Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-09-05
For the Times.
For tue II
CALM REFLECTIONS,

There has been no inconsiderable snarling at
the Times for daring to take exceptions to the
course of II. NJ. Rice in Congress. The snarlers
who give utterance to their vitupcrations through
the columns of the Mnnesotian, 60 upon the pre-
dcation that We have no right to feel an interest
in the welfare of Minnesota. That the personeLle
of II. Nj. Rice is of more consequence than the
present and future of every other soul in tho Ter
ritory. We have said and still say that we care
not which horn of the dilemma his personal
friends seize upon to defend him from that OF be-
Ing directly Implicated i'll the Schuyler fraud, to
divide off and 90 shares in the division of the load,
or of falling asleep over the duties which he had
sworn to perform, and by a fraud allowing the
Territory to be wronged out of the magnificent
donation of Congress. One thing is certain, we
have all suffered in common, and suffered to an
extent that time will fully develop. Congress, in
consideration of our ISOLATED condition, were
ready to grant us relief. They placed in our
hands the means for constructing railroad-the
means for developing the vast agricultural re-
sources of our country--now all is gone. BY a
vilainous fraud an attempt was made and nearly
succeeded to divert that grant from the citizens
of the territory for whose benefit it was given in
to the hands of "A band of reckless speculators.-
Members, exasperated at this unblushing rascal
ity, determined upon condign punishment, and re-
called the grant, redeeming our young country
from the hands of the contemplate pirates, but
in so doing, blasted our hopes for the glorious
future that was about to dawn upon us.
The great main object of our Delegates mission
-, III Az al tod
that which was the great desideratum with the
people at the last election, at one moment appa-
rently accomplished, at the next crushed, so soon
as Congress discovered that the grant had been
forestalled by an amount of rascality sufficient to
make it curse rather than blessing to the terri
tory, and when the Schuyler party were kicked out
of Congress where stood H. NJ. Rice? Did he
stand as the advocate of Minnesota? Did he en-
treat of Congress to spare the territory in punish
ing the outside perpetrators of fraud? No, we
hear not a word. No appeal is made in our be-
half. Mr.. Rice is busy writing squibs to the DEM
ocrat that Congress had bought nice three-pen-
ny whistle which he would send home to the good
children. The fact is, he felt the rebuke and
tremblNd. He certainly dared not raise his voice
or we should have heard from him. For our own
credit don't let us call him fool, and it is incon-
ceivablc that man entirely free from the Schuy-
Ter scheme could have stood by and beheld his
country ruined, and not raise his hand in her de-
fence. 1t is wrong-all wrong. This reproof
reaches beyond the Delegate, and is reflected with
biting pungency upon the party that placed him
where he is. Surprising we say positively that
Rice positively was not party to the fraud
Then he is legally out of danger of Indictment,
but his case is helped but little even by this adj
mission. He was not sent to Congress for what
he would not do. lie was sent there to work,
for which he is roundly paid. He saw, or ought
to have seen the railroad bill framed; he watched,
or he ought to have watched its passage through
both Houses; he saw, or ought to have seen that
the bill had been fraudulently altered he knew,
or he ought to know that this alteration was made
to take the lands from the territory, and throw
them into the hands of band of desperate men.
lie knew, or ought to have known that the damage
thus done the territory was incalculablc. The
fact is, we lean Rice didn't favor the railroad
bill, nor secure its passage. That was done by
one set of men, good and true men to the terri
tory, while another set of men were busy with
their outside schemes to secure to themselves
what the one party hoped to be obtained for the
country. We are now growing calm, and we can
view the matter in calm and considerable spirit.
Let us then inquire if our Delegate has not been
remiss in his duty, and if he is not responsible to
the people who sent him to Congress to watch
their interests, for that neglect Of duty. Why
did he not boldly meet the issue? Why did he
not stand by and defend the interests of MINES
ota when they were in danger. These are ques-
tions for the people to consider and which deserve
their serious consideration.
RIGHT AT ALI HAZARD.