Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-02-25

Heminfscencc OF Senator BrOdcrtc1S.
1t used to be n saying of John Jacob
Astors that 1t is only the first thousand dol
lars that is hard TO make; after thai the
money makes itself. SIT is hard to make
an empty sack stand upright" the old man
would say. The same rule applies 10 the
beginnings of most undertakings, and to the
first development of principles, political or
otherwise.
For instance, what toiliug and struggling
there was to amass that first little capital of
Rcpublican,or, more strictly, of anti-slavery
sentiment, that resulted in the nomination of
the first Free Soil candidate fer the Prcsi-
dcncy. Ages ago, that seems now, in the
days before the flood, when men ate and
drank and were given in marriage till the
flood came and destroyed them. Compound
interest, the cumulative force OF capital, has
worked since that.
A chance rc-reading of the speech which
Senator Brodericlk, of California, delivered
a decade of years ago in answer to that
famous "mud-sill' specch-by Toombs, of
Georgia, was it not ?-suggests some such
ideas. Brodcrck's speech is remarkable
one on its own merits of force and manly
simplieity,and still more so as the utterance
of thorough Democrat, committed to his
own party, yet growing into recognition of
Republican principles as it were against his
will. 1t is no light thing for such man to
take issue with his political associates on
the strength OF new convictions that are
growing up in him. He suffers in such Il
case from within as well us from without.
II mas no light thing for David r. Broderick.
The present wrior made his acquaintance
IN the winter of 10 60, during n visit to
Washington while Congress was in ses
sior. What time of fcrment it was then.
What feeling of electricity in the air, fore
casting the awful storm SO much nearer at
hand than we gnessed at. Buchanan was
still pottcring about the White House with
his old head OIL one sidc-puor old head,
stuffed with nothing but policy and chicage-
ry, and that all falling to disorgauized stu
pidiy now but his reign was fast approach
ing its completion.
In the Capitol we looked down from the
galleries Of both Houses on the serred ranks
OF the Southern fre-eatcrs and the phalanx
Of their Republican pponents-growing
stronger in " backbone" day by day--lttlc
guessing that it was tn: last year they were
ever to meet so. Brooks had gone from his
place, passed to the bourne where there
could he no further hope of gold-heatled
canes presented in reward of attacks on da-
fenccless opponents; and in the Senate
Chamber, Summers vacant seat still spoke a
very efficient silent cloqucnce of its own
but Toombs and kcitt still remained to up
hold the standard of the departed South Car
Gilman, ana Hale and Wilson sat on either
side of the Massachusetts Senator's vacant
place.
There are plenty of notabiltics to see and
to hear on all hands: Geury, Just returned
from his Kansas government and most in
tcrcstng in what he had to say on that all
ongrossing topic; Seward, his fame cnhan-
ced by his lately pronounced ''irreprcssiblr
conflict speech; Alexander Stephens, with
with his Keen, worn, young old-face; Doug
las, plausible, insnuatng, everywhere busy,
fancying that the longcd for opportunity had
co@ic at last, and that nut of the ncttlc of
his country disscnsions he should pluck the
flower Of the Presidency. But none of all
these made so deep personal impression as
Frederick, of California. Why was it? no
special gifts of intellect, or grace, or culture,
certainly.
| think ii was the remarkable generous
ness of the man, the absence of that atmos-
phcrc of policy and regard for the appear
anccs that seems to surround most politi-
Clans, familiar as the air they breathe. A
cloud of gloom hung about him, not morosc,
but "perplexcd in the extreme" The po-
litical path he had hitherto 'roddcn seemed
to have closed in before him, and he stood
uncertain how to shape his further course
He expressed this in II few forcible words
in the course of IL scmi-coniidertial CONVEX
sation. So short II time, he said, since he
had had to raise his voice in testimony
against Buchanan, the very man he hal
worked so hard 10 place In power. Then
he had raised Douglass flag at his mast
utNti, anu uoW IC iuuSl 10 UOlllt W
tear down that, too, and trample it under
foot. A renegade. he almost seemed to
himself Conscience was no sweet-iaced
guide leading along fair paths, but tyran,
that drove him with scourgc Something
like this he said, in deep undcrtone, not
looking into the face of his interlocutor, but
with sad gaze fixed aslant, as fit seemed
so, remembering il afterwards-he caught
glimpse that moment of the short path to
the bloody grave awaiting him.
Once more we saw him in our last visit to
the Capitol, when, after listening to de-
bate in the House of Representatives, we
passed 10 the Senate Chamber, where Mr.
Pugh, Of Ohio, was droning on in speech
to which nobody even pretended to give the
slightest attention. Broderck was sitting
on sofa at the side of the Chamber just
opposite us, and close beside him, talking
earnestly and pcrsuasively in his ear, was
the ubiquitous Douglas, whom we had left
hardly five minutes before, buttonholing the
most distinguished and influential of the
Representatives on the other side of the
Capitol.
"Sce," whispered my companion, ''sce
Satan sitting squat at the car Of Eve. ," And
| watched, and recall distinctly now the
widely contrasted pair. Douglas, with his
arm on the back Of the seat behind Broder-
ick, speaking flucntly, eagerly, tapping his
companions arm with gesture at once flat
tcring and afIectionate, drawing back 10
notice the effect of his appeal, leaning close
TO him asain.-one can fancy what spring
of self-interest set in action all that earnest
ness and intensity. The other sitting mo-
tionless, his legs stretched out, his chin de-
clined, his dark eyes looking oGt from I'M
der his bent brows straight before him,
slight gesture of assent or quicker move
ment OF denial, all his apparent answer to
his companion fluent pleading. So we left
him sitting that day at the parting of the
ways; so few months before the time when
| we read that
'senator Broderick sleeps in DEATH struck down by
feon gaiye,
And Justice Terry walks the enrh Cain-brAnlel 10
his grave"