The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-01-05
From the st. orolx Union.

~ k@s From the st. Oroix Onion.
The Pioneer and Demscfas.
The Minnesota Pioneer and ST. Paul Dem
ocrat have recently been united. They are
united in more ways than one. They have
not only united their subscription lists, but
their 1good will, J" their newspaper and job
printing material; -and the Editors of the
two sheets have united-both of them now
editing, as they do, the "Pioneer and Dem
ocrat."
*e*
But to the Pioneer and Democrat. Since
we have known it the Democrat has been q
consistent and reliable Democratic journal
At times, it has been rather too personal
but in the main it has been "right side uE
with care" Would that this were true o.
the Pioneer. When we first came to Min
nesota, the Pioneer was considered a Cor.
man paper. 1t was the recipient of the Gov.
ernor's official patronage. 1t was considered
his organ. But, change having come ovel
the spirit of its dreams, few weeks subse-
quently it cast him off. 1t spit upon him.
1t denounced him derisiyely and unsparingly
and spurned him from. its presence. About
this time, too, we noticed some sly cuts al
the Nebraska bill, although it had been con-
sidered an Administration journal. More
over, it approached the "nigger question,
timorously; it either maintained profound
silence, or trod quite gingerly upon this
yexed ground. Anon the Convention to nom.
mate a candidate for Territorial Delegate
drew apace. The Pioneer teemed with arti-
cles relative to Conventions. Itexhorted to
Union-to concession-and to rigid observ.
ance Of the time-honored usages of the Dem.
ocratic party. 1t most certainly then gave
utterance to sound doctrine.
Well: the long-looked-for Convention as
sembled, and upon the first ballot nominated
Henry M. Rice by an overwhelming MAORI.
ty. His only opponent was "honest" David
Olmsted. He received q votes; Mr.. Rice
III. Yet, Notwithstanding this, notwith-
standing the fact that the Pioneer had been
exhOrting to union-concession-
and rigid observance of Democratic usage
it declared itself for "honest Dave" Ohm.
sted! From some unaccountable caprice, il
advocated the claims of the arch-boiter to q
seat in Congress-; and in defending him, il
occasionally defended those who had brought
him out-including, of course, his Excellen.
cy, Gov. German, whom few weeks previ.
ously it had loaded with the. bitterest invec.
tiyes. Not content with this, the Pioneer
opened it's batteries upon several Journals
that had the temerity to defend the action Of
the Democratic Convention, and Hon. H. M
Rice, its nominec-the St. Croix Union com
ing in for its full share of abuse.
Well: time rolled on. Two or three weeks
before the election day, Mr.. Goodrich, who
had been for some time absent from his post
returned home, and on resuming the edito.
rial chair, stated that he would take little
time for reflection. He did so; but he finally
endorsed what his s'sub" had said, without
exception, and he continued to advocate
"honest Dave" Olmsted's claims to seat in
Congress. He was bitterly against Mr.. Rice
He tried very hard to prove that Rice was a
Know Misunderstanding to subterfuges and
bubbles, and CANNON generally for this pur-
pose; while his wrath waxed hotter, an hun
dred fold, over the Democrat, than the Times
and Minnesotan-the organs of the Wo-
mans Rights, Maine Law, Free Soil Humbue
Party.
Well: Old Times wheels gave another
hitch or two upon their axles. Six or sever
days more, and then comes election dav
Would you believe it In long leader, the
Pioneer, one morning, declared it would nc
longer support Olmsted. Indeed, it averred
1t would henceforth remain neutral on the
Delegate Question. Why the Pioneer SC
suddenly changed, we could never divine
"Honest Dave" hadn't changed particle
He was bolter on the 25th of July last, and
when Goodrich forsook him he was still d
bolter-running in some places as a Nebras.
katie, in others as anti-Nebraska. But the
fact stands out prominent: the Pioneer for.
sock him, and substantially declared that all
the candidates for Delegate to Congress
might paddle their own canoe-it would not
interest itself any more in the matter. Yet
the ink with which it printed this declare.
ton had scarcely got dry, ere Mr.. Goodrich
announced himself in favor of Hon. H. M
Rice!
Yes-the Pioneer announced itself in favor
of Mr.. Rice-the man whom it had opposed
by every means in its power, both fair and
foul-the man whom it had endeavored to
break down-whose political reputation il
had tried its best to ruin. We say it de.
clared for Mr.. Rice, and up to this present
writing it has remvined true to him.
We have an object in giving these facts
1t is hot to create disturbance in the Dem.
ocratic ranks of this Territory, as some may
suppose-it is not to engage in ''familJ
QUARREL" and broils, and feuds, and conten
sions-it is not to create a division in oul
own forces. We have no such objects il
view-no such unworthy and suicidal desires
to crafty. But the truth is this: We kur
had but little confidence in the Pioneer as 6
political paper. Indeed, prior to its uniting
with the Democrat, we had none at all. The
course which it has pursued within the last
81 i0hf he
succinctly above narrated, has destroyed oul
confidence in it. Hence, though we hereby
offer it the right hand of fellowship, we dc
not do SO, and cannot do so as cordially al
we could, had its past course been manly
and straightforward. 1t has been vascillating
1t has boxed the four points of the compass
with vengeance. 1t has acted the part of
puppet and whifett. What guarantee have
we that it will not do SO again 1t has de-
Tended Gov. German and it has denounced
him. 1t may do SO again. 1t has denounced
and traduced, and villifed H.. NJ. Rice
What assurance have we that it will not de
so again? None at all except what is af
forded by the fact that the former Editor O
the Democrat is united with it.
However, as it has come back and profess
es desire to do 'sthe fair thing'' in the flu
ture, it is our duty to forgive, and welcome il
as cordially as possible. And this we nov
do. Welcome, welcome, to the Pioneer! Al
a man whose sister has strayed away from
the paths of virtue and rectitude, but who
repentantly returns, and desires forgiveness
as man, we say, forgives such sister-st
we forgive and receive to our embraces the
Pioneer and Democrat. Dear and lovely
sister, do try your best to walk straight il