The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-09-02
For the MinnesOtian.
A Little More Light Wanted.

Little More Light Wanted.
MEssRs. EDITORS notwithstanding the food
Of light shed upon my communication through
your columns by that mor.l sun the Times, l
feel constrained to solicit a little more. Whe-
Their this is owing to my long cars" or to the
fact that the ears of the Editor Of the Times are
longer than mine, leave you to judge.
1t is stated in that paper, of 23rd instant -
"Whcn we as people have shown to Congress
that we had nothing to do with that fraud, and
when we have taken the proper Legislative ac-
ton on the matter, then the very men who
voted for the repeal of the bill will vote to give
us grant of land"
lis also demonstrated in the same paper, (of
18th inst.) upon the authority of Mr.. Craigc,
member Of Congress- that the object of the bill
repeating the grant was "tO cast censurc upon
those uho perpctrated the fraud"
l am now more bcwildcrcd than ever to I'M
dcrstand the course of the true friends of the
Territory; for it now appears that Congress
denies us this grant of land upon the ground
that the people Of Minnesota are the guilty
party. Mr.. Stevens, at whose instance the al
tcration was made, and who sustained it in
committee, is eXonerated from all censurc
Mr.. Forncy, Clerk of the House, who ordered
the alteration, is pronounced innocent of the
fraud by an almost unanimous vote. The
Schuyler Company, too, has passed the ordeal
of the investigating Committee, and is acquit
ted, but the people of Minnesota: against whom
no charge whatever was preferred has been
convicted of that fraud.
1t is hard enough to lose the grant of land
and the road, but this loss dwindles into nsig
nifcance in comparison with the loss of charac
ter which the Territory must sustain by this
conviction Of fraud of which she is entirely in.
nOccnt, and which amounted to the rather un.
usual offence of cheating herself
1t is best to know the worst, and while learn
from the Times that our territory rests under this
we can have any hope of redemption, ask
where were the true friends of Minnesota all
this time? Did they stand by and see an limo
cent people branded with infamy? Why was
the sonorous bray of the Times silent, which
was wont to roar SO loudly upon other occa-
S'oA7' ~A'oo tllC ~ NC JI0WuS vi
were the very jury which convicted her by an
overwhelming verdict, and passed sentence of
condemnation upon her. The cackling of a
goose saved the Roman empire, and if the
Times had uttered one warning Bray all would
have been right the true friends of the Terri
tory would have rushed to the rescue, convert
ed land back to "or," saved our land from
the load OF infamy, and secured the grant i'll
stead of which they turned their backs ON her
and spurned her away. Such treatment might
be expected from enemies, but from her true
friends cit was the unkindcst cut of ALL"
We arc now reduced by this action of our
true friends TO the iorlorn hope of proving her
innocence, after verdict of guilty, by show
Ing" Tin the language Of the Timcs) "to Con
srcss that we had nothing to do with that
Jraud," and when VIC have proper legislative
action Oh the MATTER" which l hope the Times
will indicate to the Legislature as early as
possible, then it is hoped that the true friends
of the Territory will rclcnt and pardon her. by
giving back the lands they have taken away
hope the Times will take the proper steps to
bring all this about, as soon as possible, and
not allow our true friends to forget it. In the
meantime desire little more light.
CITIZEN