St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1858-12-09

sx.at...a,.s..:zenA3
May be we al fanatic; but % conyie
ton ould be stronger in our mind, than
the feeling that the Lord h as prepared IL
by long course of discipline, to stand pub
licly as the advocate Of the oppressed
our own sex, az representative of womaIi's
right, under God, to choose her own sphere
Of action. We have chosen ours with d.
rect reference to the final account, and
those who make it the subject Of sarcasm,
ridicule, or coarse personal abuse, msy oal
culate to meet all that il terrible in en-
nestness Of purpose.
We are so certain the Lord is on our
side, that it is quite impossible for US to
fear any force on earth. Dying is not diff
icult, yielding impossible. We have net
sought the control Of press here, but
when it was offered us we looked upon il
as a command from the Great Master to 20
to work in His vineyard Our consciencs
acquits us Of having used it otherwise thar
in the service Of God and man. 1t is thus
we still hope to use it, and not to crafty
any feeling Of revenge against those who
have sought our injury with such singular
pertinacity and desperation.
We shall make no personal war upou
any, but those who attack us, had better
calculate the cost of supplying territory
and munitions for the war that will surely
ensue. We fight all our battles on the
enemys ground, and always use his wea-
pons, so that he who makes personal war
upon us had better be sure of his defen-
siyc armor. Let him make our private do
mcstic relations the object of his public
sneers, and he may calculate to defend his
own.
We look upon all politicians, whether in
Office OF out, as fair subjects of editorial
comment in all their political relations
We do not recognize any mans right to
privacy in any attempt to govern the pee-
pie. We never kept political secret and
think we never will The people are the
proper source of political power, and have
right to know all the purposes and
plans Of those who dispense power and
patronage. Whenever we can trace q po-e
litical wire up to the handle, We shall d.
rect public attention to that point, no mat
ter where 1t is, or what is likely to be the.
consequence We believe this is duty
which every editor owes the public, and
we shall have to get in new supply Of
cowardice before we shrink from it
10 those who feel that these, our purpo-
ses, are right, We appeal for aid in carrying
them out The difficulties with which We
have to contend are very great. A large
majority Of the people Of St. Cloud show
the best disposition to aid and sustain US.
but in addition to the general commercial
crash, this county has had to contend with
the loss Of the greater portion Of two crope
by the devastation Of grasshoppers.
Our enemies have shown themselves un-.
scrupulous and active. Their writte.
threats, of more serious violence, stand un-
cancelled, while their private efforts to ia
jure our reputation, to cover our nalas
with most odious epithets, and gross crimes.
are still actively pursued. Weare without
prisons, or regularly organized judiciary,
and those who take the responsibility OF
these attacks are totally irresponsible, =
we'll as artful and unscrupulous. They
have already deprived us Of a hope to
which We had long looked forward, a quiet,
humble, little home Of our own. The
preparation We had made for building, is
now as money lost, for it is not thought
safe for us to attempt living alone. Our
Office must be so situated, that with our
debility it is impossible for US to have
proper supervision Of it, for the press must
be placed where it can be guarded, with
out hiring men for that purpose.
We are not wont to make pitiful appeals
for help, but we should be recrcant 70 duty
now, not to state the facts, that those who
love the American principles Of freedom Of
speech and freedom Of the press, may
know that here, in this nominally free
State, it is in danger Of being crushed
The Democrats no longer local organ,
although we shall make it prominent OBJ
ject to make known the resources Of north
ern Minnesota; but the great object of its
life is to vindicate the freedom Of the press.
For this, men here, Of both parties, have
contributed to purchase the material and
incurred large expenditure in publishing
it. Men Of comparatively small interests
are active and efficient as any, and We arc
anxious thatthe responsibility thus assumed
may not fall too heavily upon them. Oul
terms of subscription axe as low as We can
make them, and to all who favor us with
subscriptions, we shall try to give the
worth of their money. The people OF
St. Cloud have acted nobly their part in
this matter, and to the friends Of truth aud
Justice abroad, we now appeal to aid us in
our struggle for the right.