The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-09-28
To the Citizens OF Minnesota.
ST.. PA@M T., Sept. n, 1854

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1t was the farthest thing from my mind when
left St. Paul, two months ago, that l should
be called upon, on my rs41n home, to defend
myself against nnjustifable 1ofsrepresentations
and groundless imputations in regard to any
thing might deem it my duty to do, to pro-
mote the interests of Minnesota, or prevent the
accomplishment of fraudulent schemes detri-
mental to those interests, yet it is so.
1t is well known that it was through my
fundamentally that attention was first drawn
to the verbal alteration that had been made
in the course of its passage through the two
houses of Congress, of the Minnesota Railroad
bill which had been passed, and was subse-
quently repealed; and the imputation has been
cast upon me by Mr.. LowBER, one of the
company into whose hands the alteration was
intrusted to place the lands given by Congress,
and witness before the select committee, and
by the Dubuqe Express, whose remarks were
republshed in the Minnesotian of the I'd ulti-
mo that was actuated in the part took by
q selfish mOtive-that II was member of a
secret company which desired to obtain the
control Of this grant" and whose interests were
therefore antagonistic to those of the company
which was chartered by the Minnesota Legis-
lature last winter. This statement of Mr..
LowBER land its reiteration by the Dubuque
Erpress) is a base fabrication, destitute of the
least shadow of truth-wholly and entirely
false. was neither directly nor indirectly,
nearly nor remotely interested in the lands
granted by Congress for the purpose of con-
structing Railroad in Minnesota, or that
may hereafter be granted for that purpose ex-
cept as citizen of the Territory, and in COM
mon with every other citizen.
Being at Washington on business in no way
connected with the Railroad, received let
ter from Gov. GoRMAN. requesting me to ex-
anime the phraseology of the bill, since differ
ent versions or copies of it had been sent here.
1 complied with the request and at once dis
covered the alteration that had been made and
pointed it out. But, in doing this, had nei-
Their the desire, intention nor expectation that
this would be the means of defeating the bill
altogether; so far from it, l used every effort
and exerted all my influence with Messrs.
ATcH1soN, HUNTER, MASON, DOUGLAS, BRIGHT,
Gov. DODGE, Gen. DODGE, and others of the
Senate, the Virginia Delegate DR.. OLDs
of Ohio, and many other friends in the House,
to procure the passage of the bill as it was
originally passed. also appeared before the
select committee for the same purpose, and
they offered the very bill 1 desired. ] had no
other purpose than to secure the benefit Of the
grant of lands to the people of Minnesota,
That Minnesota may yet obtain grant of
lands from Congress for the purpose of aiding
her in constructing Railroads through the Ter
ritory, most sincerely hope and have but
little doubt; but this can only be looked for
when Congress shall haze been convinced that
her people neither sanctioned nor were dispos-
ed to profit by the transaction which caused it
with such haste and so much indignant feeling to
repeal the bill. Minnesota must, in the most
explicit manner disown all connection with the
fraud, the odor Of which is SO offensive in the
National Legislative Halls, and must let it APP
pear that the transaction is not less offensive
in her sight than it is at Washington. Any
attempt to arraign and censure those who ex-
pressed the fraud-any complaint that it was
not concealed and the bill suffered to remain a
law Notwithstanding, will assuredly leopard, il
not entirely defeat any further application by
the Territory for these lands.
From such princcly donation thought
and still think, the people of this Territory and
future State ought to have secured to them a
perpetual resulting interest that they should
not only have the road, but large interest in
it, which would in all time to come yield an
annual revenue consequently it should not be
thrown away upon mere spectators, much less
that those spectators should be permitted to
get possession of it by means of fraud and for
gerry; for look upon the secret and fraudu-
lent alteration of bill before Congress, with
a view to throw millions of dollars into the
pockets of few individuals, to be as much a
forgery as the signing another mans name to
a promissory note.
had up to the time discovered the alter
alton made in the bill, taken no part arhatere,
either in favor Of or against the company nor
had interested myself in any way, in favor of
or against the passage of the bill before Con-
gress. neither wrote to any one at Wash
ington, or received any letter or letters or mes
sages concerning it ; norhad my visit to Wash
ington any connection with it; and had not
my attention been called to the bill, in the
manner before mentioned while In Washing