Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-10-08
The Debate ~ Chatfirld between Grow
Shields aud COlfax.

The Debate ~ Chatfirld between Grow
| Shields aud COlfax.
..a.. CHArFIELD, Mimi, Sept %, 1859.
6ditors of the Asanssosian: -'.''| ~ .i-' :
DEAR SIR :-On the 26th inst, Messrs
Grow and Colfax spoke at this place to q
crowded and most enthusiastic assemblage
OF the wide-a-wake freeman of Fillmore Coun.
y. ,-@
The dilapidated Gen. Shields also spoke in
the Republican meeting, though his friends
had noticed him and Graham for the same
evening at the Democratic Club room; those
friends seeing and knowing that when the Re.
pubEcans of Fillmore County rallied under
their own banner to hear their own men, and
especially Grow, the author and firm friend
of the Homestead Bill, and Colfax, the elo
quent champion of Freedom and Feemen eve
rywhere, their great war horse must speak,
if only to his friends, to Land Office and Post
Office cliques alone, and hence they sought
and obtained the favor of an audience among
Republicans. -'
The General led off for one hour in an at
tempt tc blind his hearers as to his own true
record, and as to the services of Mr.. Grow
upon the Homestead question, forgetting to
state any of the really important part of that
record, but awfully coloring and magnifying
picked up trihes in his own behalf So pal
pable was this effort to disguise the facts and
truth of history, which stump him as an open
enemy of the Homestead measure that there
was not boy of Is, within his hearing who
did not detect his bare-faced suppression of
his plainly written Senatorial record.
Mr.. Grow followed for an hour and quar-
ter, vividly exposing the errors of omission
and commission, of short coming and long
stretching, in the Generals speech. He re-
viewed the history Of the Homestead measure
from its origin to the close of the last Session
of Congress-. sustaining every position, and
proving every assertion in his speech by ref:
erence to the records, the page and date, car
rying conviction to every mind, that upon
this subject, as upon all others, Democracy is
humbug, fraud and cheat that no par
ty but the Republican party endorses, advo-
Gates and sustains the Homestead measure.
The General now waxed wrathy, and devo-
ted the remaining fifteen minutes allotted to
him, to silly personal abuse; so silly, as un,
til now to be unknown with any but foolish
and bad tempered children; playing upon tn
name of Mr.. Grow, such as calling Grow,
"Crow," &c!
The stand was then taken by Mr.. Colfax,
and for over two hours the Republicans were
feasted, and the Democrats roasted, with an
uninterrupted flow Of eloquent truths. rejoic-
ing the hearts and Strengthening the hopes of
the former, and also strengthening the tortur-
ing conviction of the latter, that the end Of
their misrule is at hand.
Never before has the Democracy of Fill
more County been SO cleanly laid out never
so utterly prostrated; and never have the
Republicans here been SO joyously confident
and determined that Democracy will, on the
l1th of October, fight its last battle and sleep
its last Sleep
They will seek no more joint discussions
with Republicans, either for profit or amuse-
ment; SO goodbye to Fillmore County De.
mocracy, and their wandering disheartened
General
In view of the short season, they are ad.
vised to take early passage for Salt River, pro-
vided with frost bitten corn, Railroad Bonds
and Democratic Shinplasters, for an everlast
ing settlement on that romantic stream.