The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-11-03
The WEEKLY PIONEER. AND DEMOCRAT.

s Angsas ana Minlssers or Grace NE.
fend Uss,,
The Press Of yesterday mernine opens
its leading column with the foIlov;no
startling communication "The following
telegram from Hon. IeNArrus DoNNrr,y
explains. itself"
| PRKscoTT, Oct. "a, 1866.
Editors st. Paul Press:
Please announce that will not be able to an
| my appointments in the ST.. Croix Valley as I
shall return at once to st. Paul to institute pro.
| ceedings against the PIONEER for libel
I. DONNELLY.
We should be happy to relieve the
anxiety which our friends must feel in our
BEHALF but really this is all we know about
the matter. We beg to be excused from
recognizing so doubtful an authority
as that Of the Press, or, indeed, its more
irresponsible correspondent. Perhaps the
future may relieve the suspense both of
our friends and ourselves. In the mean
time we can only indulge in surmise, and
in coming the matter over thus, hypo-
thelicaly, we may arrive at the real au-
thor. The Press, in its comment, essays
to enlighten us but, as we said before,
we cannot recognize it's authority without
corroborative facts Appearances are, we
agree, in favor OF the Press's hypothesis
But then the young man, who Grated
at Ingersolls Hall on Saturday night, left
US in his usual health, and his name, if we
mistake not, was IeNAr1Us Loyola DoS
NELLY.aeT True, We never heard of but one
IGNAT1Usn DoNNELLY, either in this or any
other country. Upon inquiry, We can find
no one who has. There can be only one.
The age produces but one at q time,; as
HERoDorUs remarks Of the bird that was
wont to defile the Temple Of the Sun. We
conclude Aypotbeticalzy, then, that be must
be the veritable IGNATIUs LoYoLA-the
Phoenix of the family. And "be thy in
tents wicked or charitable, :" IeNAT1Us, we
will speak to thee, Ig sgas ,2s j
= We read the telegram with mingled
emotions Of pleasure, regret, and indigna-
tion;-with pleasure that our st. Croix
friends should be spared the unmerciful
infection of that " best speech;" with re-
greet that the Democratic party should
q lose, 80 soon, one of its best canvassers; 4
with indignation that this blunderbuss of
q politician, by accident. and his unsur-
passed impndence, holding q position for
which he has n t the first qualification,
should attempt b. threats to muzzle the
free press Of the country. As public
journalist seeking to discharge our duty,
vs. took occasion to animadvert upon .
p]iticsl hsrrangne delivered 10 this city;
to expose its fallacies and sophistry, and
to guard our rearlers against the magic
oratory of-DoENELLY! We conceived
it to be our duty. When man appears
before the people as Instructor Of politics
and honesty, bis reputation for truth be-
comes 9 legitimate subject of criticism.
The rule is well recognized in the courts.
Not only the story Of the witness, but his
credibility becomes legitimate subjects of
investigation. We did cay, in that con-
necti0n, and we now repeat it, that even
apart from his intense radicalism, and un-
certain political tendencies, to return Ia-
HAr1us to Congress, at any future cleo
ton, would be an insult to the self.respect
of every man and woman in the State who
possesses one iota of State pride. This
was incidental @-. "a
Such is our offence. For this We are
threatened with prosecution and damages
by this wide-mouthed, whilom stickler for
the ''freedom Of the press" For the last
four weeks he has been prodigal in his
abuse Of Mr.. RICE, (not in st. Paul, be-
cause he dared no;). But when the shoe
pinches his own foot, he begins to whine
like whipped urchin, and threaten to sue.
! We shall be inundated neither by his
threats, nor anticipated damages. Con-
1 scious of having imply discharged our
duty to the pu6li:. se shall pursue the
even tenor of our ~. The time has ar
rived for the press 4 the country to as
sert its ancient p,,ileges, and to trown
down all the efforts of such men as IaNA-
THUS, to control free discussion and ex-
preston of opinion. It has been called
the palladium OF our liberties, and new
er in our history were its obligations
graver or more responsible. The public
veal demands all its energies. Mighty
questions are arising, the solution of which
are involved in dark uncertainty. The
power OF an untrammelled press is omni-
II nan ,l;.h sv fha fnfuro