The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-07-01
THE MINNES0 TIA N
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JUNE IS, 1854.
spiritual Teachers md Temporal Claim"
Holders.

spiritual Teachers and Temporal " Claim"
Holders.
We the other day stated the fact that
claimant of land in Dakota county had been
deposed by a mob from his domicile, his
arms taken from him, and his premises de-
spoiled We asked, for an answer what ii all
meant The following response has been made
to our CALL
"Sr. PAUL, June &c, 1854.
To TIE EDrrOR or TIE MINNEsOTIAN Il am
ehown just now an article of your daily paper
Of yesterday, headed" What does it mean ~
1t means SO many things, indeed! am going
to tell you some of them.
What does it mean. This question, after
your statements may have appeared very
charming. would not wonder if the prepon-
derating class Of your readers had seen in that
the effect Of some Bull sent here by the Pope,
or the execution of some plan concocted at the
Vatican for the invasion and occupation of this
our country. What does it mean? 1t means that
an Editors star grew pale when the article was
hurried up. When Editors give publicity to
any fact, compromising gentleman, they as
certain before hand with scrupulosity the cor
rectness of what they have to substantiatc
But here it was another case; an opportunity
to sprinkle some odum on the Pope and the
Bishop! When such matter is at hand, many
IN Editor have no time to reflect
Where did you discover that nonsense asser-
ti0n that dignitary of the church in ST. Paul
has no more right than the Pope to hold a land
claim in the Dakota county, under the prc-emp-
tion law? Is it in the Constitution of the Unit
ed States or in the laws of Minnesota: That
dgnitary of the church believes, and believe
too, that he has as much right to have land
claim as any of the big gentlemen Of st. Paul.
What II II mr. fhnf tha
claim in question is not held by the Bishop, but
by the last of the Priests of st. Paul, NJ. Pcyra-
crosse, your humble servant an American cit-
sen. More improvements had been made upon
this my claim than upon one hundred of others
which have been secured to their first claimants
by legal decisions.
What docs it mean: 1t means in conse-
quence that this man, whom you call pompous-
ly an "actual settler" with italic types, was
but an impudent claim jumper.
Now, it was known abroad that this claim
was intended to be entirely dedicated to the
benefit of the surrounding Catholic population
to have schOOlhOusc or church on it and to
help also by its products to the support Of the
new Cora hospital of st. Paul.
No wonder, then, if the Catholic inhabitants
Of the neighbOrhood did carefully protect this
claim against many other jumpers. This i'll
vAder was many times advised calmly to dcsst
HUH uio uCsiSu, Dut III Vail. DlOhc d CdpiE
erected these two years OIL it, and commenced
to consider of his own a fence he found there
surrounding good part of the land.
Refusing Obstinately to retire, he was pru-
IDENTIFY and without any rough treatment or
.lercd to leave, which he did, taking away all
the articles he had in it. This was done by
some men unknown to me- with whom had no
concern about the affair.
What does it men: About the revolver.
ny-onn hal ,n1n
loaded with six ball shots 4: these men had come
without arms. They seized his arm at the mo-
ment he was going to take hold of his revolver,
and commit six murders. The fatal instru-
ment was merely kept out of his reach.
He cannot complain of being hart any way.
Offered by the same men to receive payment
for the timber he was leaving on the spot, he
refused Indignantly any offer. Then the boards
be had stolen were thrown down with his own.
What does it mean? Judge We, impartially.
One remark more. Many other cases of more
serious character occurred around us. No men
ton made. But here the Bishops name and
the Pope Plus IX. could be introduced! Good
luck for the Editor of the Minnesotian. He
will make some noise about it,
am man possessor of nothing-only had
been pleased to have claim for the benefit of
mankind. l hope TO keep it for the good OF the
same mankind.
NJ. IETRAGROSSE.
We will pass over the sneers at ourselves
contained in the above ; the holy horror which
the "ghostly father is impressed with at our
irreverent allusion to the good-tempercd old
gentleman of the Vatican, and the difference
between us as to the legal right Of people re-
siding in st. Paul, and Invested of the power to
become heads of families, to disposscss actual
settlers in Dakota county Of their claims under
the presumption law. We will merely allude
to some facts which we stated the other day.
and which NJ. Pcyragrossc does not contro-
wort. The stress ofour ccnsure was upon the fact
that the man had been driven from his house by
mob, who although they did not use violence
gave the settler to understand they would, il
he did not leave. This NJ. Peyragrossc docs
not deny, but absolutely justGes. And al
though be says he owns the claim, but knew
nothing about the disinterested labors of his
friends, the mob, yethis master, the Bishop, has
since acknowledged that he knew all about it,
and ordered the mob TO do just ,rhat its mem
bers did!
We thus find breach of the peace instigatcd
In Minnesota, and justified before the public by
one Of its priests. 1t is a sorry day for the IL
berries and well-being Of this American people,
when the ministers of the religion of the meek
and lowly Saviour-the Prince of Peace, are
thus found to trample under foot not only hui
man but Divine law.
The Dakota County Claim Association has a
committee of arbitration, which meets, we be-
lieve, once month, to settle all disputes be-
tween claimants. I'm. Peyragrosse's claim he
a just one, he could have appealed to that tri-
bunal and had justice meted out to him. Then
again, we have law ON our statute book,
which amply protects all rightful claimants.
Why not go there for settlement?
But as the whole affair is to go before the
next Grand Jury of Dakota county, we desist
from further remark. We do not see that NJ.
Peyragrosse has helped the matter any by his
explanation. The whole affair looks as though
~ 4 l. g.. l..