The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-13
Senator BrOderick's Death-Degradatien
or American Politics.


The fall of Senator BrOderick, of California
in duel with Judge Of the Supreme Court
of that State, has afforded to the press and to
the public at large an exciting subject of dis
cussion. The first and most obvious reflection
that suggests itself to the intelligent mind is
that the occurrence, deplorable as it was, was
but the natural result of the course of public
life into which both these men, the slayer and
the slain, had thrown themselves. Each had
raised himself from an obscure position in life
to the highest pinnacle to which he had as
pired-the one to seat in the Senate of the
United States, the other to the bench of the
Supreme Court of his adopted State-and it is
not unjust to either of them to say that, how
ever creditably they may have conducted
themselves in their elevated positions, the
means to which they had resorted to get there
were fur from creditablc. They found that
bullying, shoulder-hitting ballot box stufing,
and other similar appliances were the most
ready and certain means to the ends which they
sought. They availed themselves of these mo-
dern political appliances, and succeeded in their
ambitious projects. And if the one of them has
gone to q bloody grave, and the other stands
branded in the eyes Of the world as murder
er, it is because they were both representatives
of degraded and brutal system Of politics.
system in which fraud and force prevail over
the will and votes of honest communities.
1t is somewhat surprising, however, to see
the manner in which the subject is variously
treated by the Rgess. Some of the newspapers
regard the death of Broderick as the result of a
base conspiracy entered into by California po
litcians to get rid of powerful rival-one who
was an obstacle in their path The pious Courier
and Enquirer looks upon him as political mar
tyr and gives him place in its calendar ofsants;
while the profane Philadelphia Press exclaims,
in an outburst of nonsensical bathos, that the
blood of Broderick is on the head of President
Buchanan. Now all this is sheer absurdity.
There was no conspiracy in the matter; there
was nothing in it out of which the honors of
martyrdom can be extracted, and Mr.. Bucha-
nan and his administration had as little to do
with it as the Emperor of China had.
What were the circumstances? Mr.. BrOde-
rick, having studied the system Of Tammany
Hall politics for many years of his life, and
having been fully initiated in all the mysteries
and peculiarities thereof, sought, some ten years
since, new field for the exercise of his talents
in that line. California, being then in sadly
dsorganized condition, presented the most
attractions. He went there soon made himself
conspicuous in the local politics of San
Francisco and California, was elected to
the State LegislatsDe, and finally, two years
since, reached the summit of his ambition by
being chosen to represent the State in the
Senate of the United States. How did he
achieve those honors? By learning? By elo-
quence? By any high achievements or any EVIL
dence of exalted worth? Not at all; but sim
ply by working the political machine, of which
he had learned all the secret springs in his ap-
premiership at Tammany Hall-by judicious
use of bruisers, shoulder hitters, ballot box
suffers and other such instruments. His col
league in the United States Senate was indebt-
ed to him, it would seem, for being able to re-
tain his place, and had in consideration thereof
agreed to forego all claims which his position
might have given him on federal patronage
But Gwin proved himself more cunning than
Broderick, and, from his being familiar
with the arts and practices in vogue at
Washington, he managed, Notwithstanding
his agreement, to monopolize for his own friends
all the Offices and emoluments which the admit
nistration had at its disposal in California.
Defeated and disconnected, Broderick turned
against the administration, and became one of
its bitterest opponents. He went back after
the last session, entered vigorously upon the
canvass for State officers, found himself ranged
against his former personal and political friends,
and, carried away by his passion, he said many
offensive things against Ame of them. In this
way he got himself involved in several perso-
nal controversies, all Of which he declared him
self ready to satisfy at the pistols mouth as
soon as the canvass was brought to close He
was held up to his declaration. Judge Terry
was the first to call on him for satisfaction Gin
the way usual among gentlemen" He accept
ed the cartel. The parties met. Two shots
were exchanged, and at the first fire Broderick
fell MORALLY wounded.
There is the whole history of the affair." It
is the old story. BY brute force and physical
courage this man had attained certain emf
nence among his fellows, and to the same
qualities in another he had to succumb. His
slayer had also owed his elevation to similar
instrumentalities and had even brought upon
himself the attentions of the Vigilance Commit
tee in 1856; SO much so that he was prisoner
in their hands for six or eight weeks, and came
within an ace of ending his career on the gal
lows And now the Judge stands criminal at
the bar Of justice, with his hands stained in the
blood Of his fellow being
And after all, the fate of these two men is
but the natural finale to their course of life.
To fraud and violence they looked for their
elevation To posts of honor and amnlnpop+