Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-07
THIRTY YEARS Ago.
COLONEL z. D. BAKERS ELOQUENT AND
PROPHETIC oRATICN.
Broderick's Manly Letter Declining Per-
ley's Challenge to a Duel-SOme
Local Incidents.

On the both Of June Leland Stanford anC
Colonel E. D. Baker, Republican nominees
respectively for Governor and Congress
man, addressed mass meeting at Peta
luna. The latter spoke for two hours, anc
delivered one of the most thrillingly elo
quent speeches of his life. He seemed tC
have prophetic vision of the future pic
tured before him, as subsequent events
have shown. In concluding his address b,
said
have availed myself of this occasion to ex
press my sentiments. They are the sentiments
OF freeman, and have been dear to my earlier
manhood. Scott, Burch, Booker and the res
may, If they will, pass by me in the proud pro
cession OF State ana Nation. They may thunder
In the Capitol, leading at will the /" fierce
Democracy" and l, in my quiet profession anG
humble way, may go without the public test
monial and without the public honor. But al
last when l am dead-when principles shall
preTa1l-when the SCOTS and BurcheS and Book
ers, and with them, shall have gone to the
oblivion from which fear none of our deeds
Will rescue US, these thoughts will remain
They Will go forward and conquer: they are
gathering now into stream they are spread
ing into d rushing, boiling, and bounding river
they are controlling mems minds they are ma
turing lives they are kindling mems words; they
are freeing mems souls, and as surely as the
great procession of heavens host above us moves
east in its appointed plane and orbit so surely
shall the proud principles of human right and
freedom prevail may not be there to witness
that gleat glory; may not see the great edifce
OF the American republic placed upon so firm
and stable basis that no recreant hand can
shake 1t. The hour Of fruition l have
endeavored to portray will dawn. l have but
one request TO make. In that hour when we
finally succeed when the banner of freedom
streams proudly to the wind in honor of victory
gained when the names OF those great good
and successful men are, in flowing cups offered
by some of you for the plaudits of the faithful,
let it not be forgotten that on this night man
past the noon OF life a man gray-haired, was
ready TO be sacrificed for his party and his
principles. In that day when the names of the
great, the wise and the good are called, will not
some generous cOmrade-remembering this
hour and this sacriiice-when my name shall be
called, half forgotten though be; remembering
that did my best IN my day and generation
say of me, as was said of Napoleon's favorite
soldier, Latour ID Auvergne-whose name was
regularly called at the annual muster years
after he gave up his life on the battlefield :
FALLEN upon the field of honor" Two years
later the gallant and eloquent Baker had fallen
upon the field of honor, battling for the princi-
pies he had 50 ably advocated on the stump
EDS.
THE SACRAMENTO UNION of July l,
1859 contained in full the correspondence
that passed between D. w. Perley, Senator
Broderick and E. J. c. Kewen relative TO
duel between the first two named, over the
trouble that occurred between them at a
hotel in San Francisco in relation to David
S. Terry. Perley wrote that Broderick had
insulted him, and that he (Perley) had
demanded satisfaction on the field of
honor" but that Broderick had refused to
meet him. Then followed Broderick's let
ter to PeTley. 1t was such a manly, Amer
ican-ike reply to the braggadocio OF fire
eating disciple of the false code" that it
will bear reproduction at this time. In
deed, the lapse of years that have inter-
Vened since then, and the reverence which
old Californians have for the memory of
the brave Broderick, invest the letter with
unusual interest The later developments
in the sad affair that ended with his death
will be taken up in their chronological
order as orr weekly history progresses.
