Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-04-27
TEN YEARS.

this hurrying Western world. We know
of no paper in the Northwest, north of
Madison, which has not changed propri
etors several times since we commenced
the publication Of the JoUREAL. There
have been several crops of businessmen
in this county during the same time. But
few are now here, pursuing the same
business in which they were ct gagged ten
years ago. The county has trebled its
population, aud increased its wealth in
much greater proportion. All the
changes and growth of these ten years
the Journal has pretty faithfully noted,
and its hundreds of items Of current local
news, a-e now a valuable part of the his
tory Of the county.
During all this time we have steadily
advocated the principles Of the party Of
progress anil equal political rights, and
however feeble that advocacy may have
been, it IS pleasant to think that it must
have done some good.
1t is especially gratifying to know that
that party which ten years ago was in
lean minority = that those principles
which then had bat comparatively few
advocates. ara now the dominant power
in the land. Amei lean Slavery, the
''earth-bOrn Cyelops," with its giant
brood of kindred erimes-its miserable
train of attendant evils. has passed away.
Its sl'adoE darkens-its plague spot fes-
ters-iis vileness vitiates no more. For
this contamination, so devoutly wished
for, every right thinking man thanks
God. In the long struggle which cuImi-
mated in his result, it is gratifying for u
to feel that the JOURNAL, however limit
ed its influence may have been, has been
right.
-Our readers will pardon us If
we grow little gauulous over the past.
Dec. 2, 1859, the day that JoHN
BRowN stepped from giGbet into Hea
ven and eternal fame. we wrote and pub
Iished few verses on the event, which
closed with the following Prediction;-
But glorions morn shall break upon the
might of our despair
L..
deaf TO prayer.
Angel rolled ava, the stone where CHRIsT
clarified did lay.
And the sepulehrr of Slavery shall be lumin-
Gus with day.
And when comes that glorious future, and
we've wiped away our shame,
JoHN BROWN, despite has errors. shall wear an
hOnOred name.
And Eloquruce shall warm its speech, and
foCssies shall play
Round the soldier-guarded gibbet where the
Old Man dies to-day.
In the circle in which the JOURNAL
was read. that poem excited the derision
of the democrats and the surprise and
sorrow of many republicans 1t was re-
garded as foolishly radical the fantasy
of an unreasonable abolitionist.
The event has shown that, aIthough it
may have been poor poetry, it was most
truthful speech. The prophecy has been
literally fulfilled. The glorious morn has
dawned; the sepulcher Of slavery has
been iilumined with the light Of freedom.
EIoquence Las lit its fires at the scaffOld
where JOAN BRowE died, and Poetry has
hung its choicest garlands upon it. That
scaffO!d, instead of standing in history as
n thing Of shame, lifts Itself in the eyes
Of an admiriug world, throne of glory.
The memory of JoHN BKowN is living
pOwer-lfis name IS a synonym for he
lroic endeavor and unsclfish devotion to
human liberty. The fact that bis soul
is marching on, has been immorlalized
in verse. The sweet lips of woman ha, c
sung it with patriotic fervor, and battaI
lions have mareEed to the majestic music
of lis mighty chorus. All things free
chant his praises and the winds OF heaven
blow them abroad over the earth.
''The logic of events" has taught even
the duIlest politician that a moral princi
PIE will not be compromised, that truth
cannot be battered away. Now. as pol
iiics seems to be passing somewhat more
out of the immediate domain of Principle
into the confused realm of Policies, mis-
takes may more easily occur, but they
will not be so fatal ms heretofore.
-In CONCLUSION we have merely
to say that the JoURSAL is not nearly so
good paper as we wish it was, nor as
good, perhaps, as We might make il; but
it is as good as we can afford to make il.
Tie time has gone by with as, when .:he
pleasure of seeing an article IN type will
pay for the cost of setting If up. Pub
fishing paper Is a business, which like
any business. must pay to be agreeable,
and while we desire to give our readers
as good a paper as possible, that de
sire is not great enough to expend more
on il than it pays. Ii will pay US some