Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-10-21
VOL. ,XI---NO. ol6.
Senator Brodertck.

Senator BrOderick.
4 Nothing Of recent occurrence has produced
such a sensation throughout the country as
the death of David G. Broderick, of California,
on the 18th ult., in duel with Chief Justice
Terry. The quarrel arose during the exciting
political campaign just closed. Broderick, at
various times, had stigmatized Terry, and a
friend Of Terry, named Perley, challenged
Broderick at the time, but the latter declined
to meet Perley or any one else until after the
election. Terry, although Judge, was one
Of the desperate characters marked by the
Vigilance Committee of San Francisco. and
was held for some time by the Committee as
a prisoner.
The first attempt at duel was frustrated
by the police, and the first report of the duel
as afterwards fought was that Terry was
mortally wounded in the neck; but the truth
at last came of Broderick's fall, and that Terry
was unharmed. Judge Terry is probably the
coolest shot among the California desperadoes,
while Broderick, although man of physical
courage, was excitable, and poor shot. It
is said that the plan was to kill Broderick
anyhow; and, to accomplish that object, he
was first to be challenged by Terry--then by
Denver, and then by Senator Gwin. Denver
is very fine shot, and killed Gilbert, editor
Of the Alta. Of course, all these men are
Democrats, and all desperate characters:
Broderick, no doubt, having more redeemine
traits than all the others put together. Mr..
broderlck's term as Senator would have
expired in 1868. Mr.. Gwin's term expires in
1861. --...
Mr. Broderick was of Irish descent. and
was born in the District of Columbia, in 1919.
Ills childhood and youth were passed in the
city of New York, where he early lost his
father and brother. He had an excellent
mother, who had much to do with moulding
the character of her son. His early literary
advantages were very limited; but, ambitious,
self-rellant and persevering, he was bound to
rise in the world Poverty and obscurity
were feeble obstacles in the way of such
spirit as his. In ls49, when the first cry of
"gold," on the Pacific coast, reached the
Atlantic seaboard, Mr.. Broderick fastened
thlther to seek his fortune with many other
young men. There he made money, and
power, and friends-and enemies. He took
bold stand for the North against the wishes
OF the great body of the Southern Democrats
there, and encountered their bitterest enmity
and persecution from the start Over Alpine
barriers he rose to the position of United
States Senator. There, although Democrat
nominally, he did not bow to the slave power,
and has shown himself latterly to be more
than half Republican. Standing in the way
of the slave-driving Democracy, its leaders in
California hunted him as hyena hunts its
innocent prey. And they have killed him.
Why was this? We answer in his own dying
words: "zhey ha0e killed me because I ,vas
opposed to the extension Of slauery and a
corrupt administrator"
The st. Louis Democrat thus exposes the
base treaehery of Douglas and his leading
organs, who exult over the defeat of the
Broderick party in California, and express
no regrets at his murder:
There is another aspect of this event on
which the public mind will not fail to dwell.
Broderick followed Douglas in his resistance
to the hated Lecompton Constitution, thereby
mourning the enmity of the Administration.
California, through her Legislature, declared
fer the Presidents policy, and instructed her
Senator, who opposed that policy, to resign.
He returned to his constituents, and upfurled
the flag of popular sovereignty. He planted
himself on that principle exclusively. and
Stephen Arnold Douglas had no truer nor
more uncompromising follower. All the ami
mostly OF his opponents was reused into more
intense and vindictive hatred because he so
thoroughly identified himself with the great
enemy of the President. If there was one
man in the United States who had irresistible
claims on the friendship and support of
Douglas, it was Broderick. When the enmitv
which Douglas had drawn upon himself in the
Senate threatened to assume the shane Of
physical force, Broderick was the Ajax from
behind whose shield he, the ''Little Giantn
shot his arrows. Such were the relations
which subsisted between the two men. Yet.
no sooner did the news of the defeat of the
Douglas -Broderick ticket arrive here. than the
Douglas organs burst out in exultant editorials
at the result of the election. Thev reioiced
one and all-the Missouri Repubiica1. the
Springfield Register, the Chicago Times and
their numerous echoes in illinois = that
Latham and his colleagues on the Buchanan
ticket were elected, and that the popular SOW.
ereignty ticket was defeated. Thev reioiced
at the success of the ticket which repreSented
the principles of jefferson Davis and James
Buchanan, and at the defeat of the ticket
which represented the principles professed by
themselves and their leader, in common with
Broderlck. They even silly contributed to
elect the one and defeat the other. We need
not say that all this was done at the instigation
OF Douglas The article already referred to in
the Chicago Times, his home organ, permits
us to entertain no doubt On the subject; and
we challenge the world to produce more
iagrant case OF moral obliquity and political
treachery and baseness. We can imagine
nothing which would have so much embittered
the last moments OF the true hearted Broderick
as this exhibition of falsehood, selfshness
and ingratitude. Happily, he was spared the
of it.
Much as we are opposed to Douglas, we
could wish that his character were free from
The trait which this episode discloses. or
'ather, the existence Of which it confirms for
t had been often before manifested. Trne to
his own designs, and false to all besides. he
sacrifices his friends without the slightest
He has played exactly the
same role in relation to the Pennsylyania
election. There he also supports the Buchanan
icket, although its candidates, and the plat
orm on which they stand, expressly repudiate
he doctrines which he has chosen to uphold
Is the true Democratic doctrines. He has 81
betrayed Forney as he betrayed Broderick
out Forney, who has keener insight than