Year: 1859

FUNERAL GRAFTON OF Hos. L. D. BAKER,
OVER THE BODY OF Hon. D. c. BRoDERIoK.- -
We give the conclusion of the eloquent and
feeling remarks delivered by Col Baker at
the funeral of Mr.. Broderick. They were
telegraphed to the Union:


Fellow citizens: One year ago I performed
a duty such as | perform to-day, over the re.
mains of Senator Ferguson, who died as Mr..
Broderick died, tangled in the meshes of the
code OF honor. To-day there IS another and
more eminent sacrifice To-day renew
my protest; to day utter yours. The code
of honor is delusion and snare. tpalters
with the hope of true courage and binds it
at the feet of crafty and cruel skill 1t sur
rounds its victim with the pomp and grace
of the procession, but leaves him bleeding on
the altar 1t substitutes cold an1 deliberate
preparation for courageous and manly i'm
pulse, and arms the one to dsarm the other.
10 may prevent fraud between practiced
duelists who should be forever without its
pale, but it makes the mere "trick of the
weapon" superior to the noblest cause and the
truest courage Its pretense of equality is a
lie. 1t is equal in all the form; it is unjust
in all the substance. The habitude of arms.
the early training the frontier life, the border
war, the sectional custom, the life ofleisure-
oil these are advantages which no negotia-
tions can neutralize and no courage can over
come.


But, fellow citizens, the protest is not on
ly spoken in your words and in mine 1t is
written in indelibe characters it is written
in the blood of Gilbert in the blood of Fer
guson, and in the blood of Broderick, and the
inscription win not altogether stop. With
the administration of the code in this par
tcular | am not here to deal Amid pas
siona'e e grief let us strive to be just give
no currency to rumors of which personally [
know nothing. There are other tribunals to
which they may well be referred; and this is
not one of them. But am here to say that
whatever in the code of honor Or out of it
demands or allows deadly combat, where
there is not in all things entire and certain
equality, is prostitution of the name, is the
evasion Of the substance and is a shield blazon.
ed with the name of chivalry to cover the
malgnity of murder. And now, as the
shadows turn towards the East and we pre-
pare to bear these poor remains to their si-
lent resting place, let us not seek to repress
the generous pride which prompts recital
of noble deeds and manly virtues. He rose
unaided and alone He began his career
without family or fortune, in the face of diff
culties. lie inherited poverty and obscurity.
He died Senator in Congress, having writ
ten his name in the history of the great strug-
gle for the rights of the people against the
despotism of organization and the corruption
of power. lie leaves in the hearts of his
friends the tenderest and the proudest recol-
leetions. lie was honest, faithful, earnest,
sincere, generous and brave He fell. In
all the great crises of his life he was leader
in the ranks and for the rights of masses of
men, and he could not falter


When he returned from that fatal field.
while the dark wing ofthe archangel of death
was casting its shadow upon his brow, his
greatest anxiety was as to the performance o
his duty. lie felt that all his strength anC
all his life belonged to the cause to which h,
had devoted them. "Baker," said he-and t,
me they were his last words Baker, whe1
| was struck | tried to stand firm, but tn,
blow blinded me and could not" Here tn,
speakers voice was choked with emotion
tr,ist it is no shame to my manhood that tear
blinded me as he said it, Of his last hour
have no heart to speak. III was the last O
his race; there was no kindred hand tc
cmooth his couch or wipe the death damp:
from his brow, but around that dying bed
strong men, the friends of his early manhood
the devoted adherents of later life, bowed in
irrepressible gref-"and lifted up their voice
and wept." Sensation. But, fellow-citlzens
the voice Of lamentation is not uttered by
private friendship alone. The blow that
struck his manly breast has touched the heart
of people, and as the sad tidings spread a
general gloom prevails. Who now shall speak
for California, and who be the interpreter OF
the wants of the Pacific coast? Who can
appeal to the communities of the Atlantic
who love free labor? Who can speak for
masses of men with passionate love for the
classes from whence he sprung? Who can
defy the Establishments of power the inso-
lence of office, the corruptions of Administra-
tons What hopes are buried with him in
the grave!


"Ah, who that gallant spirit shall resume


Leap from Eurota's bank and call it from the


tombg'


But the last word must be spoken, and the
imperious mandate of death must be fulfilled
Thus, O brave heart we bear thee to THY
rest, Thus surrounded by tens of thousands
we leave thee to the equal grave. AS in life
no other voice among us 80 rung its trumpe
upon the ear of freemen, so in death it
echoes VIII reverberate amid our mountain
and our valleys, until truth and valor ceas,
to appeal to the human heart.


"The earth may ring from shore to shore,


With echoes of glorious name,


But he whose loss our tears depore


Has left behind him more than fame


For when the death first came to lie


Upon his .rm and mighty heart


And quenched his bold and friendly eye,


His spirit did not all depart


His love oftruth too warm, too strong,


For hope or fear to charm or chill,


His hate of tyranny and wrong,


Burn in the breasts he kndled still,


Live in the heart that loves him still"


Good friend, true hero, hail and farewell.