The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-04-28
Henry M. Rice's Reply to the Spy.
WAsHINGToN, April 9th, 1855.


ration at Fort Smelling; the extraordinary
character OF which report rendersit proper that
should take some notice of its contents 1t is
apparent from the face of the document that
Mr.. Brownies chief object was to assault the
character and ipjure the reputation OF certain
citizens of Minnesota, who have become Obnox-
ous to those whose delinquencies he wishes to
rather than TO promote the public in
.erests by truthful exposition of the facts as
they are known to exist.
In furtherance of this object. he sets out by
charging that there was an unlawful and fraud
ulent combination among a large number of
persons. to defraud the Government of the val
ne of these lands: that this combination sue
ceeded BY force and violence in preventing COM
petition at the public sale: that the Govern
ment was defrauded of more than three hundred
thousand dollars: that the punishment prescri-
bed by law for this offence. is penalty of one
thousand dollars aud Imprisonment for two
years: that Henry NJ. Rice. the Delegate to Con-
gress from Minnesota, was one of the purchasers
It that sale who. among the other guilty parties.
purchased part of the said Military Reserva-
ton at 81 rs per acre, and thus defrauded the
Government by preventing comp, tition. &c. ::
{. that Charles L. Emerson, editor OF the Dem
,crat known as the Rice Organ, had purchas-
i've acres of said reserved lands" that Henry
". Rice. the Delegate from Minnesota" wrote
letter, that I" these sales were virtually con
irmed," and congratulated the hardy pioneers"
&C., &C.; aud in conclusion refers anew to a list
If names of the purchasers. ond reafeTafes that
among which will be found that OF henry Al.
Rice. the present Delegate from Minnesota"
1t is apparent from the connection OF my
name in so many icrms with the sales OF this
Military Reservation, that the object OF Mr..
Browne was to poiut the out TO the Department.
and to the pub ic. as the chief instigator of
stupendous fraud upon the Government, and
one who realized enormous profits from the
transaction Fortunately, the records of your
own Department convict Mr.. Browne OF false
hood on every material statement he has made
against me. The records of your own depart
ment as we'll as the records OF the Land Office
at Saltwater, where the sale took place. proves
that did not purchase any land at The sale.
The same records proves, that the lands men,
toned BY Mr.. Browne, as having been purchas-
el hv me at that sale, had been entered and
paid for by me ut that same office nearly three
wears previous. The same records prove that
that tract of land. which Mr.. Browne says be-
longed to the military reservation of Fort Smell
ing did not belong to that reservation, and was
moi embraced within its limits. The same re-
cords prove, that the tract of land in question
was never purchased by me at public sale at
anv time; but that. after having been offered at
public sale, at 81 25 per acre, when there was
no preteyt of o combination, and not being sold.
for the reason that no one would bid, wasstruck
off to the Government and subsequently enter
ed by.me at private sale, in the usual manner.
In short the records prove that every state
nent made by Mr.. Browne for the purpose Of
fixing a charge Of fraud upon me, was, and is,
absolutely false. The truth is, l was not at the
sale in question; had no person there to repre-
sent me: had no interest in any of the land to
u. s.<,k thnT nUas to~sv Of linn
sofa at the time of the sale; but on the contrary,
hundreds of miles distant, and had no knowl-
edge whatever Of the rcumstances attending
such sale.
With these facts before you, what confidence,
may ask. sir can be placed in the statements
of your agent making charges OF fraud against
myself aud others, when ii is obvious that his
object was to direct public attention from my
enemies, and thereby aid and assist them in
covering up aud concealing their own delin-
quences.
lie cannot plead ignorance for these false
statements, for the facts appear on record, and
he refers to those very records, and at the same
time falsifes them for the purpose of making
his charges plausible.
1t is true, as Mr.. Browne states, the sale re-
forrod did talo flaoo at the time mentioned
and from his list of purchasers, it appears tina,
there were twcnty-thrcc bidders present, who
reside from twenty to twenty-five miles from
the Land Office, which is located in IL city con.
tanning about two thousand inhabitants, who.
Mr. Browne would have it appear were intimi-
dated by the said twenty-three purchasers
forming the combination"
The Register and Receiver having been In
structed to report all the facts, did report that
-. the utmost harmony prevailed during the
SALE" In regard to the land itself have to
state that there is not q single quarter section
that was not cultivated prior to the sale, DOR a
quarter section that was not otherwise imprOv-
ed, some of which improvements. upon single
eighty acre tract, cost over $4,000.
It is true, as MIR. Browne alleges, that some
of these lands had been cultivated and Occu
pied for several years past" and it is also
true, that the land is now very valuable! But
" no made it SO? The settlers themselves. by
the introduction of industry. capital. and civil
zation into that new and distant region. Sew
en- wears ago st. Paul and St. Anthony did not
exist; aud but little more than six years since
the sites upon which they are erected were en-
tered at 81 Is per acre: much Of WHICH is at
the present time worth from $40. 900 to $4,000
per acre; therefore according to the reasoning
vi this special agent. the government has been
dcfrauded in these purchases. Of an enormous
sum of money and it cannot be perceived why
he did not also ask to have those entries can
cclled. He does not believe that Gland specu
lators throughout Minnesota We're prevented
from bidding by motives of personal friendship
for the claimants holding possession of the
land" Neither do I. But a sense Of honor
prevented any but the rightful claimants from
bidding. There is bond stronger than any
law, which makes honest men respect the rights
of their neighbors. and ana glad that that bond
is so universally respected throughout Mime
sofa.
Your agent submits a copy of protest and
agreement &C.. given him by Lyman G. Dayton.
by which it appears that Charles II. Rice agreed
to sell said Dayton forty.seven acres Of said
land for Sl,927. which the said Rice bought for
about $50. It is to be regretted that Mr..
Browne, while examining into the private af
fairs of the citizens Of Minnesota, did not as
certain what the improvements on this land cost
Mr.. Rice. 1t is well known to every man the
least conversant with the west, that claims are
sold every day, and that improvements are con-
stantly changing hands upon both the surveyed
and unsurveyed lands, and are regarded as pro-
perfy by the local laws. Nor do know of any
law human or divine that binds men in Kansas
and improvements any longer than 1t may suit
their interest or convenience 80 to do; neither
can see how mans land, regularly purchas-
ed can be taken from him, because his improve
ments and those of his neighbors have made il
worth more than be paid for it. And as to the
improvements on the claim Of Charles r. Rice.
to my own knowledge, they cost him over
$4,000 prior to the sale.
Again, Mr.. Browne says, "thepe appears to
be strong prejudice in the new Territories In
favor Of original settlers and claimants" This
is true; and am glad be made the discovery:
for it is an Important fact going to show that