The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-01-16
Absentee Office Holders.

OF u. -. Marsbdi, ahu Judge vi Tue ~
district. from Minnesota, we would not be
understood 10 lament the absence Of A. NJ.
Mitchell anil David Cooper. the incumben,s
(oitener recumbents) of those two Offices.
|, wonll be blessing if the absence Of two
such men were prolonged to eternity. In
tho present scarcity and high price of whs-
key, their absence may DC considered
blessing. The loss by these nen, Of poor
washer women, laundresses, BARRIERS, tallors,
printers, shoemakers and all persons, with
whom that sort Of met make accounts, is
quite as large already, "a ought to fall to the
share of The poor people in one Territory.
We never knew an instance of debt being
paid by either Of them, unless it were
gambling debt-and we never knew an act
performed by either of them, which might
not have been quite as well done by a fool
or knave. We never knew either o. them,
even 10 Aumder into the truth, or to appear
disguised, except when accidentally sober,
or TO do anything right, unless through is
norance how to do anything wrong, nor TO
seek companionship with gentlemen as long
as they could receive the countenance o.
rowdies. Since the organization of the Ter
ritory, Mitchell has not been in 1t, long
enough, ny continued residence, to he en-
titled to vote; yet he has been long enough
here to be known as a''nian utterly destitute
OF moral principle, manly bearing, or even
physical courage. His mileage and per
jiem as The witness for Henry NJ. Rice, in
pcrpetrating the Winnebago contract fraud,
at Washington, has given him some funds,
enough to enable him to obtain credit, in
various parts Of our Territory. Like Judge
Cooper, he lacks in Minnesota, a legal resi-
dence, so that creditors can have no service
They are brace ofvery independent gentle
men. As for Judge Cooper, besides lack
ing residence at Saltwater, at least ever
since last May, he has neither there nor any
where else, any at,acbable property, that
tho officers can find. He has land claims,
to he sure, which he has some way got in
possession, Oh one Of which he has obtained
the construction Of a cabin, for building
which, be yet owes. He left Saltwater,
owing large amount for postage, owing
stores, groceries and tradesmeu Of every
description. He is not only miserable
drunkari, who habitua!ly gets so drunk as
to fee! up1zrd for the ground, but he also
spends days and nights aud Sundays, play
ing cards in groceries. He is lost 10 all sense
OF deccncy and self respect. or of the
Bench he is beast, and on the Bench he is
an ass, stuffed with arrogance, self conceit
and Il ridiculous aftcctation Of dignity The
law requires him 10 reside in his own Judi
cial district; but he not only does not reside
there, hut in Minnesota, he dates. his cor
rssponIence at ST. Paul, and affects to be-
long here-an unspeakable indignity to our
town. On his passage up the Minnesota
river last summer, paying such attentions
10 a certain California widow Gil board, as
so, well could pay, he not only kept
drunk, but when the boat returned to Fort
Smelling, aud the news there met him, of
the death Of his wife in Pennsylvania, he
was so shamefully inebriated, that the aw
ful intelligence scarcely aroused him. Such
is The man, aided by Mitchell, (whose least
fault is drunkenness, an! whose very name
is bye word for contempt in Minnesota
these we say, are the men who are now at
tempting to make this Judge Cooper, the
Chief Justice Of Minnesota! We did think
that Ivy the appointment of two such men
TO any Office in Minnesota, we had drained
the cup of degradation to its dregs. If any
punishment deeper and more damned than
this, awaits US, we can only say, may God
have mercy upon Minnesota! We have
uttered truths here, good wholesome truths;
for the proof Of which we stand responsible.
Ii is our habit to tell facts and nothing else;
and we have some more facts, "a few more
of the same sort Ieft.n WM the admission
keep iufamy upor stills heres clothe drunk
ards, blacklegs and unrrincipled rowdies,
with political power: put premium on vice
by placing profignte vngn bonds in ofliee;--
Again We say, we do not complain that 4.
NJ. Mitchell end David Cooper, are habitu-
ally absent at Washington, doing the dirty
work Of Henry NJ. Rice, but we do com
plain that we have not marshal and
judge of the Cd. district, whose absence is
not blessing 20 Minnesota. We have had
enough officers, who are daily liable to ar
rest under The yagabond Act--who never
set COOL example, perform an honest act,
or pay az honest debt. We can endure
much without complaint. 1t is less the need
of marshal and a Judge that we com
plain Of, than.of the inAicrion of such incum-
bents. Feeling some resentment; for the
wrongs cur territory has so long suffered
by these men, pressing ppon Us like dis
pensation Of wrath, judgement. curse,
a plague, unequalled since the hour when
Egypt went lousy, we sat down to write