Why did hundreds of people send canes to Preston Brooks?

Hundreds of people sent canes to Preston Brooks as a form of support and celebration after he attacked Senator Charles Sumner with a cane in 1856. The incident was a reaction to Sumner's anti-slavery speech, and Brooks, a pro-slavery Democrat, saw the attack as a defense of Southern honor. The canes symbolized solidarity with Brooks and were meant to encourage him to continue his aggressive stance against anti-slavery sentiments. This act reflected the intense political divisions and escalating violence over the issue of slavery in the United States at the time.