to adopt
ways and means to bring to an end the Administration which they held
responsible for these outrages. Sumner, though silenced, was eloquent
in a new and more effective way. A half million copies of "The
Crime against Kansas" were printed and circulated. On the issue thus
presented, Northern Democrats became convinced that their defeat at the
pending election was certain, and their leaders instituted the change in
their program which has been described in a previous chapter. They had
made an end of the war in Kansas and drew from their candidate for the
Presidency the assurance that just treatment should at last be meted out
to harassed Kansas.

Though Sumner's injuries were at first regarded as slight, they
eventually proved to be extremely