Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-01-25
BAKERS GRAFTON.
The Famous Funeral Address on the
Occasion of Broderick's Burial
The Code or Honor "a Shield, Blaz-
Oned with the Name OF Chiv-
airy to Cover the Malig-
nifty of Murler.''

The following funeral Grafton, pronounced
by Col. f. ID. Baker on the occasion of the
burial of Senator David G.. Brodtack, has
passed into history rs one of the finest eulo-
gies ever delivered The senator was killed
by Judge Terry in duel IN California in
1859:
A senator lies dead i'm our milst He is
wrapped in n bloody shroui, AMI we, to
whom his tolls and cares were given, are
about to bear him to the place appointed for
all the living. 1t is not fit that such a man
| should pass to the tomb unheralled; it is not
| fit that such life should steal unnoticed to
its close; it is not fit that such death should
call forth no rebuke, or be followed by no
public lamentation. 1t is this conviction
which impels the gathering Of this Assem-
blage. We are here of every station and
pursuit, Of every creed and character, each
in his capacity Of citizen, to swell the mourn
full tribute which the majesty of the people
offers to the unreplying dead.
He lies to day surrounded by little of
funeral pomp No banners droop over the
bier, no melancholy music floats upon the
| reluctant air. The hopes OF high
hearted friends droop like fading flowers
upon his breast ami the struggling sigh
compels the tear I'm eyes that seldom
| weep. Around him are those who had known
him best and Lowell him longest; who have
shared the triumph and endured the defeat
Near him are the gravest and noblest of the
state, possessed by grief at once earnest
and sincere; while beyond, the masses Of the
people whom he loved, and for whom his
life was given, gather like Il thunder-cloud
| of swelling and Indignant grief
| In such a presence, fellOw-citizens, lot us
linger for a moment at the portals Of the
tomb, whose shadowy arches vibrate to the
| public heart, to speak few brief words Of
the man, Of his life and his death. Up to the
time Of his arrival In California, his life had
been passed amid events incident to such a
| character Fearless, self reliant, open In
his enmities warm In his friendships, welded
| to his opinions, and marching directly to his
purpose through and over all opposition, his
| career was checkered with success and de-
| feat; but even I'm defeat his energies were
| strengthened and his character developed.
HIS BOYHOOD.
When he reached these shores his keen oh
servation taught him at once that he trod a
broad field, and that higher career was be-
fore him. He had no false pride; sprung
from people and Of race whose vocation
was labor, he toiled with his own hands, and
sprnny at hound from the workshop to
tho legislative hall. From that time there
| congreSated around him and against him
| the elements Of success and defeat-strong
friendships, bitter enmities, high praise, ma
| lignant calumnics-but he trod with a free
! and proud step that onward path which has
lel him to glory and the grave.
h..
before you was your senator. From the mo-
ment of his election his character has been
malignesi, his motives attacked, his courage
impeachel, his patriotism assailed. 1t has
been a system tending to one end What
| was his crimes Review his histOry-consider
his public acts-weigh his private character
and, before tho grave incloses forever,
judge between him and his enemiesi
As n aaem-to be judged In his private re-
lations-whO was his superiors II was his
boat, and, amid tho general license of new
country, it was n proud one, Chat his most
scrutinizing enemy could fix no single act Of
immortality upon him! Temperate, decorous,
sclf-rcstraincd, he passed through all the ex-
element Of California unstained. No man
could charge him with broken faith or viO-
lated trust; Of habits simple and inexpensive,
he hnd no Use Of gnin. He Ovcrreached no
mans weakness In n bargain, and withheld
from no m,n his just dues. Never in the
history of the state has there been a citizen
who has borne public relations more STAIN
less in nll respects than no.
TIE CODE A DELUSION.
Ono year ago to dny performed duty,
such ms perform to-day over the remains Of
Senator Ferguson. who died rs Broderick
| diel, tangled in thu meihcs of the code of
honor. To-day there is morr eminent
sacrifice. To-day renew my protest; to-day
l utter yours. The code Of honor is a de-
llision and a snare; 1t paltors with tho hope
OF true courage and binds It at the feet of
crafty and cruel skill 1t surrounds its
victim with tho pomp and grace of the pro-
| res,ion, but leaves him bleeling on the altar.
1t is n shield, blazoned with the name Of
chivalry to cover the n.alisnity of murder.
1t substitutes cold and Deliberate preparn-
ton for courteous and manly impulse, and
arms the one to disarm the the other, it may
prevent fraud between pract:cel duelists who
EhOuld bc forever without its pale, but il
makes tho mere trick of the weapon" supe-
rior tn the noblest cause and tluest courage.
It's pretence Of equality Is a lie-it Is equal In
all the form, it il unjust in all tho substance
thu latitude Of arms, the early training, the
frontier life, tho border war, the sectional
custom, the life Of leisure, all these are advan-
tagcs which no negotiation can ncutralize,
and which no course can overcome
And now, as the shadow turns toward the
east and we prepare to bear these poor re-
mains to their last resting place, let us not
seek to repress the generous pride which
prompts q recital Of noble deeds and manly
virtues. He rose unaided and alone; b, be-
gan, without family or fortune, In tho face
Of difficulties; he inherited poverty and OBJ
scurity; he died a senator IN congress- having
written his name in the history Of tho great
struggle for the rights Of the people against
the despotism Of organization and tho cor
ruptiOn Of power.
HE TRIED TO STAND FIRM.
He leaves in the hearts Of his friends the
tenderest and prOudest recollectious He was
honest, faithful, earnest, sincere, generous
and brave; he felt in all the great crisis of
his life that no was a leader in the ranks:
that it was his high duty to uphold tho in
terests of the masses; that he could not falter.
When Inc returned from the fatal field, while
the dark wing OF tho archangel Of death wal
casting its shadow upon his brow, his greatest
anxiety was as to the performance of his
duty. He felt that all his strength and all
his life belonged to the cause to which he had
tlevotel them.
Baker" said he-and to me they were his
last words-"Baker, when / was struck /
tried to stand firm, but the blow blinded mo,
| anl coald nOt.n trust That it il no shame
to my manhood that tears blinded
Inc as he saiI it. OF his last hour
II have no heart to speak. He
was tho last OF his race. There was no
kindred hand to smooth his couch or wipe the
Heath damp from his brow, but around that
dying bed stron. mon, the friends of his
early niantOod, the devoted adherents of
later life, bowed in irrepressible grief, land
liftal up their voices and wept"
But, fellow-citizcns, tho voice of lamcnta.
tion is MT utte'.! u, private friend hip alone
-tile ll"w that str',,j; his manly ia.s,st has
tOuche the heart cf a people, and rs the sad
tidings sI.eth, n general gloom prevails
WHO now will speak for California; Who
will tc The interpreter Of the wants Of the
Pacific ro;.sts
"Ah, who that gallant spirit shall resume,
Leap from Eurotas bank, and call US fronl
the tombf"
But the last word must be spoken. and the