The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-07-22
TERMS or THE
WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT
Age Brings with Il Dimness OF Sight and
BIuntness OF wit.

vs. WV
JOE Brown, of old j. X. Brown, of q
later period; JOSEPH II. Brown, Esquire,
within the memory Of many now living ;
Hon. JOSEPH Il. Brown, Of more modern
times and Major BRowS, Sioux Agent, of
the present day isa man who, whatever
his title, has been distinguished, at each
epoch of his life, for remarkable keenness of
sight and sharpness of wit. We have ad-
mired and enjoyed the Major on these
grounds for years back and we felt sort
ofpersonal pride in him even before he came
to be Major. We, therefore, take it as q
sort Of personal injury, that he should man.
ifest any sig Of dullness, or mental obfus-
cation. But, AZ our heading reads, age
brings with it dimness of sight, and blunt
ness Of wit ; and the major has frequently
of late exemplified in himself the truth Of
this saying.
The Major earned bis reputation on the
soil Of Minnesota. In its Territorial poll
tics he was unapproachable. He had no
equal in that line Of maneuvering known as
"skulduggery." lie won, at an early day
the title of Juggler;;" and there have been
those to aver that he won it honestly. lie
was great on combinations, keen on prophe
cies, astonishing on tricks. He maintained
his reputation while be confined himself to
the soil, and his genius to the politics, Of
Minnesota. But the Major isn't so extraor-
binary when he operates on strange and
broader fields. Spread out over the whole
country, he loses body, strength, consistency,
and becomes exceedingly wafery and thin
Shining from Henderson, his light pervades
Q considerable portion OF our State; but
when he radiates from Washington, the
country might reasonably enough think it.
self in eclipse, il there were no other lumi-
nary to gladden. the land with the effulgence
Of its beams. We may as well confess it,
without regard to the modification which il
costs, that Major Brown is not a great
statesman, nor even surprisingly astute
national politician.
The Major went to Washington nearly
half a year ago. His ostensible business
was to negotiate an Indian treaty. His
real business was to give Mr.. BUCHANAN,
the Cabinet, and Congress, some useful hints
in regard to the principles and practices of
Democracy, and some efficient help in en-
grating them upon the body polite of the
country. The progress and results of his
labors he has at intervals furnished to the
American public through the columns of the
Henderson Democrat. Through this me
dunn we have watched. with interest, the
varying success Of his mission and have no
ticei, with concern, that be has not been
entirely exempt from the annoyances and
rebuifs which gre teachers and expoun,lers
before him have met.
When the Iecompton question arose,
great many old Democrats did Mt exactly
view it through his spectacles. At this
imper,inence, he was at first incredulous'
then surprised, next amazed. and at last In
dignant lie took summary vengeance on
DoUGLAs. and score or so OF his calibre,
and duly Published bull Of excommnnica-
ton against them in the Henderson Demo.
crat. lie gradually waxed stronger in the
fath-so strong. that he soon out democrat
ized oil Democracy, ancient or modern. He
became q more original Lecomptonite than
CAtuorN. better BUcHASAS man than the
Presidept, and a more reliable Admins.
,ration man than the Cabinet combined.
Lecomp,onism grew in his view to be
the embodied essence Of Democracy, and
support Of that measure the touchstoue
OF party iealty. And 30, while be re
christened and re baptized al Democrats
who gave in their adhesion to the lie
compton dogma he continued equally per-
sssent in sending forth his bulls against
those heretics Who refused to acknowledge
that as righteous test Of Denors,ic faith.
We think the computation would be q fair
oue, tia, the Major has, frst and last,
through the Henderson DsmouG', excommu-
nica,ei from the party about nine tenths Of