St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-13

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ballot had lifted Mr.. Sibley to the emf
nent position of the first chief executive
officer of the newborn state OF M1nne-
sofa, the first Democratic governor, ana
the only Democratic governor the StaIe
has ever possessed.
June 8, 1853, was dies nOtabilis in
the history of Minnesota. the day OF the
first message of the governor OF the
state to the first state legislature. con-
yeiled Dec. 2, 1857. Informed by
special committee that both houses were
assembled in joint convention, waiting
hISexcellency's presence. or any COM
Haunleation from his hand, Gov. SlDleY
appeared in person, introduced to
Iheiassembly proceeded to deliver his
Inaugural. His first utterance was:
sour expression OF gratitude to Al
mighty God that we have been pre-
served, in our transition state from
territorial to state government. from
fle anarchy which has afflicted the peo-
| pie of a sister territory under like cir
Eeunstances." After referring to the
DELAY of Minnesota's admission. the wis
dom of economy in government, the Sc
verify of the financial crisis, the impOr-
tance of adequate banking laws. the
condition of the railroads, the claims OF
the common schools the need of organ
l idii6 OilC VI buO otooSs oiiU
| the magnificent future for Minnesota
| guided by virtueus, intelligent. edu-
| Gated and religious people, he took up
| the question of state bonds. Reminding
the legislature that the public faith of
| the state was possibly endangered. and
! her credit loaned out to various char
tered companies, he gave no uncertain
sound as to what was his purpose in the
| case. ''As guardian of the interests of
| the state" said he. 81 shall. during my
| official term, without being unreaSon-
| ably strict with these railroad aSsocia-
! tons, require to be satisfied, by un-
| questionable evidence that they have
| complied as we'll with the spirit as with
| the letter of the amendment authoriz-
| ING the loan, and that they are conduct
| ing their Operstions, as parties to the
| contract with the people of the state, in
good faith, before | will consent to de-
! liver over to them any portion OF her
| bonds"
The relation of Gov. Sibley to the
! Minnesota state bonds during his adj
miniStratiOn was a relation IN every
| wav most honorable to himself, both
personally and officially. A regret was
| once expressed by the governor, and
| shared in by his friends, that he nad
not resisted the decision of the supreme
court. and refused to obey its writ. ms
was but natural under the clrcum-
stances. He was under no compulsion
| to conform his executive action to the
| order of the court. which was only CO.
ordinate. not superior. branch OF the
state government. pewerleSs to enforce
| its mandate on the chief executive, who
was independent of its jurisdiction.
Nor. had he seen fit to disrespect the
| writ. could the supreme court nave
| ayailed itself of the fact that, as yet, the
| independence of the executive had not
been iudicially declared. The consti-
| tuition is above the court, and guaran-
| tees this Independence. NotwIth-
standing this, his character. shines
| all the more brightly In TINS.
that preferring to avoid the
scandal of an omen conflict between the
| two coordinate branches of govern
ment. bringing damage to the credit OF
| the state in crisis so Important, ne
waived legal technicality, anxious only
that both branches of the government
| mjrbt stand shoulder to shoulder. and
| effect the best possible result in the
II matter of a loan so enormous to the in
II FAINT state as that of S5,0O0,0 900. All that
/ remained for the governor to do was 70
| exact. vigorously. every requirement. OF
| the law. protect to the utmost the credlG
h ofthe state, and so afford the railroad
| companies the least opportunity OF de-
| fault. If blame rests anywhere 1t would
seem TO rest upon the supreme cobrt IN
| entertaining a case over which it had
Il no Jurisdiction by the constitution. Re
II sfStanpe to the mandate would have been
IliFradviSed under the circumstances.
SAVIOR OF THE NORTHWEST.
Gen. Sibley's military career began
|. with the outbreak of the Sioux Indians
| in August, 1862, and from that time
until the close of the civil war he was
one of the brightest starsin Minnesota's
Il military galaxy. The biographer enters
Eirto minute explanation of the causes
| which led to the Sioux uprising, and
then gives in detail the heroic part per-
| formed by Gen. Sibley and his gallant
| NIinnesotians in quelling the outbreak,
| all of which is familiar history to our
people. On receipt of the news of the
| massacre at Redwood agency Gov.
| Ramsey Immediately conferred the rank
| of colonel upon Gov. Sibley and made
| him commander of the expedition that
was organized to proceed against the
indians. 1t was during his absence in
| the Indian war that two of his children
died. and how heavily this aff1ictiOn
| bore upon the hero Of MANY bloody
field is revealed by the following ex-
| tracts from Tue BIOGRAPHY
The deep personal sorrow and I'M
speakable bereavement to which allu-
| sion is made already. and under whose
wel-nigh insuppOrtable pain and weight
Gen. Siblev served his state and country,
was the death of two dear children dur
ing his absence in the field, and the
thought of home and its irreparable
desolation. Even before the order to
march from Camp PODe was given the
blow had fallen. "June Is, 1S63.-COl.
Miller informs me by letter of the death
of INV dear little lamb-like Mamie. God
enable her parents to bear this over
whelming blow with becoming forti-
| tude! How dear to us this gentle child
was. He alone knows who alone can tell
how terrible is the blow | have received
Ged bless my poor wife and enable her
to bear up under the fearful bereave-
mentr' 1t is the commander who is
first struck by bereavement. He
NAV not return, even for moment, to
mIngIp his tears with the eart-crushed
wife of his bosom, who sits. clOuded.
lonely and gIoomed, by the coffin of her
child. s'Forward!'' 1t is the bugle
call! Grief must be smothered and
home forgotten! Forward" What
preliminary lesson: what preparation
for military service where, soon, other
hearts must wall in unutterable grief!
Was it an aimless dispensatiOn, an in
structionIesS calamity? Calumny her
self might have held her tongue till the
brave mans pain was assuaged and his
tears were dried! His ''little lamb
like Mamie" though dead. still lived in
the uuenchlesS love of a fathers heart.
But more sorrow was in store. BillOw
follows billow. Gods waves roll high
and fast. July 19-Remained in
ca,bp. Sunday. Messengers from Aber-
crombie brought letters for me, and the
Press of tn Sth. announcing the death of
my son Frank" This was at Forth At
Gibson, and the day preceding the start
on tile final week of forced marching
and fighting. The strong man is bowed
to the earth. struck by wounds God can
only heal. and moaning double grief
Col can only aSsuage. 1t is midnight.
He is alone in his tent. "Oh, my God.
why hast thou thus doubly aft cted thy
servants? If for our sins, awful has
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