The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-09-17
Saltwater, Minn- Thursday, Sept. 1891.

cause of Ibis supposed moral as we'll as in
tellectual greatness" Mrs. S. discovered
THAT his whole panoply of moral power
was shell-that his life was full OF rotten
ness" She put the facts into one short
paragraph. and published it against the ad
vice of all her friends, and even of such
staunch anti.slavery men as Giddings. Ju-
liam and Dr.. Snodgrass. They said it was
true. and no one would dare to deny it; yet
no one had dared to make it public; the
publication would ruin her and her inhu-
ence. She said: 1.-The cause of the slave
hangs on the issue in Congress. and Mr..
Webster's influence is against him; his influ
ence would be less if the public knew just
what he is. l will publish it and let God
take care of the consequences. 1t was
published, and it did bring ruin-but Oh
Daniel Webster. instead of Jane Grey
Swisshelm. 1t killed Websters influence
with the conscientious part of the Whig
PARTY. She was long known as 1.-The
woman who killed Webster"
She came to Minnesota. and her expert
ence in this state was almost tragic. Be-
fore reaching here she was informed that
Governor Lowrie allowed no abolition SEN
timents in St. Cloud. ''Then there is not
room there for Governor L0wrie and me-"
stoutly replied the little crusader. General
Lowrie was the territorial governor under
Buchanan's administration; he was Mis-
sissippian who kept slaves in Minnesota,
and ruled the territory with so high hand
that he was called dictator. When Mrs.
Swisshelm started newspaper she invited
the governor, among others. to subscribe,
and received from him letter promising
it "a support second to that of no paper in
the territory"-Or words to that effect-''if
it will support Buchanan's administration. !"
To the confusion of her friends Mrs Swiss
helm accepted the terms, and frankly an
nOunced in the paper that Governor LOwrie
owned everybody in Minnesota. and so she
had sold herself and the paper to him and
would support Buchanan's administration
its object being, as she understood it. the sub
version of all freedom in the United States,
and the placing of master over every
Northern mud slip as over the Southern
blacks; that Governor LOwrie had promised
to support the paper in great power and
glory for this, and she was determined to
earn her money. 1t was simply the uncOn-
ventional, blunt truth telling of child ap.
piled to lying system of politics, and it
cut like knife.
LOwrie swOre vengeance. LET her
alone, for Gods sake." said one who knew
you. She has killed every man she ever
touched. Let her alone" He did not, and
she did kill him with the truth. To his
threats she returned the promise that she
should continue to support Buchanan until
she had broken him down in everlasting in
fanny. Her office was sacked one night and
a notice left that if she revived the paper
she would be tied to a log and cast into the
Mississippi. The issue could not be
avoided. An Indignation meeting was
called, and Mrs. Swisshelm said, II will at
tend and speak" She made her will, set
tied her business. wrote history of the
trouble to testify if she could not. and en-
ployed fighting man to attend the meeting
by her side. and shoot her square through
the brain if there were no other way to pre-
vent her falling into the hands of the mob.
So this descendant Of the old Covenanter
martyrs made her first speech to the, to her,
doubtless, sweet music of bowling mob,
stones and pistol shots.
The paper was reestablished on new type,
by stock company, and the first issue
brought down on them libel suit from
Governor Lowrie, to compromise which
Mrs. Swisshelm published retractiOn,
which released the owners from $40, 900
bonds. She then bought the material, SuS-
pended the bonded paper and issued the st.
Cloud Democrat. Its first issue rang the
death knell of Governor LOwrie and border
ruffianiSm in Minnesota. 1t was useless to
sue her for libel, and she was too we'll pro-
tected to fear force. The state election,
when Governor Lowrie was a candidate
for Lieutenant, turned on the policy
of border ruffianism, press breaking. and
woman mobbing. 1.-The large man who in
stituted mob to suppress woman of my
size ii. e. 100fbs). and then failed, was not
suitable leader for American men," and
LOwrie was showed under, and not long
after was taken to an insane asylum. The
next year Mrs. Swisshelm felt hOnored at
being burned in effigy in st. Paul by her
enemies. ''as the mother of the Republican
party in Minnesota" RAMEOUS.