Disunion Feed

"In the main, the press of the South applaud the conduct of Mr. Brooks, without condition or limitation. Our approbation at least is entire and unreserved. We consider the act good in conception, better in execution, and best of all in consequences. [...] The truth is, they have been suffered to run too long without collars. They must be lashed into submission."

The most notorious Southern editorial of the crisis, and it survives through hostile amplification: Garrison reprinted it in full in The Liberator's 'Refuge of Oppression' column as evidence. The Enquirer's June 3 editorial (Furman) is a different piece reading 'lashed into obscurity'; McPherson's June 2 citation is confirmed by the reprint's attribution line. OCR-reconciled from the LoC scan.

Read it in the original — The Liberator reprint, June 13, 1856 (LoC scan) ↗

"This event has startled the whole nation. [...] the surprise has not been that Mr. Sumner was beaten, but our wonder is that half the Northern members have not long since been, not only caned over the head, but branded on their cheeks with red-hot irons, by the Southern members. [...] Hell itself could not produce such a school as this. How could any plant grow, in such a community, except a ruffian or an assassin?"

Douglass's editorial frame is mock-exculpation: Brooks deserves 'great allowance' because slavery's schooling could produce nothing but ruffians — 'the Colonel, no doubt commenced when he was a boy, by beating the negro children... until he beat a Senator.' The editorial runs across two pages of the issue: the first two excerpts are on p. 2, the final one on p. 3. Open scan in LoC's Frederick Douglass Newspapers collection — not paywalled after all. OCR scannos corrected. Fragments joined with [...].

Read it in the original — LoC scan, Frederick Douglass' Paper, June 6, 1856 ↗