The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-07-23
MIR. FISK,S ATTACK ON COL. HOLT

lED1Ioh JOUhNAL.-1h nc 1OllOWlng COM
munication in answer to an uncalled-for at
tack on Col. j. Il. Holt, which had appear
ed in the Sank Rapids Sentinel of last week,
was handed the editor of that paper on
Saturday, but was refused the fair privilege
Capitalization. Will you please give it a
place in THE JOURNAL, and thereby confer
a favor ON many citizens Of Sank Rapids
and Benton county? A. E.M.1
SAuK RAPIDS, July 10th, 1874.
Editor Sauk Rapids Sentinel.
1t is to be regretted that Mr.. Fisk so far
yielded to present excitement us to pub
lish a statement Of his difficulty with his
brother church-member, Col. J. B. Holt.
But for this action majority of your read
ers would have remained happily ignorant
that any such unneighborly and unchrist-
ance disturbance existed. Publicity but
adds to the scandal and intensifes bitterness
of feeling. And, if we are not mistaken,
Mr.. Fisk will be the first to regard himself
as having been too hasty and impulsive, and
wanting in that "charity which sufereth
long and is kind" He will himself reflect
that, as general rule, it is the wrong doer,
and not the one most injured, who is most
eager to fly to self-defence, Cheating the air.
with blows and words. Not but Mr.. Fisk
may sincerely feel himself deeply aggriev-
ed. But the world knows, Mr.. Editor, or
might know by this time, that in all cases
of difference there are t'co aggrieved parties.
Peculiarly of circumstance, heat of temper,
impulsive heedlessness of words have
wrought frebrands and forged thunder
bolts. In no case come off both combatants
unscathed. But it is not imagined that this
trouble in the Episcopal church, was
aught SO very terrible. 1t is small thing
when rightly considered. Mr.. Fisk had
simply had the use of the church's money
for three years, by and with the consent of
the first Warden. He had trusted to be
notified personally by that Warden when
the money should be needed. The Warden
considering that the approaching annual
election of Treasurer, when books, &C.,
should be given over, as sufficient notice,
had not deemed this warning necessary.
Mr.. Fisk, feeling hurt and mortified, as was
natural, that he was unable to replace the
money, sensitive lest the least doubt of his
strict honesty of intention and purpose
should be entertained by the smallest Of
his friends, may have felt tender and irrit-
able and more unapproachable than ordi-
narily =; while the first Warden, Col. Holt,
frugal of the church's small means, jealous
of its honor, in an unguarded moment, with
his quick impulse, may have unkindly re-
torted and made use of words conveying
more than an intentional meaning and
strength. Is this so much, after all? No
one supposes that Lieut.. Fisk, Treasurer Of
Grace Church, was not ready and willing to
hand over the money to the new Treasurer,
so soon as he could be able to obtain it. On
the other hand it cannot be supposed that
Col. Holt intended to charge his brother
church officer with willful fraud. Thief
and defaulter are harsh words, even when
unspoken but insinuated, although they are
words ordinarily used when money held in
trust, at the proper time is not forthcom-
ing.
Lieut.. Fisk must himself admit upon re-
Election, that it is most unjust to misspell,
put in italics, and accompany with interro-
cation points Col. Hoits title of Colonel
as though it was title assumed, false, or
come by dishonesty. This, when he knows,
and we all know, Mr.. Editor, that Col.
Holt nobly earned his title. From first to
last he was in active service in the Union
army. He braved the terrors of the field
and all the horrors of pestilenee and of the
vilest Southern prisons. To this day, he
suffers from disease there contracted. Was
it just or generous, was it not rather pitiably
contemplate, to degrade and ridicule the
title which he won, and more? To J.
B. Holt the title of Colonel is no paltry IT,
tie. 1t was gloriously bought and paid for;
it has been and is nobly worn.
You say, Mr.. Editor, that Lieut.. Fisk is
worthy, industrious and reliable" Very
true. But the same may be said of many a
citizen Of our pleasant town, and Of none
more truly than of Col. J. B. Holt. He
has been attacked in his absence. You
rightly say that "every man has right to
vindicate his cause, and protect his own
good name and standing." You will not
therefore refuse insertion to this hasty, I'M
authorized word from one friendly to all
parties concerned. For an honorable gen.
tleman like Col. Holt to be called unchris-
tan, ungentlemanly, is going quite too far,
even through his accuser be "worthy and
Industrious" AS to the epithet uumasonic,
he might be called that, and very many
think only the better of him.
A. E. M.