Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/778

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from a gentleman holding a position equally elevatea and responsible, and there are no circumstances which could induce me even to do thus during the pendency of the present canvass. When I authorized the announcement that I would address the people of California during the campaign, it was suggested that efforts would be made to force me into difficulties, and I determined to take no notice of attacks from any source during the canvass. If I were to accept your challenge, there are probably many other gentlemen who would seek similar opportunities for hostile meetings, for the purpose of accomplishing a political object, or to obtain public notoriety. I cannot afford at the present time to descend to a violation of the constitution and the state laws to subserve either their or your purposes."

Perley then in a card to the public pronounced Broderick's letter a tissue of evasive falsehoods, mean, quibbling, dastardly, and that the writer was no less void of courage than of principle, and that thenceforth he had no right to the name of gentleman.

Two months elapsed, when, election being over, and the term of the supreme judge near completion, Terry descended from his bench and demanded by letter of Broderick an apology for the abusive words spoken by him in the presence of Perley at the breakfast table of the International hotel. Broderick asked particular mention of the language used. Terry gave it as follows: "1 have heretofore considered and spoken of Judge Terry as the only honest man on the supreme court bench; but I now take it all back." Or if those were not the exact words, said Terry, then any words reflecting on his character as a gentleman and a magistrate.

To this Broderick replied that his words were occasioned • by offensive allusions to him made by Terry at the Sacramento convention, and that as nearly as he recollected the language used at the International hotel was as follows: "During Judge