The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-05-05
FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 4. 1856.
The sOfficial Spy" and the Mime sotian.

The sOfficial Spy'' and the Mime otian.
While the editor who writes this was absen
from st. Paul few days since, the gross an
\ 'trageously slanderous attack of Mr.. J. Ros
Browne, a Government Spy upon the characte
and rights of a portion of our fellow-citizen
was brought to the attention of our readers
and very properly commented upon by our as
sociates. 1t happened, that in hastily pennins
apriUdte note. written at Galena to one of ou
partners in business, we rather summarily Sc
down the especial upholders and representa-
tives of the powers at Washington, that delgh
in employing such scavengers as Browne il
these dirty and disreputable -acts-Gormar
and Rosser-as the ones to whom Mr.. Browne
owed his false information in the premises
An extract from this letter was published in the
Minnesotian.
Had the whole letter been of character that
would have warranted its publication, no in.
justice whatever would have been done to Ell
Their the Governor or the Secretary and we
must say, even after their disclaimers, which
have already been properly attended to in
these editorial columns, that we can find plen.
~ oil citizens in and about st. Paul who arc
convinced in their own minds that our sweep.
ing charge from Galena was not whit more
strong and positive than the facts will in the
end bear out. Still, their denial of all partici-
patton in the outrageous affair is broad and
positive and in the absence of any direct
proof to the contrary, it isno more than right
that those two especial upholders of the Ad
mlnstration, whose policy leads it to employ
spies to investigate the private affairs of free
American citizens, should be regarded as limo
cent OF lending aid to Browne in the premises.
The charge was founded upon the fact, that
Minnesotians direct from Washington, with
whom we conversed before writing. were posi-.
tive in the beiief-formed by a knowledge OF
certain circumstances that our Governor and
Secretary were at least among those who gave
the spy information upon which to base his
slanderous report. But they declare positively
to the contrary, and there the matter must rest.
at least for the present. even though they do
sleep in the same political truckle-bed with the
spy. Ross Browne. German and Rosser being
innocent, of course nothing we have said or
surmised to the contrary could injure them in the
least. Had they not both already been guilty
OF the most unwarranted interference with the
business OF the people of Minnesota in other
respects, no one would have though of charg-
ing them in this instance of aiding the spy in
his investigations" But their railroad con |
spiracy against the vital interests of the people
of Minnesota is not yet forgotten.
AS to the man Browne. we have nothing more
to add than has already been said of him in
these columns. We are one of those citizens
who, in extending to him the rites of hospi-
tality at our own ireside and elsewhere, took
him for gentleman, and with those of our
neighbors who did the same, were most grossly
deceived. 1t is not probable he will ever again
visit St. Pnul; in fact, we are satisfied it would
be rather unhealthy for him to land here at this
time, or even at any time hereafter. Be this
as it may, it is very certain. should be ever
return, he will not be able to look upon, touch |
or handle any of the valuables about the ia
bles and parlors of our citizens, no more than
would notorious and convicted burglar
But is it strange that Browne, or some one
else possessed of degree of political depravi-
ty equal to him, should not be found to do this
dirty work. when we consider the character of
the Administration whose tool he is? Not at
all. The master. Pierce, is in all respects wor-
thy of the man q Browne, and vice versa.
We trust we are now through with him for
the present, at least.