Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-03
A "REMINISCENCES.
And Caustic Comment of q Clergyman
upon the Vicious and Base Attompt Of a
Political Gang 10 Defeat Judge Wander
burg-A Fugitive Slave Incident in MIN
neapOlis-BilI Kings Red Head.

neapOlis-Bill Kings Red Head.
The New York Eoangezist of December
20, under the head of ga Righteous
Judge and the Old Times" contains the
following incisive letter from Rev. s. M
Campbell of that city:
An elective Judiciary has very natu-
been regarded with some apprehension.
There are possibilities in it which may
some day trouble us. And yet, with a
few conspicuous exceptions, has not the
plan worked we'll? And is it certain but
that we have as incorruptible and as capa-
BILE judiciary as we used to have under
the appointing power?
We have case in point in this locality.
Nearly twenty five years ago one of our
citizens was elected district Judge, an Of
fee corresponding to that of judge of the
supreme court in the state of New York;
and such has been his reputation that by
successive reflections he has been kept
in that Office ever since. Indeed, his last
two elections were practically unanimous,
no opposing candidate being nominated.
1t will perhaps interest some of our read
ers to know that this judge is an elder in
one of our churches, and is very active
in all Christian work. He superintends
mission Sunday school: teaches lay
Bible class, and can on occasion preach q
good sermon.
Recently a vacancy occurred on the
bench of our supreme court, which is the
highest judicial tribunal in our state; and
at once all eyes were turned to our "right-
eous Judge" But q few leading politi-
clans thought not so. In some way he
had incurred their disfavor, and they be-
gan moving against him. They quite
controlled the party press. They held in
hand all the party machinery, and they
went into the nominating convention to
defeat him. There the opposing forces
met, and the friends of the Judge were
triumphant.
Then came the question of his election,
and executive power, and party machin-
cry, and the newspaper force were con-
federate to compass his defeat. And
though not SO much as one whisper was
heard derogatory to his personal charac-
ter, all those annoying insinuations and
Misrepresentation were put in circu]a-
tion which so distress sensitive man
But the ordeal was passed and the cleo
ton was held, and the righteous judge"
was promoted to the supreme bench by a
heavy majority, and soon he will take his
seat for seven years. term at the CAPT.
tai
The people seem to feel instinctively
that in placing men in the judicial Office
they must abjure the usual methods of
political management; and it is marvel
lous how they rise above party power,
and how they repel the attempts of the
public press to mislead them, and how
sure their decisions are when final action
comes. Under the old method this office
would have been filled by appointment of
the governor of the state; and we are
quite sure 1t would not have been filled
just as it nowis. BY the elective method
the people make themselves heard, and
in this case the people said eve have
something to say about that" and they
said it well.
An incident IN the official career of this
judge is given by Jane Grey Swisshelm
in her "Half Century," which may in
dictate the character of the man, and
which well illustrates also the changes
which have occurred in this country dur
ing the last twenty years. l beg leave to
present this incident in Mrs. Swisshelm's
own words:
So thoroughly was Minnesota under the
feet of slavery, that in September, '60-after
we thought the state redeemed-the house of
William D. Rabbit, in Minneapolis, was sur
rounded from midnight until morning by a
bowling mob, stoning it, firing guns and pis-
tolls, attempting TO force doors and windows,
and only prevented gaining entrance by the
solidity of the building and the bravery of it's
defenders. 1t was thus besieged because it's
owner or occupant had dared interfere to exc
cute the common law in favor of freedom.
Minneapolis and it's twin city, St. Anthony,
each had large first class hotel, to which the
southern people resorted IN summer, bringing
their slaves, holding them often for months,
and taking them back to the south, no one
daring to make objection; until one woman,
Eliza Winston, appealed to Mr. Babbitt, who
took her into court, where Judge Vanderburgh
decreed her freedom, on the ground that her
claimant had forfeited his title by bringing
her into free state.
room was packed; and it soon became evident
that the people were more alive to the profit
of boarding southern families than to the
question of human rights; and encouraged
by some words from a prominent clergyman
who was present, they were abont to make q
rush and take the woman out of the hands of
the law, and deliver her to her master.
She and her friends had about lost hope,
when an unlocked for diversion called atten-
ton upon them. The red head OF "Bill King"
afterwards postmaster in the United States
house of representatives, arose like the burn
ing bush at the foot of Mount HOreb, and his
stentorian voice poured forth such torrent
of denunciatiOns on priest-craft, such flood
of solid swearing against the insolence and
tyranny of ecclesiastlcism, that people were
surprised into inactivity until Mr.. Babbitt got
the woman in his carriage and drove off with
her.
There could be no question of her legal
right to her own body and soul; but her
friends knew that the law of freedom had lain
too long dormant to be enforced now without
further serious opposition, and Mr. Rabbit
brought into use his old training on the I'M
derground railroad to throw the blood hounds
off the scent. He secreted tho wo-
man in the house of Prof. Stone, and prepared
his own strong residence to bear a siege. For
that siege preparatsons were made during the
afternoon and evening without any effort at
concealment, and to brute force the besieging
party added brute cunning. 1t was known
that in my lecturing tours l was often the
guest of Mr.. Babbitt, and might arrive at any
hour So shortly after midnight the door-bell
rang, WHICH MI. DdDulLJ WHO 10
there's? Mrs. Swisshelm.' 1T is not Mrs.
Swisshelm's voice." William Griffin. a col
ored porter, is with her. 1T is not William
Grifin's voice. Then, for the first time,
there were signs of a multitude on the porch,
and with an oath the speaker replied I'VE want
that slave! You cannot have her.
A rush was made to burst in the door, but
it was of solid walnut, and would not yield,
when the assailants brought fence posts to
batter it in, and were driven back by a shot
from a revolver in the hall. The mob retired
to safer distance, and the leader, mine host OF
q first-class hotel, mounted the carriage block
and haraDgued his followers on the sacred du.
ty of securing the financial prosperity of the
two cities by restoring Eliza Winston to her
owners, and made this distinctive declaration
of his principles:
81 came to this state with 5000; have but
$500 left, but will spend the last cent TO see
Bill Babbltt's hearth blood" After which he
roic utterance fresh volley of stones and shot
we're fired, and fresh rush made for the doors