--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But if I had committed a breach of…" description: "\"But if I had committed a breach of privilege, it was the privilege of the Senate, and not of this House, which was violated. I was answerable there and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/preston-brooks-54098_answerable_but-if-i-had-committed-a-breach-of-privi_1146716.jpg" --- # But if I had committed a breach of privilege, it was the… ![“But if I had committed a breach of privilege, it was the privilege of the Senate, and not of this House, which was violated. I was answerable there and not here.” quote by Preston Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/preston-brooks-54098_answerable_but-if-i-had-committed-a-breach-of-privi_1146716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/preston-brooks-54098_answerable_but-if-i-had-committed-a-breach-of-privi_1146716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/preston-brooks-54098_answerable_but-if-i-had-committed-a-breach-of-privi_1146716.jpg) > “But if I had committed a breach of privilege, it was the privilege of the Senate, and not of this House, which was violated. I was answerable there and not here.” [Preston Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Brooks claims his breach was against Senate privilege, not House, asserting jurisdictional accountability. **In simple terms:** He says he was accountable to the Senate only. Key Takeaway Respect proper authority when addressing violations. Themes law authority responsibility politics Mood critical analytical Type political legal When to use this quote - legislative debates - government oversight - ethical conduct Key Concepts jurisdiction constitutional duty political ethics Questions to Reflect On - Is jurisdiction the sole factor in responsibility? - How should inter‑branch disputes be resolved? A Different Perspective Political accountability can be contested across bodies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answerable/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) ## Related quotes > [Coding is a privilege, but that privilege is not available to most Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-partovi/coding-is-a-privilege-but-that-privilege-is-not-available-to-most/) Ali Partovi > [People think because I went to Yale that that implies privilege, and it is a privilege in the sense that it's an incredible opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/people-think-because-i-went-to-yale-that-that-implies-privilege-and/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [The privilege of privilege is that the terms of privilege are rendered invisible. It is a luxury not to have to think about race,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kimmel/the-privilege-of-privilege-is-that-the-terms-of-privilege-are/) [Michael Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kimmel/) > [“Privilege" is something else. "Privilege" is a judgment. "Privilege" is an opinion. "Privilege" is an accusation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/privilege-is-something-else-privilege-is-a-judgment-privilege-is-an/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [Privilege is here, and with privilege goes responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/privilege-is-here-and-with-privilege-goes-responsibility/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [It's just something we're talking about and thinking about all the time, reflecting on our privilege - the privilege of what it means even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/it-s-just-something-we-re-talking-about-and-thinking-about-all-the/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [“When we believe ourselves to be alone, we have no responsibility to this world and are answerable to no one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/when-we-believe-ourselves-to-be-alone-we-have-no-responsibility-to/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [I stopped worrying about people; I started thinking that I would be answerable only to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/i-stopped-worrying-about-people-i-started-thinking-that-i-would-be/) [Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/) > [A married vicar is likely to regard his vocation as a job - a tough and ill-paid one, to be sure - but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/a-married-vicar-is-likely-to-regard-his-vocation-as-a-job-a-tough-and/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [For any decision that you make ... You are answerable to the society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-tang/for-any-decision-that-you-make-you-are-answerable-to-the-society/) Nancy Tang > [I think it's okay to ask questions. I don't think everything is answerable though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-think-it-s-okay-to-ask-questions-i-don-t-think-everything-is/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [The Federal Reserve is answerable to no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-federal-reserve-is-answerable-to-no-one/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Regarding our links with the Russian government, Severstal is a private company with no government participation. We are answerable to our shareholders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-mordashov/regarding-our-links-with-the-russian-government-severstal-is-a/) [Alexei Mordashov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-mordashov/) > [If the public has given us stature, we must also be answerable to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koena-mitra/if-the-public-has-given-us-stature-we-must-also-be-answerable-to-them/) [Koena Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koena-mitra/) > [When I don't have a girlfriend, who I am answerable to, I can go out and hang with people. But whether you go