The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-04-28


his lpart of his report will not be held snf-
cient to make out case of high treason
.gainst any of our citizens!
Mr.. Charles L. Emerson admitted to this spe-
ial agent shat the bidders had clubsw He
night have admitted also, and with equal force
lpon his introduction to Mr.. Browne, that the
minds OF certain persons were strangely affect
ID by certain phases of the moon.
1.-TWO wagon loads Of clubs were found upon
he ground" Perhaps they were cut upon gov
land! If so. he should have reported
his fact to the timber agent! 1t seems to have
been unfortunate that those settlers did not in
ute Messrs. Dayton q Packard to pay into the
United States Treasury $40 per acre for the
ands. Sl,25 being for the land and the balance
or the hard labor and righteous earnings be-
slowed upon it by the enterprise, and industry
Of American citizens.
Mr.. Browne further says that civilian Il.
Marshall. the principal purchaser is merchant
and q speculator."
Now, Mr.. Marshall is simply q merchant. and
his character for integrity will compare favora
bly, with that Of any man. either east or west
He is universally respected; and for that rea
son, poor men solicited him to go and bid on
the lands upon which they had settled. 70 save
them from the expense Of attending the sale
Not one foot of land was purchased for himself
sole purpose of accommodating the poor. Anc
had MIR. Browne examined the records. will
the same care he seems to have bestowed upor
advertisements in newspapers, and "notlce!
stuck upon trees" or with the willingness ht
gave ear TO the idle gossip OF idle persons. 81
would have found that Mr.. Marshall had. true
to his trust, conveyed to each individual set
tier, the lands he had improved. Nor did he
even charge the settlers one farthing for thu
services he rendered them.
Alpheus G. Fuller is not. nor has he been en-
gagged in the Indian trade for several years-ht
Is one of the oldest residents of the Territory
and instead of being a speculator is truly en-
ergetic and industrious contractor and manu-
factursr. George L. Becker is also an old res
ident and had made large improvements upol
the land he purchased.
Henry NJ. Rice was the Delegate in Congress
and J. Ross Browne was sent to Minnesota q
Special Agent''-neither of them were in the
Territory at the time OF the sale, and neither
of them it is believed had any interest in it
certainly the former had none.
&c l.. Emerson obtains five acres!' Five
acres!! almost enough for vegetable garden
He is Editor of the Democrat known as thu
= Rics organ.'" A dangerous man indeed =
Edits q paper in Minnesota, and is the owner
of FIVE acres of land!!l The welfare of thu
Republic requires that his enormous aud grow
ing aspirations should be checked-his posses
sions reduced. This should be looked to
George w. Biddle is dentist and--"a lane
speculator." He would scarcely be convicted
Of the latter charge; to the former he will p;eat
guilty; for he is deutist--a poor but homes
mana mechanic!
William S. Combs is Bookseller, and thu
special agent says "a land speculatOr." l
owning few acres of land makes a man "lan6
speculator," then Mr.. Browne is right. and W
S. COmbe must be "land speculat0r."
Mr.. Brown asserts that they all reside in st
Paul; ii he means to restrict this expression II
those named, it is perhaps true, with the ex
ception Of Or. Biddle; but if he means to EN-
brace in it, all the purchasers at the land sale
it is equally of piece with the balance OF hi
report; as certainly not one-hfth of the pur
chasers OF the lands in question do now, or dlt
at the time Of the sale, reside in St. Paul.
DR.. Biddle built house, plowed planted
sowed, reaped. and resided upon the land b.
purchased. He resided on it for months prio
to the sale, and continued to reside upon ii
until the winter had set in, when he removed
with his family to town to remain until Spring
H. NJ. Rice, the Delegate, did write that tn
sales were VIRTUALLY confirmed" and did Icon
graduate the hardy pioneers of Minnesota up
on the result" and justice and truth will sus
tain him in writing that letter, Mr.. Browne t
the contrary Notwithstanding; and the only re
greet Mr.. Rice has in regard to the matter il
that the citizens OF Minnesota should be mad
to suffer, through the ignorance or corruption
OF others.
The Special Agent again says, "during hi
stay in Minnesota. he conversed freely wit
many persons on the subject, and none denie
that there was a combination" This is yer.
1,ov,o GsnavV 1a,s
freely" upon other subjects which they did no
deem it important to deny. Suppose they di'
not. What does that amount to? Certainl
not that combination existed" or that tn
other subjects were proper ones for investiga
ton by Special Agent. He says further .tha
by the act of 1852. the town of Mendoza is Sc
cured to the proprietors, and that Mr.. Sibley
the late Delegate in Congress- is the principa
owner of this town and there are others, prom
inent spectators and politicians whose name
are not material" Now cannot see why it /
not important that Mr.. Browne should max
known the names of all the prominent specula
tors and politicians in Minnesota; such inform
aton--the result of his valuable researches
might become vastly important hereafter, a
historical reference. In respect. however. t.
Mendoza, It was county seat in l849--abou
one hundred voters reside there. MIR. Sible.
has resided there about twenty years, and resi-
ded there under the authority of the Govern
ment. He, with others, went there when tn
entire country was a wilderness, and he ant
others have expended probably over one hun
dred thousand dollars upon the land. And hat
Mr.. Browne looked at the law of 1874, (Or 60
some one to explain it to him. he would have
seen the folly of making the allusion to Mendo
ia he did; and aga n, delieacy should have re
strained him--a special government agent
from commenting in such manner upon any
law passed by the Congress OF the United
States.
He says, 1.-THE Government was defrauded
ont Of at least three hundred thousand dollars
by this sale" In the entire Territory there
was not in the hands of oil the citizens. one
half of that sum. Where then was the thret
hundred thousand dollars to come from?
cannot believe that this administration will
use its power to deprive men of the money. la
Dor and time they have expeLded--to say moth
ing Of the hardships they have had to encoun
ter in settling tie great West; neither am
willing to believe that this administration will
the report of . Special Agent who
has evidently travelled outside the common
courtesies Of life, for the purpose of injuring
citizens of the country either pecuniarily or in
reputation.
Public notice was given in the papers three
months in advance, that on the llth OF Sep
TENDER, 1854, this tract of land weuld be Of
fered at public sale, at the Land Ofaee IN Still'
water. and sold to the highest bidder-notice
sufficient to have enabled hundreds OF thousands
OF persons to have been present had they de-
street.-The sale took place in accordance with
the Presidents Proclamation. The Land OH
GERS report. that the utmost harmony pre-
vailed during the sale, 1.-THE purchasers paid
their mopey-reeeived evidences Of title. and
returned to their homes. This Is the second
time obstacles have been interposed to the con-