Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-10-03
For the Times.
THAT CONVENTION AGAIN.

Mr.. EDIToR:-The ssSenior'' does not seem
relish the "Historical Facts' in regard to tn
Convention of 1853, with which refreshed hi
memory few days since. He does not dare de
ny the truth of single position taken in tha
communication, though in it he was held up t
the public gaze as a slanderer and falsifer o
the truth of history. But the 'sSenior'' has
resource-he always has tit is to lie himsel
out of one lie by lieing again, and the only rea
son the last lie is not deeper, blacker and NOR
damnable than the first, is simply because tn
first was the perfection of lieing and admitted o
no improvement.
In the article Of this morning he charges tha
some ''factious persons attempted to break VI
the Wing Convention'- he offered to Civ
them hearing through the columns of his pa
per; and, finally assures that we are al
| marked!
Now would ask wherein was the action o.
the party spoken of factious? The Convention
| was called for free expression of the prefer
ence of the Whig party; the wings spoken of al
| faction were generally satisfied with the ticke
understood to be endorsed by the Minnesotiar
with the exception of two or three men, in whose
place they preferred that other candidates should
be selected. They had right as freemen and
Wings so to express their preference-they did il
they will ever do it. They acted fairly and
openly: did the ssSenior'' do the same? He says
| am defending the men with whom acted-we
ask no defence-we were right and will ever occu-
py the same ground and be found resisting the
dictation of a corrupt clique.
He says we tried to break up the Convention
This is wholly and unquali6edly false, as is well
known to all who were present, and the idea that
his columns were open to us after he had public
lv declared he would not have allowed our ticket
printed in his Office, even as job, is simply lu-
dicrous. We did not wish to use his columns for
any such purpose.
Though by the action of that Convention we
considered the ticket doomed to defeat, the ma
ioritv, if not all whom he denounces voted the
ticket and did their utmost to insure its success
The trouble with Owens is, he cannot take a
manly, straightforward course in any thing. lie
used ''sculduggery' in nominating the ticket ard
villainy in endeavorng to elect it by trading with
the Rice men. Had he acted honorably and in
good faith he would have gained his point, the
public printing, the only point he ever considered
worth gaining. Had the ticket proposed by the
minority in that Convention been nominated we
would have elected at least four representatives
and one councillor; this is now generally conce-
dcd In conversation with one Of the defeated
candidates few days since he stated that he told
Owens, at the time, that his course in regard to
the Little Canada candidate, and his behavior in
the Convention would certainly defeat the ticket,
but that Owens overruled him.
In regard to being marked 1 wish to ask the
thinq that controls the columns of the MinnesO-
tan by what authority it speaks? And right here
wish to know if, in that evil hour when a COM
mittee of whig gentlemen, partly through pity to
him, and partly because they could find no one
else at hand, kindly took him, John P. Owens,
from the gutter where he had been wallowing,
redolent with the filth and whisky of II. Nj. Rice,
washed him, white washed him, and gave him
the control of press, bought partly at least,
with the money of the whig party, and which he
has ever since used to betray both the party and
his benefactors-I say ! wish to know if at that
time the Wing party was delivered into his hands
collectively and individually, that he might bind
or loose whomsOevcr he would, and mark every
whs who would not bow the knee at his corrupt
shrine. Certain it is the Wing party can never
be made to cringe to any man, much less to the
carricature of humanity in the liniaments Of
whose face, (according to his friend, Col. Rob-
ertson,) ''the Deity has written in q legible hand
petit larceny"
And now Mr.. Owens, don't give yourself any
uneasiness because you do not know who l am.
but just call on the editor of the Times, who
will be happy to introduce you to my acquaint-
ance, when l pledge myself to make you ac-
knowledge the truth of every word have said
or, in default of your so doing, write them
where they may be seen of all men, viz where
your friend said the Deity had written petit lar.
ceny. NJ.