St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-06-13

L 1A9 L AAO OAVkJDxA i !
but recall her to US as she lived. Gentle
and loving as little child, true and fear
less as veteran warrior, she appeared to
us rare combination of excellencies.-
Her husband was in Congress as the Rep
resentative Of the Liberty men of his dis
trict during that dark struggle Of the win
ter Of 40, 80, when the Fugitive Slave
Bill was forced upon our willing people, as
the price Of admitting California to the
Union. The little band of Liberty-mcn
with the Northern Wings fought the bat
tie n'anfuIly, and Gen. Taylor like Colonel
Ellsworth was the victim Of assassination
because he espouscd the cause of Freedom.
Mrs. Julian while using all her woman's
taste and tact to make their temporary
home resting place for her husband, was
watching every turn of events; and every
member who could be relied upon to vote
against the iniquity to sec that they were
all present, encouraging her friends by her
sympathy, making eyes for the blind in
her own keen vision Of the right. Charles
Sumner once said that he believed Mrs.
Purviancc, wife of Hon. Purviance, of Pa,
had done about US much as any member to
secure the election of Banks to the speak
er's chair. We feel that Mrs. Julian did
as much as any member to maintain the
long and determined resistance which met
tho passage Of the Fugitive Slave Bill.
But the slave power was on its full march
forward at that time. American Institu.
tions, Republicanism, The Declaration Of
independence, the Right of the Majority
to Rule, were all to be crushed beneath
! its iron hoofs. Their defenders slept and
their enemies trium phed.
It was that fatal winter that Daniel
Webster bowed himself to our National
Dagon-turned his great summerset and
made his bid for the Presidency. Drunk
enness, licentiousness, gambling-vice in
its most disgusting forms was then very
common accompaniment to Congressional
qualifications. Webster was thought by
the masses of the North to be an excep-
ton, and, as a moral, nay, religious man,
he welded tremendous influence. We
learned, with unbounded surprise in Wash
ington that all this influence was baseless
as the fabric Of dream-that so far from
being an exception to the rule If vice, he
was bad as the worst. We felt, at once,
that to undeceivo the public as to his NOR
al character would completely destroy his
influence with the Northern masses, that
a revelation Of his true character there
would stop thousands who were about to
follow him on to his new ground taken in
his Marsh6eld speech. In short para
graph We wrote our impressions of the
u'an, aud feeling it very important mat
ter, we wished to consult some one and
at once thought of Mrs Julian. We
found her husband with her and read the
paragraph to them. He met the thought
Of publication with decided opposition,
represented it as the blowing up Of a pow.
der magazine, whose first effect must be
certain destruction to ourself: He stated
that despite all their opposition, Webster
would carry the Bill; that their only hope
was in the Presidents veto; that Web.
ster was worshipped as a demigod by the
North now he had secured tho South,
and loomed up before the Nation in new
and gigantic proportions; that for us to
attack him in SO vital point would rouse
the entire Wing press and VIC should be
stamped with infamy. She listened in 81
lence, for the case was ours to decide
When ho} lad done, we; asked him if the
statement we had written was. true. =, He
admitted that no successful attempt could
be made to deny it. Then, could We prove
its TRUTH? Yes, with that there could be
no difficulty. Fl If the people believe the
statement will it not injure his present and
prospective power Of rjj irnjjuring the slave :?
It certainly tai! must. :"Thlen,", We added added,
II. Il shall publish j. it!' When he attempt
ed to shake our resolution, she i iinterfered,