for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-kapoor/when-i-don-t-have-a-girlfriend-who-i-am-answerable-to-i-can-go-out/) [Shahid Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-kapoor/) ## More by Preston Brooks > [Whatever insults my state insults me,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-brooks/whatever-insults-my-state-insults-me/) [Preston Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-brooks/) > [But, sir, they have written me down upon the history of the country as worthy of expulsion, and in no unkindness I must tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-brooks/but-sir-they-have-written-me-down-upon-the-history-of-the-country-as/) [Preston Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-brooks/) > [If I desired to kill the senator why did I not do it? You all admit that I had him in my power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-brooks/if-i-desired-to-kill-the-senator-why-did-i-not-do-it-you-all-admit/) [Preston Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-brooks/) > [They had no right, as it seems to me, to prosecute me in these Halls; nor have you the right in law or under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-brooks/they-had-no-right-as-it-seems-to-me-to-prosecute-me-in-these-halls/) [Preston Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-brooks/) > [I should have forfeited my own self-respect, and perhaps the good opinion of my countrymen, if I had failed to resent such an injury…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-brooks/i-should-have-forfeited-my-own-self-respect-and-perhaps-the-good/) [Preston Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-brooks/) [Explore all 6 Preston Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-brooks/) ## More Answerable quotes > [When I don't have a girlfriend, who I am answerable to, I can go out and hang with people. But whether you go for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-kapoor/when-i-don-t-have-a-girlfriend-who-i-am-answerable-to-i-can-go-out/) [Shahid Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-kapoor/) > [If the public has given us stature, we must also be answerable to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koena-mitra/if-the-public-has-given-us-stature-we-must-also-be-answerable-to-them/) [Koena Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koena-mitra/) > [Regarding our links with the Russian government, Severstal is a private company with no government participation. We are answerable to our shareholders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-mordashov/regarding-our-links-with-the-russian-government-severstal-is-a/) [Alexei Mordashov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-mordashov/) > [The Federal Reserve is answerable to no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-federal-reserve-is-answerable-to-no-one/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I think it's okay to ask questions. I don't think everything is answerable though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-think-it-s-okay-to-ask-questions-i-don-t-think-everything-is/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [For any decision that you make ... You are answerable to the society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-tang/for-any-decision-that-you-make-you-are-answerable-to-the-society/) Nancy Tang > [A married vicar is likely to regard his vocation as a job - a tough and ill-paid one, to be sure - but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/a-married-vicar-is-likely-to-regard-his-vocation-as-a-job-a-tough-and/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [I stopped worrying about people; I started thinking that I would be answerable only to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/i-stopped-worrying-about-people-i-started-thinking-that-i-would-be/) [Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/) > [“When we believe ourselves to be alone, we have no responsibility to this world and are answerable to no one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/when-we-believe-ourselves-to-be-alone-we-have-no-responsibility-to/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [I shall hold myself particularly answerable to my constituents for my present conduct, and in general to all my fellow Citizens throughout these States,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-laurens/i-shall-hold-myself-particularly-answerable-to-my-constituents-for-my/) Henry Laurens > [I am not answerable to what happens with my personal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhanush/i-am-not-answerable-to-what-happens-with-my-personal-life/) [Dhanush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhanush/) > [“Eventually you are answerable to yourself for your deeds. Be good and do good!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsh-agrawal/eventually-you-are-answerable-to-yourself-for-your-deeds-be-good-and/) [Harsh Agrawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsh-agrawal/) > [You are neither answerable for others nor will you be asked about what doesn't concern you so stick to your own responsibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-neither-answerable-for-others-nor-will-you-be-asked-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You mean that because I have no name I cannot die and that you cannot be held answerable for death even if you kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flann-o-brien/you-mean-that-because-i-have-no-name-i-cannot-die-and-that-you-cannot-2/) [Flann O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flann-o-brien/) [Browse all 15 Answerable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answerable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But if I had committed a breach of privilege, it was the privilege of the Senate, and not of this House, which was violated. 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