The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-02-16
The <sStar,, ON Honesty.

A good man is blessing to society.
His presence is living Gospel. His in
fuence and example is like personal
challenge, summoning every one to nobler
living. Even common good men have
also monetary value. Their presence
in a community raises the value of real |
estate, and their children are liable to give
an elevated character to the District
School.
But when such an honest good man
occupies public station,-when by some
beneficent arrangement of Providence, he
is called to be an editor, and his elevated
thoughts, and honest, holy feelings flow
into print and leave their impress on the
minds of his many readers; how wide and
far-reaching is his sphere of usefulness.
Such an editor, it appears, is our CO.
temporary of the North Star. His homes
ty, like Cieser's wife's, should be above
suspicion. The Star doubtless, isnot only
safe and shining political light, but it
beams with the lustre of virtuous honesty.
From the lofty and serene moral altitude
which this editor occupies, he looks down
with a righteous Indignation on some pee
cadllos which we have sinfully been gull
ty of-such as "wilful lying for political
I. AIM" The occasion of this editors holy
grief was this.
Two weeks ago we published tale
headed "A Phase of Slavery" pathet
ic narrative, showing some of the Internal
cruelties of the system of Slavery, and we
made some comments on it. Some of the
exchanges of the Star have pronounced
this story forgery, and forthwith it pitch
es into us for publishing it, and closes its
article as follows.
We despise "political dishonest"
othe, words, wilful lying for political gain,
and an ed n publishing such fabrication,
knowing it to be such, needs to be re con
verified to the " true faiih"-to honesty at
| least.
1t must have been painful duty for
tho Star to lay on us the imputation Of
"wilful lying" To mitigate its grief over
our depravity, we propose to clear ourself
of the charge. We believe the story to
be true. The character of the paper
which first published it, is vouched for as
truthful by some of the most reliable pa
pers in the country. There is nothing in
the story itself, which leads to suspicion
of its truth. Such incidents harmonize
with the character Of Slavery. They are
its natural outgrowths, its necessary ad-
juncts, and follow itjust as logically as a
corollary follows mathematical demon
stration. Since we published it, we have
seen accounts oftwo other cases very SIM
liar to it. Whether true, or not, tie edit
or of the Star, will not deny but it might
be true. He will not deny that similar
instances often occur.
Now we not only believe American
Slavery to be a great political evil, but a
hideous moral wrong, and we published
that story in order that our readers might
see one of its phases of sin and shame.
Now we would ask the Star if it is
manly to meet such terrible truths with
sneer? Is it honest to blunt their edge
and diminish their force by charge of
"wilful lying" Does not your course sa-
vor more of the trickery of partisan ed
itor than of the candor of an honest man
Is not your preaching of political honesty
little too steep and violent, and would it
not be we'll for you to take the position of
nearer while some one else delivers the
discoursea
In concluding this brief article, let us
Recommend you to search that force
pump which drives the sanguinary fluid
into the remotest parts of the system
that mysterious organ which Doctors of
Physic pronounce hollow, and Doctors of
Divinity deceitful. other words, my
young friend, examine your own heart
and see if it is filled chock full with the
virtue of political honesty.