The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-14


cisco papers, anu reads the gross personal
abuse with which they TEEN -. an the subject
of the Terry-Broderick duel, will be con-
WINGED that in so far as social order
and the amenities of life are concerned, that
city is in condition fully as disorganized and
demoralized as it was ten or twelve years ago,
when 1t was little more than camp Of lawless
Adventures. The California press has never
been distinguished for good taste or decency.
The staple topic for editorial comment has
Still, there was limit to scurrility and black
guardism But now all bounds of decency are
utterly disregarded, and the editors of the difFe
rent journals appear, in the excitement pro-
duced by the Terry Broderick duel, to have set
their minds upon SO villifying each other as to
leave no hope drumming personal conflicts.
Regardless of the consequences which their
acts may have in the way of diminishing the
stock Of journalists, they 60 on, day after day,
to indulge in the most abominable abuse Of
each other; so that if one 1.-THE of their asser-
tons were true, it would follow that greater
had never graced a gibbet or commended them
selves to the attention of Vigilance Com
mittee.
Let us give a few specimens of the gems
with which the leading columns of the San
Francisco papers are profusely studded. The
Times, which is owned in part and edited by a
brother of the Washburns who form frater-
nal trio in the House Of Representatives, is one
of the most violent of these abusive journals.
1t espouses the Frederick cause, and denounces
Terry and his friends as base conspirators
and murderers. 1t calls all democrats who
were opposed to Broderick 'false hounds,
carrying the hod for Southern taskmasters,"
contemplate dough faces from the North,
ashamed to own their birthplaces," "spewings
of the States which nurture freemen," "white
livered, thin-blooded, cringing wretches," and
"cowardly, mean and NANCY Yankee curs.'
1t is no less liberal or complimentary in the
epithets which it applies to the chivalry. 1t
sneers at them as sweet-scented Mandingo
admirers, first families of Virginia, whose Bible
is niger bill Of sale, and whose New Testa-
was the understanding among the conspirators
that whoever should kill Broderick would be
appointed to the vacancy by the Governor"
and expresses the conviction that " all the lead
ing chivalry in the State had couuselled and
caucused with Terry before the challenge was
sent" 1t speaks of Broderick's political oppo-
nents as a crowd of the most desperate,
bloody. minded men in California, who were
ready to take his life on the slightest pretext."
The Times then pays its respects specially to
its contemporaries the Bulletin and the National.
One of the editors of the last named paper
killed in duel year ago State-Senator
named Ferguson. This editor the Times de-
scribes as "mere mouthpiece and serving
man of Gwin," as one who has since that duel
"spent his miserable existence in giving utter
ance to the most ribald falsehoods," and as
having been "put forward as the jackal to find
represents Simonton, of the Bulletin as the
.fdus Achates of Senator Gwin, dancing at
tendance upon him, and holding his handker-
chief when he (Gwin) wishes to blow his nose"
In another issue the Times denounces a state
ment of the BuQetif, as a /" miserable, tricky,
simontonian falsehood," and speaks of its
writer as +" the miserable thing that is attempt
ing to conduct it."
On the other hand, it may be taken for grant
ed that the Times gets its full share of abuse
from its contemporaries. Indeed, the National is,
if possible, much more offensive in its language
than its opponent It brands the editor of the
Daily Times as a malignant, wilful and deli
berate liar;" as '.vile creature, lavishing his
stores of filth on pure characters" as a slow
born miscreant, who cannot insult a gentle
man." as "moral felon, belching bile and
billingsgate from his editorial tripod" as
"beast, of which it would be difficult to tell
whether polecat or puppy most predominated
that puppy is little ahead. And, to clap an ex-
tinguisher upon the unfortunate Washburn, the
National winds up by calling him "cowardly
calumniator, whose bastard soul sinks down
into his ungainly boots at the thought of dam
ger to his hang-dog face and ugly carcase.'
We do not believe that anything in the his
tory of journalism can furnish parallel to
these disgraceful chapters of scurrility. Theyare
utterly degrading to the profession, and the only
explanation that can be made of them is that
the fellowship wrote them are mere vulgarpoli-
ticians who, to further their own petty schemes,
have contrived to get control of newspapers.
If their courage is equal to their blackguard-
ism, they may do the State some service in
shooting or bowie-knifng each other, and may
thus save future Vigilance Committees the
trouble of exhibiting them as pendants to the
end Of rope, or banishing them from the
country. In the meantime it is evident that
much trouble is brewing in California, and that
these foul-tongued editors are responsible for
great part Of It, The next mail will proba-
hlv bring rs news of more dne1s