The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-10-14

prompted tDe crime ono demanded the 0ACri-
fce. Who can doubt, IL your Senator had
surrendered bis free thought, and bent in
submission to the rule Of tho Administration
-who ON doubt that, instssd Of resting on
bloody bier, he would have this day been
rsposing in the inglorious felioitude Of Pros
identisl sunshine?
Fellow citizens, let no man suppose that
the death OF the eminent citizen of whom /
speak vas oaused BY any other reason thar
that 10 which his own words assign II, Il
has been long forsshadowed-it was predict
ed by his friends--it was threatened by his
enemies--it was tho consequences Of intense
political hatred. His denth was . political
nscessity, poorly yelled beneath the guise Of
nprivate quarrel. here, in his own State,
among those who witnessed the late canvass,
who knew the oontending leaders, among
those who know the antagonists on the bloody
ground--here the public convection is 20 thor
oughiy settled that nothing need be said.--
Tested BY the correspondence itself, there
| was no cause, In morals, in honor, in taste
BY any code, By the custom OF any civilized
land, there was no cause for blood. Let me
repeat the story--it 10 as brief as it 10 fatal.
A Judge OF the Supreme Court deseends into
political conventional 10 just, however, to
say that the OCCASION was to return thanks
to his friends for m unsuccessful support
in speech, bitter and personal, he stigma
tised Senator Broderiok and oil his friends in
words Of contemptuous insult. When Mr..
Broderiek saw that speech, he rstortsl, cav
ing in substance, that he had heretofore spo-
ken OF Judge Terry - an honest man, bat
that he now took it back. When inquired Of,
he admitted that he had 80 said, and oon-
neeted his words with Judge Tsrry's speech
a. prompting them. So far a. Judge Terry
personally Was concerned, this was the cause
Of mortal combat; there was none other.
Fellow-eitisens One year ago perform
duty, such as perform to-day, over the
remains of Senator Ferguson, who died as
| code Of honor. To. day there 10 another and
more eminent sacrifice. To.day renew nv
protest; to-day utter yours. The code OF
honor is delusive snare it palters with the
hope Of true courage and binds il ct the feet
OF crafty and cruel skill. Ii surrounds it's
victim with the pomp and grace OF the pro-
cession, but leaves him bleeding at the altar.
1t substitutes cold and delicate preparation
for courageous and manly impulse, and arms
the one to disarm the other il may prevent
fraud between practised duelists who should
be forever without its pale, but il makes the
mere sstrick OF weapon" superior to the no.
blest cause and the truest courage. Its pre-
tsnca Of equality IL lie--it lie equal in all
the form, it is unjust in oil the substance
the habitude OF arms, the early training, the
frontier life, the border war, tho sectional
custom, the life Of leisure, all these are ad-
vantages which no negotiation can neutral
iSe, and which no courage can overcome.
But, fellow citizens, the protest il not only
spoken, in your words and in mine-it 10
written in indelible characters it 10 written
in the blood OF Gilbert, in the blood OF Fer
guson, in tho blood Of Broderick; and the
inscription will not altogether fade.
With the administration of the code in
this particular case, am not here to deal
Amid passionate grief, lot US strive TO be
just. / give no currency to rumors OF which
personally know nothing: there are other
tribunals to which they may we'll be referred
and this is not one OF them. But am here
to say, that whatever in the code Of honor or
out of it demands or allows deadly combat |
where there is not in all things entire and |
certain equality, 10 a prostitution of the |
name, is On evasion OF the substance, and is |
q shield, blazoned with the name OF Chiyalry
to cover the malignity OF murder.
And now, "a the shadows turn towards the |
East, and We prepare to bear these poor re- |
mains to their silent resting place, let as not |
seek to repress the generous pride which |
prompts q recital Of noblo deeds and manly |
virtues. lie rose unaided and alone he be. |
gan his career without family or fortune, in |
the face Of difficulties he inherited poverty
and obscurity; he died Senator Of Con-
gress, having written his name in the history
Of the great struggle for the rights OF the |
people against the despotism Of organisation |
and the corruption of power. He leaves in |
the hearts Of his friends the tenderest and
the prouiest recolleotions. He Was honest. |
faithful. earnest, sincere, generous and |
brave he felt in oil the great crises OF his |
life that he was . leader ia the ranks. and
for the rights Of masses, of men, and he |
could not fslter. When he returned from
that fatal field, while the dark wing Of the |
Archangsl of death was casting its shadow
upon his brow, his greatest anxiety was a. TO |
the performance Of his duty. He felt that
all bis strength and oil his life belonged to
the cause to which he had devoted them
"Baker," said he-- and to me they were his
last words-"Baker, when / was struck |
tried to stand firm, but the blow blinded me,
and could not" trust il 10 no shame to
manhood that tears blinded me when he said |
it. OF his last hours have no heart 70
speak. He was the last OF his race there
was no kindred hand 10 smooth his couch or
wipe the deash damps from his brow but
around that dying bod strong men, the
friends Of early manhood, tho devoted ad-
herents Of later life, bowed in irrepressible
grief, tsand iftsd mp their voices and wept.n
But, fellow-eitisens, the voice Of lamenta-
ton is not uttered By private friendship
alone-the blow that struck this manly
breast has touched the heart of people, and
as the sad tidiDgs spread, general gloom
prevails. Who now shall spsak for Oaiifor-
MIA who be the interpreter Of the wants Of
the Pacific coast? Who can appeal to the
communities Of the Atlantic who love free
labor? Who can speak for masses OF men
with passionate love for the GLASSES from
whence he sprang2 Who can defy the
Establishments Of power, and the indolonce
| n{ nffina and thu ~ IL