Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1902-01-27
THE MEREDITH
JULIAN INCIDENT.
Version Of the Affair as
Given in Geo. w. Julian'S
Didry...A Defense of
Mr.. Julian by His
Daughter.
Editor Richmond Palladium:

Daughter.
Editer Richmond Palladium:
NY attention has just teen directed
TO The following article in recent is
sue of your paper:
Now that the old passenger sta
tion is about to be replaced by new
one an incident is recalled that oc
CURED in. it's predecessor thirty-six
years ago that attracted national at
tention at the time.
I'm the ladies room of the old
station Gen. Sol Meredith cowhided
George w. Julian, then member OF
congress from this district, for orig
mating a report that Meredith had
been dismissed from his command at
Paducah, Ky, for sympathy with
the reDels.
.sJulian did not defend himself
and the incident closed with the COW
hiding.
The writer Of this article
is quite wrong in every par
ticular except the fact of the
assault, and believing you to be
interested in spreading truth and
not falsehoOd, ask you to print this
communication. 1t seems especially
un4racious in a Wayne county paper
to make insinuation against the per-
sOnal bravery of George w. Julian.
When he went TO congress in lS49
and took his place with John p.
Hale. Joshua r. Giddings, David
Wilmot and the rest of the little
company who at that early day
dared to bold aloft the banner OF
freedom, he not only won for him
self the regard of good and true men
throughout the north, but he made
a name and fame for the old burn,
district second to but one other con
stituency in the United States.
When Mr.. Julian went to Ken,
tucky in 1852 and preached the gospel
of anti-slavery in the very worst pro-
slavery region of that sta tie, at
thes imminent risk of his life, he did
not show himself coward,
and Cassius NJ Clay, himself
an excellent Judge of ply cal
courage, has borne ample testimony
TO his III eroism and patriotism Ii
is well known fact that Nr. Julian
was the first man OF note who carried
anti slavery doctrine into southern
Indiana and this at time when the
towards, physical and moral, coun-
seled and urged him to remain at
home. When he went to Terre Haute
in 1852, after MIR. Robinson, the
Free Soil candidate for governor, had
been mobbed there, be told his hear
ers that he had come to vindlcate
freedom of speech, that there were
worse things than mOtS e of which
was subm, ssion to mob rule, that al
though they might go so far as to
take his life that would be a small
thing when weighed in the balance
against fidelity to a great priaciple,
and that if they desired to mob him
the way was open. These are only a
few Instances of many that might be
given CT his absolute Indifference to
personal danger In his service of the
right.
Now, in regard to the Meredith
assault, Mr.. Julian S Journal con-
taius full account of the disgrace
full affair, from which the following
Is taken:
''On the evening of the 9th
{ (Novem Der. 1861 on entering the
depot at Richmond, | was met by
General Meredith, who asked me IN
friendly tone whether | lad written
a Mr.. Henry, of the Associated
Press, when at Washington the
previous summer, asking him to
publish a dispatch which he said he
held in mis- hand. | answered the
question in the negative, as | did
similar one to the editor of the Ma
tional Republican. | anticipated no
trouble whatever. having met the
General very frequently since his re-
moval from his command, and hay
ing exonerated myself from his inn
Piled complaint against me by the
answer l had given. But suddenly,
while | was standing wrapped in my
shawl, with a bundle under my arm,
he felled me to the floor, having in
mis- hand a piece of iron or other
metallic substance. He was
and surrounded by
six or eight rutfians, who
stood guard against the Interference /
Of our siders, so that when | called
Tor help no response was made, while
these ruffians, glaring on me
ike devils, exclaimed, Give 1t to .
him, Kill the id abolitionist'
Hands off, &C., sc.
The general followed up his blows
till / was nearly unconscious, pound
ing my head against the floor, and at
ast. after | had become perfectly
helpless, drawing from his coat raw
hide, which I was told he pretended
10 use He and his crew then retired
TO a saloon TO drink, while | was con-
seyed 10 the house of friend and at
tended by physician; and | was
taken home in carriage the same
sveuing. badly bruised and cut about
he head and face. | have
little doubt that if had been armed.
md had had the opportunity for self
my life would have been sac