The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-01-18
WHOLE NO. l32.

richest land in Minnesota became theirs,
One alter another of the children mar
ried, renewing in handsome ihomcs and
in the midst Of broad fields, the beautiful
traits Of virtue and family affection
which had distinguished their little viii
lage habitation.
But not all Of them lived to enjoy this
happy future. When the deadly sounds
OF war rose on the gale, in the spring Of
1861, this emigrant family saw that the
battle of the nation was for liberty, for
their liberty, for the liberty Of all men;
and two of the sons entered the army Of
the nation and fought gallantly and well
in defence Of their native land One Of
them,-the youngest son,-never re-
turned, but gave up his life in one Of
the prison pens off the south; dying"
as Abraham Lincoln said, ssthat the
nation might live" The other, Thomas
Callaghan, returned at the close Of the
war; married; and settled down upon
the fair Rosemount prairie, where the
opening harvest of last year found him,
prosperous and respected farmer, be-
loved by all who knew him for the gem
tleness of his disposition and the straight
forward honesty of his character.
We turn from this picture ofsweet
home life, and OF all the traits which can
enoble human nature, to another and a
darker prospect.
Two young men, they had scarcely
reached manhood, LETT their tather's
home on the upper Mississippi to work
in the harvest fields Of Dakota county,
They had, doubtless. enitenderly raised
in the midst of favorable associations.
They had not, like the poor Irish fam
lily we have described, been compelled
to fight their way across tho waves of
the Atlantic and through the darker
waves Of poverty. They had been raised
in this tree land Of schools, aud churches
and opportunity. But they had within
their ibreasts the cruel and Saerciless
hearts Of Wild beasts; they were human
tigers.
In an evil hour they encountered
Thomas Ca]laghan; in an evil hour they
caught sight Of his well filed pocket
book. Murder entered into the souls of
these striplings. Notthe murder which
leaps on its victim. full Of passion or re-
venge; but cold-blooded, calculating,
uDpitying murder.
| Through long summer day they
plotted and planned their dreadful
work. They cut the club, heavy and
knottsd and murderous; they found an
old bason and filed i. with water, with
which to wash away the bloody stains
which they foresaw must soon darken
their hands and faces. From hiding
place, amid.the growing corn, all day
long they watched the home of their
victim-watched for bis coming. They
could see his wife engaged In her house
, hold duties; they could SEQ his little
children playing about the doorstep.
Did this beautiful and innocent sight
touch their hearts and move them to
: pityP No. 1t was sight to have turned
aside descending thunderbolt. but il
] had no effect on these monsters glowering
g from their hiding places,
!. At length night came; and, within .
/, few rods ofhis ownlhome. the murderers
9 fell upon their dcfenceless prey. The
crashing blows beat him to the earth
and then, lest 4 spark Of life should re
main In him, they fired four bullets iron
3 revolver into bis poor mangle'
Y head. and eniptying his pockets left hin
: there to die.
p II would be difficult to conceive q NOR
Z marked contrast than Il, here presented
q II IL difficult to realize that the Yictir
p and his slayers were both deyelope
p ments Of our common hnnlan nature +
e of that common human nature. whic
~ embraces III It's illimitablc scope alike th
. highest moral characteristics and 81
- lowest. basest and bloodiest traits of 81
= brute world.
er The moral we would draw is,--thi
er me most valuable part oi man i not hi
~ intellect but bis heart. 4 will profit !
b little, u anation, - sharpen the wits
IA the people u ths highest point oE cult
u ration Il tue expSnse of their moral y
,at sure. a race that would unite huml
srs infsIligence 70 TIE instincts d The jack
d p1uther, would de,olate the world -
~ ! oyeutually destroy esch other.
III we must unlea1n p4Kt of or philos
\, ply, and be3in ~ Eat4 ths n11ld low
!. III thnn ~ CO.. olfence.