St. Cloud visiter [sic]. [volume] (St. Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1857-1858, 1858-06-24

he had opposed. the action of the German
Democrats here, IN sending abroad for, con-
thussacrifcing, toprinciple, his
popularity with that large wing of his p1h:-
~. Now, it 50 happened that this YES
that should not have beensspo-
ken Of, as the Col. had no sooner discover
ed the anti-contribution movement to be
unpopular with the Germans, than he had
slipped outo his position and left G. G..
Andrews tobear the consequences Of their
united action. The blunder was not like
u to be repaired, The attention Of the
German leaders had been called to the sub.
ject, and the Coils political prospects were
in the background. Shepley became furi-
ors and insolent. His colleague Dr. Pal
mer called upon us to explain the mis-
take" we had fallen into, and urged the ne
cessity Of explanation, on the ground Of
Col. Barstow's being the agent of General
Lowry; and being just then in Washing
ton boring to have the Land Office re-
moved from Sank Rapids 70 this, flaoo-,
If It were known at Washington that the
COL was not popular with all branches of
his party here, itwould ijure his influence
there.
To our question if Mr.. Buchanan was
about to get up grass-hopper issue, in
stearns County, to match the goose ques-
ton in Kansas, We got no definite answer,
but our eyes were fully opened to the fact
that the Generals Doctor was trying to
lead US to aid the Generals Colonel to carry
a bucket Of water on each shoulder; and
we concluded that it might aid the Gen.
and ourself in understanding each other
when we met, or save. us the trouble of
meeting, if he, knew, exactly to what ex-
tent we were likely to make ourself useful.
So in the next issue of the Nsitcr, Jan Z,
we thus explained: .......
...,,.. III, COL. >BARsTOW. -
We are sorry to learn that we have Civ
en- serious offence to the immediate friends
of Col. Barstow by our notice of that gen
tleman in our last weeks issue. They
think we have damned him with faint
praise. We surely did not intend anything
of the kind, but in all good faith and
neighborly feeling; said all the good we
knew of him. We copied the Atlas ar
ticle and endorsed it as far as we could, be-
cause we learned by it that Col. Barstow
was endeavoring in the East, to make
known the resources of Northern Minneso-
ia. It was our legitimate business to as
list him in this; and we tried to do so ac-
esedins TO the best Of our abiliitys; and
that our statement Of his character ma
terially correct. But those who attend to
his interest here, during his absence, insist
that we have misunderstood and SO misrep-
resented the position Of Col Barstow on
the starvation, question. Also, that we
have slandered the Democratic party of
stearns county by surprising, for one mo-
ment, that the famine is, or ever will be
democratic thunder" *5+. ."'=@e @.&.
The way we fell into the mistake was
this. We had been informed on the au-
thority Of gentlemen who took an active
part in the indignation meetings that Col.
Barstow had drafted the resolutions which
were sent abroad and published as the sense
OF the meetings. We know, certainly,
that the German Catholics, who were the
prime movers in sending out for contribu-
lions were very indignant at the indigna-
ton and we supposed Of course that their
indignation extended to the persons Of
those who had originally been indignant.
We, the more readily took this for granted
since we know they are very angry at us
for writing letter to the New York Tr;b-
ss'.e stating that there was no general want
in this county and no occasion for contri-
buttons from abroad. When we wrote the
letter. we did not know who had sent
abroad for the -four which had arrived at
St. Paul, or whether the application was
made with the knowledge Of any consider
able number Of the people of the county.
Had we known what we now do, viz, that
prominent citizens of the Democratic party
approved the project; and that our German
Catholic friends insisted on their right to
ask aid from abroad on the general plea Of
restitution in Stearns county, it is not like
lv we shonld have said a word ooo;nsf +bn
project, especially as we did intend to run
on the Democratic Ticket for Congress or
the Gubernatorial Chair. It was in utter
ignorance Of the position Of affairs that we
committed ourself on the anti-starvation
side Of this question; but we supposed, of
course, that the gentlemen who oficiated
at the indignation meetings knew all about
it, and thought their course, consequently.
evinced great honesty, manliness and indie
pendence. In COL Barstow's case howev-
er, it appers somehow that we were mis-
taken IN E.ithnr ha didsf,ot n,o,>oso 4In ~ g