Following Is the letter:
SAN FRANCISCO, June %, 1859
ID. " Perley ESq.-SIR Your challenge of
the 9th instant was handed to me last evening
by Mr.. 5. H. Brooks. This morning, between
and O'Clock. one of the servants at my hotel
informed me that two gentlemen were below,
who desired to know if l had risen. told the
servant to say to them that had. The servant
returned with a note purporting to be signed
by Mr.. Brooks, informing me that General +. ],
c. kewen had arrived, and desiring me to ad
dress any answer l designed to your challenge
to General kewen, instead of Mr.. Brooks
This mode of procedure was SO unprecedented
that had no recourse but to decline the recog-
milton of any note coming under the circum-
stances, by the hand of servant. SUBSEQUENT
ly Mr.. Brooks and General Kewen called on me
in person. At this interview, the error COM
mitted IN sending note by servant was cor
rected.
Two days have elapsed since the alleged insult
was given. If I had been inclined TO recognize
your right to demand satisfaction, you have
placed It out of my power to do SO, by the pub
licity you have gwen the matter.
When affairs of this kind are to be arranged
it is customary 10 keep them secret even from
intimate friends. While have RETAINED from
making mention of the affair / find it to be the
subject of newspaper comment and the theme
of public CONVEX sation.
You knew at the time you were searching for
q gentleman TO bear the challenge that it would
not be accepted l informed you of the fact
at the time The alleged insult was offered. in the
presence OF two gentlemen, and in language
that could not be misinterpreted.
Your own sense of prOpriety should have
taught You that the positions We relatively Oc-
cupy are so different as to forbid my acceptance
of your challenge. 1t is but a few days since
you made oath that you were subject of Great
Britain. The giving or accepting challenge
could not therefore affect your political rights,
as you are not a citizen of the United States
For many years, and up to the time of my
elevation 10 the position l now occupy, it was
well known that l would not have avoided any
issue of the character proposed.
If compelled to accept a challenge, it could
only be with gentleman holding position
equally elevated and responsible and there are
no circumstances which could induce me even
TO do this during the tendency of the present
canvass.
would address the people of California during
the can paign, II was suggested that efforts
would be made to force me into difficult
ties. and l determined 10 take no notice of the
attacks from any source during the canvass
If / were TO accept your challenge, there are
many other gentlemen who would seek similar
opportunities for hostile meetings, for the pur-
pose of accomplishing a political object or to
obtain public notOriety. | cannot afford at the
present time to descend to a violation of the
Constitution ana state laws to subserye either
their or your purposes.
Your efforts to give publicity to the fact that
it was your intention to send ne a challenge.
would justify me in giving a copy of this reply
to the public Circumstances will determine
my course in this regard. Yours, etc.
d. c. BRoDERICK.
THE corner. stone of the Agricultural
Pavilion, az Sixth and NJ streets, was laid
on the LIST Of July, with imposing cere-
monies. conducted by the Masonic Order,
of which y. Greene Curtis was Grand
Master. c | Hutchinson, President of the
State Agricultural Society, delivered an
address, as also did Rev. o. c. Wheeler,
the Secretary. Rev. William H. Hill was
Chaplain.
The UNION called attention to the fact
the rooster Just installed on the weather
vane of the NJ. Z Church did not represent
the more meek and humble of the barn
yard species, but was a splendid repre-
sentation OF game-cock just ready tor q
battle in the pit.
...r.CAl N44C ~ "a July tliS onltDO1b AhuS
giles, containing twelve young persons, had
collision on the river with the sailboat
Lightning. The PROV of the latter struck
Joseph ". Bailey, aged 10 years, in the
head, knocking him overheard. He was
probably stunned, as he drowned in few
seconds.
THE bell for the Catholic Church
(the one still in use), weighing 2079
pounds, arrived on the morning of the Sd
of July, and hence has been in use just
thirty years 1t was made by Meneeby, of
West Troy, New York.
The sum of ten thousand dollars was
raised in q very short time in the town of
Shasta 10 clear the Sacramento river for
navigation 10 within a couple of miles OF
there. That sum would not go far at this
day toward making the river nayigaole
from the sea 10 Shasta.
during the trial of a divorce case in
a San Francisco Court, J. Mem. Shafter
(recently app inted Superior judge and
J. p. Treadwell attorneys. got into a rough
and-tumble fight, and Judge Norton fined
each OF them hundred dollars.