The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-03-20
THE. MINNESOTA PIONEER.
st. paul, Hlinnesota,
Wednesday Morning, March 20. 1850.
y MORALS OF SAINT PAUL.

MORALS OF SAINT PAUL.
We think there is a disposition in
some quarters, to under-rate the moral
fly Of our town. Letters have been
written abroad, representing us as very
graceless, God-forsaken people. A
stranger, reading these letters, might
naturally expect to find us community
Of rowdies, wholly disregarding Sunday,
trampling upon the Cross like so many
Japanese, armed to the teeth for an af-
fray, with pistols, dirks and bowie
knives.
Let us now look at facts. Less than
ono year ago, the few inhabitants here
were mostly Canadian French; who
were and are, as peaceable and quiet
people as there are in the whole world
people who never violate the law if
they know it, devoted worshiPpers, who
are scrupulously punctual in the dis
charge of their religious duties. With
the opening of navigation last spring,
immigrants poured in from various quar-
tiers. Shelters, not houses, but even
shelters had to be struggled for. We
were strangers to each other-every
man had to take care of himself. Ex-
cept the Catholics, society existed only
in its separate elements; there was nei-
ther-rciigious, social, or political organ
ization. 1t is true, as might be expec-
ted, that we had large influx Of idlers.
office-seekers and black-legs; for which
our townsmen generally are not respon-
sible. Many persons came here with
groceries, because this was an attractive
point for capital and population. There
is again, an enterprising speculative class
Of persons in the world, who hover over
the army of emigration, wherever it
marches. Will not the eagle obey the
instincts Of his nature? Where money
is found, there will be gambling. 1t al
ways was and will be SO. Were a gulch
of gold found under the very walls of
the New Jerusalem, the faro-dealer with
his honest box, would be one of the ear
Hest on the spot, dealing from the head
of whiskey barrel. Of all the nom
producing classes, the most are transient.
Such we have amongst us, drawn in du-
ring the winter, from neighboring villa
ges, because Saint Paul is the place, the
point Of attraction, above others-the
most animated place to spend the winter
in. Where they may sojourn hereafter,
we know not. 1t is but justice however
to say of all such persons, that however
bad their occupation in life and their ex-
ample may be, they have here almost in
variably conducted themselves like gen
tlemen in their general intercourse in
life; they are many of them, very intel
ligent men; some of them have resorted
to this idle sort Of life temporarily, for
want of better employment, and we hope
may reform; but we have had no robbie
ries, no stabbing nor shooting Except
the melancholy shooting of Heman Snow
by another boy mo Notwithstanding
in the way of criminal prosecutions
The truth is, there Is moral influence IN
Saint Paul, as mighty as erer controlled a
Puritan rillage-more powerful than the
law itself.
Why, what do we behold' In Saint
Paul, unknown on map two years old,
a mere hamlet within one year past, and
now with a population Of less than 1000,
we have three settled Protestant preach
ers, beside the services of Mr.. Ravoux
alternate Sundays. of the Catholic
church & Of Mr.. Gear in the Episcopal
church. OF these five clergymen, all
devoted laborers, some are men of fine
taste and true eloquence. We are de-
cidedly church-going and moral peo-
pie. Three houses of public worship
are built and two or three more in pro-
gress of erection. Schools and Sunday
schools are not neglected; yet we are
not doing enough, we cannot do too much,
for our moral and intellectual culture.
To say that Saint Paul is justly char
acterized as a wicked place, is utterly
false.
A STRONG MAN.
JOHN HANLEY, trim-built, six-footer,
about 25 years old. not large looking
man, but Of a compact muscular frame,
and weighing two hundred pounds, who
was taking a wagon-load of pork in bar