Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-04-08
HIS KINaLY SOUL
Oerleaped the Bounds of Party Hate
and Quickly Saw and Owned IN
Foe That Which Was
Truly Great.


Foe That Which Was
Truly Great.
For the facts in the following char
acteristic anecdote of the late Joseph
o. Shelby we are indebted to Mrs.
Gen. d. Fl. Mcintyre, and this is, we
believe, the first time it has ever ap-
peared in print. Both General Shelby
and Capt. James MaGinnis, the prin-
cipal parties to the incident, have gone
to the great beyond, of which no man
knoweth aught; and yet of one thing
we are sure, and that is, if bravery,
chivalry and nobility of nature-if, in
short, to have been true man counts
for anything,in that realm beyond the
grave, 10 Shelby and James MaGinnis
are enjoying a reward well earned,
for two truer, knightlier men never
trod the earth. Diametr1cally opposed
in their political views, foemen in war,
they were beth of that great, but alas,
so rare type which readily recognizes
and proudly owns true worth, even in
an opponent.
Mrs. Mcintyre said that it was re-
turning from the second Confederate
reunion after the war, which was held
at Sedalia, and which she attended IN
company with the General, that she
became engaged in conversation with
Capt. MaGinnis, at that time State
Senator from st. Louis and, as he was
for years, the main stay of the Re-
publican party in the Legislature of
this State. In the course of their con-
verse she asked him if he had been
attending the reunion. He answered.:
"No,' and added that he did not ap-
prove of these partisan gatherings, as
they did but reopen old wounds and
tend to keep alive the old issues of
the war and keep aflame its old pas
sions. 81 have, however," he said,
"been attending reunion which did my
soul good. Governor Marmaduke was
there Governor Crittenden was there,
General Shelby was there and other old
Union and Confederate soldiers. We
met and over bowl of good cheer we
pledged ourselves and talked of the
stirring events we had witnessed and
participated in, and we talked of
them, not as foes-but as comrades.
These men fought me in the arena of
war, and many of them now fight me
in the arena of politics, yet I love
them, and love them all well, but best
of all love Jo Shelby. I am sure that
you will not wonder that love him
when 1 tell you that were it not for
him would not be here to day, for he
saved my life. was born and reared
in Kentucky, but when a young man I
came out to Missouri and the fall of
1860 found me livingEin Lexington, in
this State, and working at my trade,
that of saddler. One who was not
present and cognizant of it can scarce
iy realiaa the intensity of feeling prev
alent in Western Missouri during
this period of stirring events and the
universal and dee seated hatred of an
abolitionist. They were pariahs, out
casts in every sense of the word;
neither their lives nor property were
safe from destruction at any time.
was Republican in politics and an
abolltionist from principle. AS the time
for election drew nigh I was impor-
tuned by many friends not to attempt
to vote, but 1 resolved, come what
might, would exercise this, the most
sacred prerogative of American citl-
zenship, at whatever cost. 1t was be-
fore the day of secret ballot and as 1
walked to the polling booth and left
it, after having cast my vote for
Abraham Lincoln, by word of mouth,
will never forget the exclamation and
glances of hatred and contempt hurled
at me by crowd of desperate men,
pro slavery to the core, who followed
me up and needed but signal to fall
upon me and rend me limb from
limb. I was unarped, having thought
it best to go so, and as the crowd
pressed upon me 1 stepped into the
store of a man whom had hitherto
regarded as my friend and asked him
If there was not way by which I
could escape through the rear of his
store and evade the mob that was
following me. He told me there was
no such exit and so I turned again to
face the crowd that was rapidly enter
ing and filling up the store, resolved
to sell my life as dearly as possible. 1
was thus standing and mentally cal
culating how many minutes had to
live when 1 was approached by a
handsome, soldierly looking young
fellow, whom I knew to be Shelby. His
greeting to me was, 81 hate ID
Abolitionist, butt" drawing himself up
to the fullest extent of his noble stat
ure, "by God, honor and respect a
man who has the courage to vote his
convictions, and no harm shall come
to him from it if can prevent it, and
here is my hand upon it." He then
told me that which I already knew,
namely, that my life was in danger,
and upon asking me if was armed
and receiving a negative reply he
provided me with revolver and tax
ing my arm told me to come with him.
He conducted me through that crowd
thirsting for my blood and they fell
away before him as if he were legion
instead of one and yet, it was the same,
for was he not Jo Shelby? He took
me to the outskirts of town and there
I found waiting buggy with splen.
did horse haruessed to it. He told me
to take the buggy and horse and make
my way as rapidly as possible to the
North. He then wished me God
speed upon my journey and bade me
adleu. followed his advice and
reached my friends in safety. The
war came on and 1 enlisted as prI-
vate boy in blue while he cast his loi
with the wearers of the gray. He be-
came general in the Confederate army
and l captain in the Federal army
and now do you wonder that, despit.
our differences of opinion, love aut
| T.