The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-04-08
A LETTER ADDRESSED TO GEN. G.
G. ANDRRW3.


I think, my dear Gepe,al, that Of
al who have incurred the misfortune Of
newspaper criticism, you have most
reason to cry for delivsraace from your
friends. Another such vindicatiou u
that in last weeks Times will sink the
subject to the level of the defense. In
mercy to your friends and yourself avoid
such depth OF degradation. 1 know
that the advice OF friends Is sometimes
gratuitous and generally disregarded,
but how much better it would have
been had you needed such advice, or
even the dictates Of such judgment Is
Providence has given to yourself, and
firmly declined when the honor Of 4
position on the Normal Board was
rendered you. You might then have
escaped the humiliation you have al
ready endured; for private faults, how
ever conspicuous, have not dignity suffi-
cient TO attract the ccnsure of the press,
unless they are united with the power
OF doing some signal mischief to the
community. Is it not possible that you
have perhaps mistakca the extent of
your capacity? Office is 50 seldom At
tainable now by men Of ability and
worth that every fool has come to con-
slider himself not only available but de-
serving. 1t is the apprehension Of your
friends, my dear General, that you hAv.
drawn some hasty conclusion of this
sort, aad that reliance upon traits
which made you available has betr.y.
ed you beyond the limits Of your eapac-
ity.
Return, my dear General, before it
be too late, to that easy, iusipid System
You first set out with, when you yet
followed feebly the footsteps Of the il.
lustrious CiDcinnatus, and your prolific
pen impaired dignity to the culture Of
the bean, albeit the obdurate plant
would still persist in growing the wrong
end downward. Your highest ambi.
ton then, was to watch with digni6ed
wonder the development OF your bean.
stalks, and fassinate tho ladies' of our
Library Association, with your eloquent
Sh.kssperian rehearsals. In this hum
biz initiative line you might have long
proceeded safe and contemplate, you
might probably never have risen to the
dignity Of being hated, and even have
been despised with moderation.
Were you . great man, General, you
might tr.uple upon the rights Of the
people and disregard their expressed
wishes, you might in tho success and
even in the magnitude Of your of5ense
find = rescue from contempt but il
seems you are in every way unfortunate;
your selfish scheme for locating the
Normal School on Deacon Crsm's bald
prairie is likely to prove ~ unsueesss.
fal ~ the defense Of your motives in
advocating il.
1t has panied your many friends who,
in common with myself, have 10 long
admired and trusted YOU, to hear your
motives 80 bitterly, and with 80 much
show Of justice, impugned. We could
plainly see the weakness Of your posi-
ton, but We were ready to believe that,
hardly serious at first, you became
warmed At last into enthusiasm BY oppo.
sition. There is, you know, = holy
mistaken zeal in other matters as well
as religion by persuading others We
convince ourselves, and We thought
that perhaps your passions had become
so engaged that they created sort Of
maternal affection in Jour mind, which
forced you to love the cause for which
you suffered but your obdurate folly
has we'll nigh robbed Us of all excuse,
and We are forced to admit that innate
stupidity or unprinciplcd sel6shnc,s
can alone account for your conduct.
No one objected at first to your ap-
prevail Of the "Cram site" It Va,
considered simply = matter Of taste, but
wien it became manifest that MAORI
" Of the best citizens here were op'
posed to it, aud that every rember Of
the Normal Board and Prudential Com.
mittse, except yourself, looked upon It
with extreme disfavor, then to pout like
: spoilt child after forbidden fruit, 70
treat with diseorrtesy your fellow
members on the Board, to obtruds with
arrogant self oonesit, upon gentlemen
who differed with You, your surprise
that they should presume to advocate a
site that was "odiou." to you !; and At