St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-08-06
MRS. sW1ssHELAf.

From the Mantorrille Express.f =
There are few residents of the voting
State Of Minnesota who arc more widely
known than that Of the gifted lady whose.
name heads this article. As writer for
some of the leading literary papers Of the
day, she gained in her early womanhood,
a reputation for uncommon brilliancy and,
power. Following these labors, and while
yet young woman, she commenced the
publication of the Saturday risitor, at
Pittsburg, Pa. This paper was an, adv.
cate of general reform: II Iabored more
especially to secure extended civil rights
and privileges to women, and to awaken a
feeling of opposition to the system Of
American slavery. Few papers in the
land did more than the Eisitor for the
anti-Slavcry cause. Her brilliant wit,
her whitening sarcasm and the striking
originality OF her writings gave her paper
a circulation in class not disposed to be
specially interested in the reforms which
she ad ;ocated." d."' With an energy and a
zeal seldom equalcd, she labored in this
field for many years.; Her writings reveal
"a woman Of strong passions, but those pas
sions ever guided by pure, Upright, stead
fast principle Her indignation is terri
BE, but it is alway against tyranny and
oppression and wrong. Toward the good
and the suffering and the weak she is gen.
tie and merciful as an angel. u
Domestic misfortune drove this woman;
in poverty and sorrow, to seek an asylum
ID the wilds. Of. Minnesota.D Broken in
health by labor and sorrow, she still went
industriously to work to earn living tor
herself and her child. The ST. Cloud
DEMOCRAT was started by her and she
has remained its editor until within a few
weeks past It has furnished her liv-
ing, but being merely local paper, it has
Lccn of course but little known. Within
the past three years, Mrs. Swisshelm has
lecturcd to public audiences in most Of
the larger towns OF this State, and last
year in Washington and several eastern
cities. 81 Her lectures display, the same
boldness ard originality Of thought, the
same n, power; Of withering sarcasm, the same
indignant resentment towards tyranny and
meanness and wrong, which characterized
her Nisiterr A, listenerAto these lectures
might deem the, speaker too much given
to sarcasm, that her prejudices were too
bitter or her hatred IF wrongld ldoers TOO
unrclentiDg.'5' He might deem her too
self ~illcd, too arbitrary, too positive /"
her opinions and her feelings, and her ex.
preston Of them, 70 make her q pleasant
social companion. But; no man of right
feeling could fail to be convinced that her
fSympathies were with the right and thst
she was laboring with an honest view IL
the good Of humanity. oi,c,..r 2o,.,;, 10"
During hast winter Mrs. Swisshelm was
honored By an appointment to I clerkship
ID the War Department, for whichiafayor
she was indebted, We presume To- Mr..
Stanton, who it seems, Q was q personal
friend in her younger days: What hei
official duties are We do not know; but
we do know that she finds time 10 act IS
an "Angel Of 4 Mercy" to the wounded,
suffering soldiers in the hospitals at WASH
ngton. Our townsmsn,: Dr. Kendall,