Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-10-28

was your senator. Hrom the moment or nls
election bis character has beeh maligned, hi.
motives attacked, his courage impeached, his
patriotism assailed 1t has been system
tending to one end. And the end is here
What was his crime Review his history
consider his public acts weigh his private
character, and, before the grave encloses hin
forever, judge between aim and his enemies.
As man to be judged in his private re,
Iations, who was his superior? Ii was hi:
boast--and amid the general license of new
country it was proud one--that his most
scrutinizing enemy, could fix no single act Of
immortality upon hin. Temperate, deeorous
self>restrained, he had passed through all the
excitemeuts OF California unstsined. No mar
could charge him With broken faith or violated
trust. Of habits simple and Inexpensive, ht
had no lust of gain. lie oyerroaehed no man.
weakness in bargain, and withheld from no
the State has there been citizen who has
borne public relations more stainlessly in all
respects than he.
But It is not by this standard that he is to be
judged. He was a public man, and his mem
ory demands public judgment. What was
his public crime The answer is in his own
words. aTHEY FAVE KILLED NE BECAUsE
WAS OPPOSED TO THE EXTENSION OF SLAVE
RY AND A CORRUPT ADMINISTRATION" -
Fellog-citizens, they are remarkable words
uttered at very remarkable moment; they
involve the history of his Senatorial career
and of its sad and bloody termination.
When Mr.. Broderick entered the Senate, be
had been elected at the beginning of Presi-
Dental term as a. friend Of the President elect,
having undoubtedly been one of his most in-
fuential supporters. There were unquestion-
ably some things in the exercise of the ap-
pointing power which he could have wished
otherwise but he had every reason to remain
with the Administration which could be suppo-
sed to weigh with man in his position. He
had heartily maintained the doctrine of popu-
lar sovereignty as set forth in the Cincinnati
Platform, and be never wavered in its support
till the day Of bis death. But when, in his
Judgment, the President betrayed his obliga-
tions to the party and the countrv-when, in
the whole series of acts in relation to Kansas,
he proved recreant to his pledges and bis in
stracnons--w when the whole power Of the Ad-
ministration was brought TO bear upon the
legislative branch of the Government, III order
to force slavery upon an unwilling people, then
in the high performance of his duty as Sena-
tor, he rebuked the Administration by his voice
and his vote, and stood BY his principles. 1t
is true, be adopted no halfway measures. He
threw the whole weight of bis character into
the ranks of the opposition he endeavored to
rouse the people to an indignant sense of the
iniquitous tyranny of Federal power, and
kiudlng with the contest, became its fercest
and frmcst opponent.
Fellow citizens, whatever mly have been
your political predictions, it is impossible to
repress your admiration as you review the con-
duct of the man who les hushed in death be-
fore you. You read in his history a glorious
imitation of the great popular leaders who have
opposed the despotlc influences of power ln
other lands, aud In our own. When John
Hampden died on Chalgrove field, he sealed
his devotion to popular liberty with his blood.
The eloqueCce of Fox found the sources of Its
inspiration in his love of the people. When
Senators conspired against Tiberius GraecEus,
and the Tribune of the people fell beneath
their daggers, it was power that prompted the
crime and demanded the sacrifice. Who can
doubt, if your Senator had surrendered bis
free thought, aud bent in submission to the
thai, instead of resting on bloody bier, he
would haye this day been reposing in the ingo-
rious felicity of Presidential sunshineq
Fellow citizens, let NJ man suppose thai the
death of the eminent citizen OF Waom speak,
was caused by any other reason rh2n saat TO
which his own words assign it. 1t has Dccen
long forcshadowed; it was predicted by HE
friends; it was threatened by his enemies; it
was the consequence of intense political ha-
tired, His death was political necessity,
poorly yelled beneath the guise of private
quarrel. Here, in bis own State, among those
who witnessed the late canvass, who know the
contending leaders, among those who know
the antagonists on the bloody ground here,
the public conviction is SO thoroughly settled
that nothing need be said. Tested by the cor
itself, there was no cause, in NOR
ais, in honor, in taste, by any code, by the
custom Of any civilized land, there was no
cause for blood. Let Inc repeat the story.
is as bret as it is fatal: Judge of the Su-.
pIeme Court descends into a political conven-
tion--it is just, however, to say that the occa-
sion was 10 return ihanks to bis trienos for au
support--in speech bitter and
personal be stigmatised Senator Broderick and
all his friends in words of contsmptuous insult.
When MIR. Broderick saw that speech no re-
torted. saying, in substance. that he had here
tofore spoken OF Judge Terry as an honest
man, but that Low he took it back. When in-
quired of he admitted that he had SO said, and
connected his words with Judge Terry's speech
as prompting them. 30 far as Judge Terry
was concerned, this was the cause
of mortal combat; there was no other.
Iu the contest which has just terminated IN
the State, Mr. l5roderick had taken leading
part; lie had been engaged in controversies
very personal in their nature, because the sub.
isct of public discussion had involved the
character and conduct of many public and dis
tinauished mer. But Judge Terry was not Que
of these. lie was no contestant; his con6uct