DEATH OF SENATOR BRODERICK.
THE news from California, by overland mail, advises us of the sad intelligence of the death of United States Senator David C. Broderick, at the hands of a ruffian named Terry. The duel grew out of matters connected with the recent political campaign in that State, which was of an unusually bitter and personal character. This, we say, was the immediate cause of the difficulty, though, perhaps, not the only, real one. There has existed, for a long time, an intensely hostile feeling between Judge Terry and Senator Broderick, the latter gentleman being connected with and the champion of what is termed there the Northern, or Douglas wing of the "democracy," while the former was the representative man, to a certain extent, of the Buchanan wing. Intensely pro-slavery, a Southerner by birth and instincts, Terry was, in these respects, perhaps, one of the most thorough embodiments of that sort of "democracy," which, when necessary to its success, does not hesitate to overwhelm the polls with illegal votes, or plunge the knife to the hilt into the body of its opponent, to be found on the continent. And, we regret to say, judging from the result of the late election in California, it is pretty evident that such is the degraded condition of social life there, that the people are too prone to place the seal of their approbation upon such men as Terry, and the whole gang of cut-throats and bullies which make the golden State, in all the moral aspects of the case, as much a slave plantation as though her lands were desecrated by the foot-prints of the bondman. The duel, which resulted in the death of Mr. Broderick, took place on the 13th ultimo. The distance was ten paces. At the first fire, Judge Terry's ball passed through the lungs of Mr. Broderick, while that of the latter struck the ground short of the mark. At fifteen minutes past nine o'clock, the next morning, the wounded senator breathed his last. It is not possible that such an event can pass by without creating a profound sensation. The revelation which it makes of the character and tendency of our political contests, must produce reflection on the part of all citizens who are becoming awakened to the demoralized condition of the politics of our country. In it they cannot fail to witness another evidence that the corruptions of the worst days of the old and fallen Republics, are fast returning to engulph their own in an abyss of murder, rapine and fraud. What shall stay these surging billows of corruption? What shall induce the people not to continue this persistent ignoring of a higher power in their political action? Surely, the government which sneers at truth and humanity, and which builds its measures upon a wicked, barbarous policy, will be made sooner or later, to tremble by the corruption which such a course engenders among its people.—Battle Creek Journal.