Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-12-19
TUESDAY, DEC. 10, 1854.
THE SCHUYLER ORGANS.

| OAIOD]AA3 AAASs- Az, AOcf'
| THE SCHUYLER ORGANS.
| The Democrat and Minnesotian are both ou
with articles lauding the sexpediency'' of The
people becoming party to the Railroad Swindle
The Democrat stoutly denies that any fraud was
ever committed, but fails to answer our question
to how an official record can be altered by this
Company, taking the lands from the Territory and
giving it to themselves, (thus bene6tting them
selves some ten million of dollars, according to
the Democrats valuation,) without fraud.
The Democrat says: -ae. g..
"Thc news of the passage of this act, giving
to Minnesota a most magnificent grant of land,
and the speedy completion of a Railroad was re-
ceived here by a certain clique, with grumblings
and discomfort. The news of its repeal, with Joy
and gladness, and from this clique, with the Pio-
neer and Times, as opponents, commenced series
of articles, abusing in unmeasured terms all
those who had sacrificed much in securing this
grant of land to Minnesota a..i.'..' --.,.u
BY this the Democrat would seem to insinuate
that the Times was displeased with the grant of
land to Minnesota. If such is the meaning of
the article, we pronounce the statement unquali
fedly false. The Times was the first paper to
to congratulate the people on the certainty of
having a road. But when we found that forgery
had been committed, and that in consequence of
that act all would be lost, we denounced in no
measured terms the villains who had by that deed
deprived the Territory of the grant. We expected
Congress would repeal the grant-it could do no
less. The bill was repealed because the forgery
had materially altered the meaning of the grant
as Congress understood it. The Democrat has
long Since proved this by its own witness, MIR.
Breckenridge, himself an interested party in the
transaction. ae
Truly we have fallen upon evil days, when the
public press of country defend crimes of the
magnitude Of forgery and perjury, and predicate
that defence upon the ground of avery uncertain
prospect of pecuniary gain; and not only defend
it, but ask the people to endorse it, and thereby
identify themselves with the perpetrators of those
crimes when sworn public officer comes out
over his own signature and not only acknowledges,
but seems to deem it meritorious act, that he is
in violation of his official oath, endeavoring to
transfer the possession of property from the Uni
ted States, to whom he is bound by the most SOL
emn obligation, to a party not known to him in
his official capacity, and this because it is not the
intention of his client erer so to dispose of it.
In what light would this transaction be viewed
were the parties to it private men and not the
government and people, against corporation
Let our people remember that there is but one
rule of right for public or private men, for indi
viduals or governments that is &c equal and
exact Justice to ALP If that rule was enforced,
what would be the situation of many men now
rolling in wealth and Haunting their shame before
the public gaze? We leave this question for the
people to answer.
AS to the charge that Mr.. Washburne was a
bitter opponent Of the road-the Democrat is en-
tirely mistaken. If it had said the Schuyler COM
pany and the fraud, there might have been some
truth in the charge, at present there is none. No
man did more, and we disparage none in saying
no one did as much as Mr.. w. in securing the pas
sage of the bill as he knew it to have been intfo-
duced and as every member, not in the secret Of
the forgery understood it be. And by supporting
that bill he not only reflected the will Of his
stitucnts, but also of the people of Minnesota
Let the responsibility rest where it belongs
the men, who actuated by the love Of gain, COM
mitted a crime against the laws of God and their
country which caused the repeal Of the act. They
are the men to be held up to scorn and contempt,
but let US not n,eanly lay the blame on those who
nobly exerted themselves in our behalf.