Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-12-12
For the st. Paul Times.
.. For the st. Paul Times.
The Minnesota and North-Western Railroad Fraud
Company, and their Aiders and Abettors.

For the st. Paul Times.
The Minnes sofa and North-Western Railroad Fraud
Company, and their Aiders and Abetsors.
Mr.. EDITOR There has been great deal writ
ten and read with regard to the stupendous fraud
which was practiced upon the people of the United
States, BY the conniyance and direct agency of q
few unfaithful and unworthy public servants du-
ring the last session of Congress. The announce
ment of the fraud and the clear substantiation of
it by the testimony which was taken by order of
Congress, had all the effect upon generous and
con6ding people which such an iniquity would
naturally occasion. They saw in it a bold and
reasonable attempt to fasify the acts of Congress
and that, right in the face of the previously ex-
press will of the House of Representatives, that
no such bill the forgers were successful in
Fostering upon Congress, should become law.
No such outrage had ever, to their knowledge,
been attempted in the councils of the nation, and
they could not but feel that all the scorn and con-
tempt which usually belong to transactions Of a
clandestine and treacherOus character, character
ICED this in a degree solich no other had IN the
history of the country before. To so great de-
gree was the Indignation of Congress felt against
that when they found that the House Investigating
Committee had not done its duty in bringing the
offenders to the condign punishment they deserv-
ed and that the Delegate from Minnesota had
not the moral honesty or manliness to stand up
in defence of the Territory's rights; they Uery
naturally did what they thought the nert best thing
under the acknowledgement the rhole grant,
Such is the history of the transaction up to the
time of the elections in the Territory, and every
one knows how that those elections chiefly turned
throughout the Territory on the question OF fraud
or no fraud upon the railroad bill /; and that the
result was, the utter reputation Of the fraud, and
of all ,cl.o uere the partscipators and dbettors OF It,
But the perpetrators, aiders and abettors OF
the fraud upon the nations statute book, it seems,
have not yet got through with their work. There
is yet deeper abyss of infamy, into which they
willing to plunge, in order to clinch for them
selves and their parasites, the pecuniary advanta-
ges which their unholy acts have promised for
them. They have got, as they think, the matter
so tied up legally, that they can 60 to work and
swndle the people of the Territory and Congress
of their just rights and expectations. Conscience,
Legislative faith, and honesty, have nothing to
do with their acts. They hare got the country ON
the hip, legally, and they intend to reap all the ad
vdntagcs rhich their ,cickedness gain TOR them.
They send on legal gentleman from New York,
who it seems has been the adviser Of the Compa-
ny, with full powers to so arrange matters as to
induce some of the more prominent men of the
Territory to swallow the fraud, and thus carry
with them the whole Territory. Anew programme
of officers was to be made, which would, in the
simplicity of the Gotham lawyer, reconcile all
interests, and thus the dreadful precedent of an
unrivallcd fraud be allowed to stand on the ma
tional statute books unrcbuked by virtuous and
indignant community. A new formation of the
Board of Directors was to he made, and more
equitable distribution of the honors and emolu-
ments of the Company effected. Two of the old
Directors were to 60 out, and others more accept
able to the people were to be elected in their
places. financial agent was to be appointed;
legal Office other than that of Attorney to the
Company was to be constituted; and many engi-
neers and other employees were to be engaged
All this was said with the air of one who thought
he read well the weaker traits of poor frail hu-
manity; but, alas, who as certainly gave indica-
tons that he knew nothing of the more noble
traits Of which that humanity is capable Of The
idea of the people of the Territory being govern
cd by any thing but pecuniary considerations, he
simply smiled at. Selfish, pecuniary interest was
the alone motor Of the masses here, as we'll as
every where else; and honor and honesty were
more practiced here, than in other parts of the
country. Alas, for the treacherous effect Of the
legal profession upon minds not over stocked con-
stitutionally with the more manly and noble fac
ulties of the soul! And yet these are the kind of
minds that ,coud aspire to rule in society and pol
itics and mould men to their puny and ignoble
statue and reach! But their day of reribution
will come, and sooner or later, they will find that
no one has been so great a fool, as he who has
only made use Of the faculties which God has
given him, for the noblest of purposes the NOR
al elevation of self and society,-to degrade and
vitiate self and society.
What effect the legal gentleman's powers of
persuasion had in the Territory upon every one
whom he accosted, it of course is impossible for
the writer of this article to know but it would
be singular if he did not secure the compliant
promises and services Of some of the moro facie
characters, which to be found in every COM
munity. But be this as it may those persons as
we'll as all the aiders and abettors of the fraud
Company, will, if do not mistake the signs of
the times find, before they get through with their
Vaccinations against Legislative probity and
Territorial independence, that they have chosen
hard road to travel and that cursed for them,
uas the day, rhen so foul a blot upon the national
escutcheon cast by the preparation Of so stu
pendous fraud as this Company has been guilty
Of.
1t is true that the Chief Justice of the Territory
(Welch) has decided at the mock trial which
seems to have come off lately by the arrangement
Of the parties rhO were engaged in it, at Red Wing,
and which the Gotham lawyer came purposely to
bring about that the repeal of the grant by Con-
gress is unconstitutional; and therefore that the
fraud Company have full license to 60 forward
and reap the rewards of their unrighteous acts.-
But there is an injured National Senate and House
Of Representatives, as ,ceH as National Erecutire
rhose high functions and responsibilities hare been
touched by this decision, and the rriter is yet to
learn that there is no mode Of estoPping the effects
Of lar, srhich if not co'sstitufionally repealed
stands eontessedly a fraud upon the statute
books Of the Nation, and chioh the Company
ks,otcs to be afraud and nothing else.