The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-24
The Life of General Joe Lane Res
cued from the MurderOus laundering
of his Partizans.-A Sketch Of his

cued from the MurderOus laundering
of his Partizans.-A Sketch Of his
Career.
A short time since we published an esti-
mate of the qualifications of General JOE
LANE for the Presidency; wherein, while
conceding his native force of character and
sound practical sense, we described him as
quite too deficient in general erudition, as
well as special experience in the affairs of
craftsmanship, to be set forward by the
Democracy before the American people as
fair representative of the better type of
American statesmen. The editor of the
Winona Democrat fails to agree with our
estimate of General JOE LANE; and, in
vindication of his fame, from what is termed
our falsehood, SANDER, and malice" the
Democrat furnishes sketch of the Generals
career. In grouping together the various
positions filled by the General, the Democrat
says:
He was a member of Congress from Indiana
"a member of the Convention which framed
the present Constitution of that State-Leu-
tenant Governor of the State.
1t is marvellous how many blunders can
be crowded into single short sentence,
when the pen which writes it is guided only
by conceit, and informed only with igno-
rance. Three distinct statements are made
in the sentence above quoted, each one of
which is stupidity false. And first, General
JOE LANE never represented Indiana in
Congress. Second, General JOE LANE was
not a member of the Convention which
framed the present Constitution " of Indi.
ana nor was there any member of that
Convention by the name of LANE. Third
General JOE LANE never was Lieutenant
Governor of Indiana. General JAMES H.
LANE, the Kansas Free.State ruffian, did
represent one of the Indiana districts in
Congress, through one or two terms, and
Was, at one time, Lieutenant Governor of
the State. There are no further errors to
be noticed in the quotation above given,
simply because these three statements occupy
the entire sentence.
The editor of the Democrat, who was, we
believe, formerly connected with the central
organ of the Indiana Democracy, and who
therefore, should possess some knowledge of
Indiana politics-who is set forward by the
Administration press of this State as their
leader, and, as we incline to think, very ap.
propriately-and who is an advocate OF JOE
LANES nomination for the Presidency-thus
demonstrates his ignorance of his favorite's
career to such an extent, that, he plAces
him in three important positions which he
never held, and indecently confounds him
with crazed and blatant ruffian, who has
rendered himself Infamous by sickening
series of murderous atrocities, and shame.
less display of social sins. And yet, this
editor, while thus betraying his stupid
ignorance, presumes tocriticise our estimate
of General JOE LANE as if he really knew
something about the man, or could compre-
bend his character. Now, we feel quite too
deep and friendly an interest in General
LANES reputation, to permit an estimate to
be formed of him by the public from the
ignorant representations of his avowed par.
tizans, when these representations are so
grossly false as that from which we have
already quoted. We therefore, in justice to
General LANE, present sketch Of his life.
JOSEPH LANE was born in North Caro-
lima, in 1901. In 1904, his family emigrated
to Kentucky, where he resided until he was
twenty years of age, when, having married,
he settled on the banks of the Ohio, in Van
derburg county, Indiana. LANE, thus young,
was strong, energetic, self-reliant charac-
ter and he so favorably impressed himself
upon the rough people of that section, that,
in the second year of his residence in the
State, he was elected to the Indiana Legis-
Iature. He was chosen member of one
or the other branch of that body, at inter-
walls, up to the year 1916 when, the Next
can war having broken out, he resigned bis
seat in the State Senate, and entered the
ranks of the volunteers, raised in response to
the requisition of the President. His ad,
ventures on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers,
as boatman his general reputation as a
prompt and plucky fighting man duel, or
two, in which he behaved with nerve made