St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-19

HENRY III. SIBLEY.

This paper has a peculiar right and
reason to mourn the loss of Gen. HENRY
II. SHELLEY, because, since the death OF
his lifelong friend Commodore KITTsoN,
he has been the president of the Globe
Publishing company. He has honored
with his name and wise counsels the
GLOBE, as the leading exponent in this
state and section of the great principles
Of the Democracy which he loved and
worked to advance; and it now places
OH his bier, with all the sincerity Of
great sorrow, tribute of praise and af-
lection.
The highest rewards which the CRATE
full people of Minnesota have had at
their disposal they have given to him.
He represented it in congress when it
was still territory, and when it was
admitted as state he was made its first
governor. In the less conspicuous ave-
nueS of private honOrs he has always
held the first place i'll every enterprise
with which he has been connected. Ever
since he was a very young man-and he
was eighty at the time of his death
others have instinctively yielded to him
and placed on his shoulders the respon-
SibilitieS and the distinction OF leader
ship. His whole life is a long record Of
important works ably and masterfully
accomplished.
But nothing which the public or his
associates have been able to do for him
was or could be commensurate with
what he has been and has done for
them. He was one of the noble race Of
men who made this city and state. He
was the peer of any Of his fellows. and
no higher praise can be paid him. There
is no community in the wide world
which can point to a line of pioneers
worthy to be named with the founders
of st. Paul and Minnesota. One expects
to find in new settlements men of
strength, ability and courage; but it is
quite without precedent that out of the
rOughness of frontier life there should
grow up cOterie Of such leaders as we
can claim as ours, and of whom Gen.
SIBLEY is a conspicuous example.
There are other places which have
had steadfast, sensible, kindly and
honorable citizens whose residence
counts from their rude beginnings; but
where, we ask, snail we look for
Western town which in the wilderness
of its birth produced or nourished giants
like those whose names we cherish and
honorI The GLOBE knows the history
of all beginnings, but it knows of few
NORMAN w. KITTsONS and HENRY II.
SIBLEYs. What frontier town ever had
bench and bar which embraced men
who could stand with WESTCOTT Will
KIN, RENSSELAER, r. NELSON, HORACE
r. BIGELow and CHARLES E. FLAN-
DRAU? Where shall we find the peer
of EDMUND RICE, that prince of chv-
airy and strength, and his noble
brother, HENRY M. RICE, and of
ALEXANDER RAMSEY, whose honors
are as his years, and of hundred 9th
ers like them. who, along with learning,
wisdom and character, combined the
highest qualities Of personal attractive
ness, courtesy and gentleness? The
GLOBE thinks that one would search in
vain for paTallel.
HENRY H. SIBLEY was brave and
fearless in action, wise in counsel,
strong and earnest in every emergency;
kindly, dignifed and elegant in his
bearing. of handsome mien and gener-
Gus heart; man of affairs equal to any
demand and doing the work which
came to his hand with the highest credit
to himself. his city and his state. What
ever of good st. Paul has to-day is due
to the presence and the effort of men
like him and his contemporaries, and
whatever hope it has of future great
ness depends on its capacity to produce
successors worthy of them. The young
men of to-day lave hard task when
they strive to fill the places of prede-
SCISSORS so illustrious; but they have the
stimulus of their noble examples.
Nothing is better for a place than to
have the ideal of great founders to look
up to, and we are fortunate in the pos
session of HENRY II. SHELLEY and his
comrades as our common heritage and
our common incentive.