Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-10-27

history-consiJer his public acts-weig
his private character, and, before the gray
encloses him forever, judge between hin
and his enemies.
As man to be judged in his privat
relations who was his superior? 1t wa
his boast, and amid the general license o
a new country, ii was proud one, that hi
most scrutinizing enemy could fix no sin
gle act of immcrality upon him. Temper
ate, decorous, self retrained, he had passed
through all the excitements of Californi'
unstained. No man could charge hin
with broken faith or violated trust. o.
habits simple and inexpensive, he had nc
lust of gain. He overreached no man.
weakness in bargain, and withheld nc
his just dues. Never i'll the history of the
State has there been citizen who has
borne public relations more stainless in al
respects than he.
But it is not by this standard that he is
to be Judged. He was public man and
his memory demands public judgment
What was bis public crime9 The answer
is in his own words: "THEY HAVE KILLED.
NE BECAUSE l WAS OPPOSED to THE Ex-
TENSION OF SLAVERY AND A CORRUPT
ADMINISTRATION" Fellow citizens, they
are remarkable words, uttered at remark.
able moment; they involve the history Of
his Senatorial career, and of its sad and
bloody termination.
When Mr.. Broderick entered the Senate,
he had been elected at the beginning of a
Presidential term as friend of the Presi-
dent elect, having undoubtedly been one Of
his most Influential supporters. There
were unquestionably things in the appoint
ing power which he could have wished 9TH
erwise; but he had every reason to remain
with the Administration which could be
supposed to weigh with man in his po-
sition. He had heartily maintained the
doctrine of Popular Sovereignty as set
forth in the Cincinnati Platform and be
never wavered in its support till the day
of his death. But when in his Judgment,
the President BETRAYED his obligations to
the party and the -country-when, in the
whole series of acts in relation to Kansas,
he proved recreant to his pledges and his
instructions-when the whole power of the
Administration was brought to bear upon
the legislative branch of the Government,
in order to force slavery on an unwilling
people, then, in the high performance of his
duty as Senator he rebuked the Admin
istration by his voice and vote, and stood by
his principles. 1t is true, he adopted no
halfway measures. He threw the whole
weight of his character into the ranks of
the opposition; he endeayored to rouse the
people to an indignant sense of the iniqui-
tous tyranny Of federal power, and kindhng
with the contest, became its fercest and
frmest opponent. Fellow citizens what
ever may have been your political predic-
tions, it is impossible to repress your ad-
miration as you review the conduct of the
man who lies hushed in death before you.
You read in his history glorious imita-
tion of the Egreat popular leaders who
have opposed the despotic influences of
power in other lands, and in our owr.-
When John Hampden died on Chalgrove
field, he sealed his devotion to popular lib
erty with his blood. The eioqueuce of
Rox found the sources of its inspiration
in his love of the people When Sena-
tors conspired against Tiberius Gracious,
and the Tribune of the people fell beneath
their daggers, it was was power that
the crime and demanded the
sacrifice. Who can doubt, If your Senator
had surrendered his free thought and bent
in submission to tho rule of the admins
can doubt that instead of
resting on a bloody bier, he would have
this day been reposing in the iuglorious
felicitude of Presidential sunshine?
Fellow citizens, let no man suppose that
the death of the eminent citizen of whom l
speak was caused by any other reason than
that to which his own words assign it. 1t
bas been long foreshadowed-it was pre-
licted by his friends-it was threatened by |
lis enemies-it was the consequence of H.
.ense political hatred. His death was
political necessity, poorly veiled beneath
he .guise of private quarrel. Here, in
his own State, among those who witness
I'd the late canvass, who knew the con-
ending leaders, among those who knew
he antagonists on the bloody ground
,ere the public conviction is so Thoroughly
settled that nothing need be said. Tested
" the correspondence itself, there was no
,ause, in morals, in honor, in tatse; by
my. code, by the custom of any civilized
and, there was no cause for blood. Let
ne repeat the story, it is fatal: A Judge
If the Supreme Court descends into po-
itical convention-it is just, however, to
ay that the occasion was to return thanks
% his friends for an unsuccessful support
n a speech, bitter and personal, be stigma
lied Senator Broderick and all his friends
n words of contemptuous insult. When
Mr. Broderick saw that speech he retorted,
aging in substance, that he had here
ofore spoken of Judge Terry as an honest
nan, but that he now took il back. When
inquired Of, be admatted that be had so
aid, and connected his words with Judge
rerry's speech as prompting them. So
ar as Judge Terry personally was concern
ID, this was the cause of the mortal CON-
,at; there was another.
In the contest which has just terminated
n the State, Mr.. Broderick had taken
eading part; be had been engaged in con-
roversies very personal in their nature, be-
'ause the subjects of public discussion had
nvolvad the character and conduct of many
III IL l. DIT lid. I