The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1899-02-01

modes of expression. Such is undoubt-
eddy the fact. but it is particularly no.
ticeable that his (sometimes) startling
expressions do not shock one by their
abruptness, and certainly never by their
coarseness or vulgarity. He has no ia
vorite expressions as such and no pomp
or involution Of language, and when he
uses expressions out Of the beaten liter
airy track it is designed by him to
enforce point or to elucidate
a novel idea. Another thing more pro-
sale is that, although he never studied
grammar, except at New Salem in soil.
tude, yet he is always grammatical. I
think no instance can be found to the
contrary, an attestation that he cared as
much for the humber offices of litera-
ture as for the more ornate.
When he was % years Of age, he thus
wrote to the voters of his county:
EVERY man is said to have his Pc
culiar ambition. Whether it be true or
not, I can say for one that have no
other so great as that Of being truly es-
teemed of my fellow men by rendering
myself worthy of their esteem. How far
I shall succeed in gratifying this ambi-
tion is yet to be developed. was born
and have ever remained in the most
humble walks Of life / have no wealthy
or popular relations or friends to recon-
mend me. **< If the good people in
their wisdom shall see fit to keep me in
the background, have been too familiar
with disappointment to be very much
chagrined.
This is his first public utterance, and
it betrays the workings Of his mind,
showing alike his ambition. his humility
and his pessimism. One cannot but see
that he writes as if he conceived that
he was somehow entitled to the position
(which he was not at all), and that he
had right to feel aggrieved il it should
be denied to him. It also exhibits his
dependency as meaning to say "Just
my luck!' It also shows his humility.
in effect saying, II can endure abuse
with equanimity, as have had album
dant experience in that line" But the
sequel attested that he knew the situa-
ton better than any one else, for when
he did get into the Legislature he took
the lead at once over veterans in that
line.
DenuDciations Of the slave power had
become very threadbare by the time
that be took up the tale, but he revived
attention to 1t by his peculiar mode Of
treating the unsavory subject, and he
exhibited and demonstrated its odious-
ness, fallacy and impolicy in variety Of
ways, some original in essence and 9TH
ers trite in an ethical sense, but original
in the modes Of expression. As one ex-
ample, he says that the according to one
man right to enslave another bears q
''strong resemblance to the old argu.
ment for the divine right of kings
By the latter the king is to do just as
he pleases with his white subjects, be-
ing responsible to God alone. By the
former the white man is to do just as
he pleases with his black slaves, being
responsible to God alone. The two
things are precisely alike, and it is but
natural that they should find similar ar
guments to sustain them"
At another time he said, EVERY
man, black, white or yellow, has q
mouth to be fed and two hands with
which to feed it, and bread should be
allowed to 60 to that mouth without
controversy.
The inconsistency, il not indeed by
pocrisy, Of professed Christians uphold
ing the institution Of slavery he rebukes
thus: ITO read in the Bible, a. the
Word himself. that in the sweat Of thy
face shalt thou eat bread, and to preach
therefrom that In the sweat Of other
mems faces shalt thou eat bread, to my