The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-03-05
T II E MIN N ESQ TIA N
Saint pcrI, Suburban, Nartb ), 1858.
Democracy.

speaking, as securing the greatest good to tn
greatest number. On the other hand, design
ing knave will fix upon certain line of actor
to forward his political and pecuniary fortunes
and under the cloak of Democracy will preach
and pactice the most anti-democratic doctrines
the thoughtless and ignorant among the mass
es all the while being deluded by the NAME anu
never for moment partaking OF the substance
A noted democratic" politician of Massa-
chusetts. few wears since, defined Democracy
as "the triumph of man over his accidents"
This, although squirting somewhat toward the
transcendental in language. lisa good definition
of the term. The democratic principle is to
elevate man from the accidents of obscure birth
md unknown heritage, and place him upon an
enual with the most favored of the land. This is
one of the missions of what we understand to be
democracy The humble mechanic apprentice,
when toing at the forge, the bench, or the print
ing press, if you please, is conscious that he
has all the official honors of the land within
his birthright. To reach them is matter al
most entirely within himself.
This offspring of democracy, however, finds
no resting place among the select and favored
few-thc elite, we supposc-whO control the
columns of the Minnesota Democrat. The cd
itor himself, aside from being knave equal to
any task in the catalogue of offences, has all
the vanity and arrogance natural to men of
weak intellects, when accidentally elevated
from the level intended as their sphere at the
hour of their creation. Such being the fact, it
is but natural that he should surround himself
by associations of the same degraded and con-
temptble character. True to his caste, it is
not surprising that when called from his post,
or deserving it a few weeks to work in political
filth-pools elsewhere, he should leave his col
umns in charge of persons who are his equals
in all respects, and nothing more nor less. This
he has done OH the present occasion. If COM
mon report be true, the editorial department
1--WE have nothing to do with the business de-
partment) of the Democrat is now in charge of
one or two of the uphcavings Of the polluted
sink holes of Eastern cities, who write and
speak as follows of honorable gentlemen who
have been raised through the truly democratic
attributes of oar Institutions, and by dint of
their own exertions, to positions of honor and
public confidence. We quote from the last
Democrat
"ALEXANDER RAMsEY-Thcrc are some facts
and circumstances connected with the public
career of this individual, that may be worth the
space they occupy in a newspaper. lisa right
guaranteed to every citizen. to speak freely
of the conduct of those whose example is per-
nicOus to the community: who, occupying a
high official position, fail not to prostitute it to
the bascst purposes, as means of pccuniary
aggrandisement. This, be it candidly, though
resOlutcly spoken, is the case of the gentleman
whose name stands at the head of this article.
Sprung from the obscurity of an interior
Pennsylvania village, he grew up to manhood a
novice in the arts and strategy that constitute
the code of mercenary politicians, and found in
the primitive trade of Il carpenter, to which he
was bred, resources sufficient to support him res
pectably among his fellows. 1t were we'll had h,
continued in this innocent employment, so fit
ted to his capacity and requirements; but i
was decrced otherwise Finding this occupa
tion growing tedious and mOnOtonOus, and for
getting the venerable maxim, that ''the cobblel
should stick to his last, he became a candidate
for Congress, and by dint of the lowest dema
gogsm in the form Ofappeals to working men,
&c, was elected. Having succeeded in obtain
ing seat in the national Legislature, the hum
bic artisan grew dizzy in his promotion. and
fancied himself competent for any place within
the gift of the President Casting his political
horoscope. he tried his chances for the cOllcc
torship Ofthe Port of Philadelphia. His ella
mOrs for this post, demanding as it does, pre-
liminary commercial education, were of course
disregardcd and a Wing administration, to rio
itself Of ceasless importantly. ''colonized' tn,
applicant in Minnesota, with the commission
of Governor! Ignorant and conceted as an,
other rustic of the first water. his Executive tai
ents have been as rdiculously exhibited sine
called into service here, as were those ofhones
Sancho in his Governorship ofan Island TIL
files at Washington will show. that whatevc
he has written as a public functonary. is dis
grace to the Department., and should find plac,
in the "IndcX Eypurgatorius' of official noun
tebanks.
"The "Incumbcncy of the Superintendent
(as he styles himself in one of his rhapsodica
reports to the Indian Bureau) possesses nci
Their the ability to frame State paper ofmerit
nor the taste and judgement requisite to know
what is wanted when prepared by another hama
Again the messages delivered by him at the an
ual sessions of our legislature, are, as will b.
found by those who cam command the paticnc
to read them, tissue of inflated bOmbast an
senseless defamation, unworthy even the hea
of the veriest tyrO that shouts independence an
liberty, on each recurring anniversary. AL
this, however could have been borne with, an
forgotten, were it not cOtraru to lar ana h;
scorn duty, Alexander Ramsey has committc
acts of mal-administration that will brand hi
name with infamy while time endurcs. Wenee
not stop TO repeat them here. They are al,ead
black upon the record standing faithful wal
ming to all those who aim to forget that richie
and preferment have value only when reache
by the paths of recttude and honor. Better
far deter would it have been for the subject c
these remarks. to have remained in the obscu
rity for which nature designed him, than tina
lactltlous importance should have been tn
means OF his utter degradation
This is just about what we might expet
from this source. An upstart sprig of aristo,
racy in the British Parliament once sncered +;
distinguished member as being the grandso
of shoemaker. Il am quite CERTAIN W;
the apt reply, " that if the noble lords gran,
father had been a shoemaker, the busine
would still be continued in the family!'' The
may be this difference in the two cases: "
are not aware that the ancestors of the
L., orxl