The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-23
" Division Of the Territory"

"Dlvisisn Of the Territory.'
Under this head, the Pioneer and Demo
crat of yesterday, has an article favor'ng Mr.
Rolette's memorial now before the Council,
proposing to divide the Territory by an east
and west line from the st. Croix to the
Missouri, upon latitude As deg. 10 min. Our
neighbors do not fully endorse Mr.. Rolette's
line, but they say: Although we may not
be satisfied with the exact line selected by
Mr.. Rolettee, we most heartily concur in the
necessity for division of the Territory on
line running due east and west, and believe
that under ne circumstances, should the line
extend beyond the 46th parallel" As a
compromise, however, the editors "would
be well satisfied with the line of As 3d."
which would cross the Mississippi at point
near Sank Rapids-the Rolette line crossing
in the vicinity of the mouth of Grow River,
only ten minutes of latitude above St. An
thony.
The Pioneer then proceeds to adduce sun
dry superficial reasons why the Territory
should be divided at this time, and why it
should especially be divided by an east and
west line.
We dissent to both propositions in toto.
We do not believe that ten voters in the
Territory at the time the present Legisla-
ture was elected, dreamed that the question
of division would be preached, much less
agitated, this session. Some few restless
politicians may have been looking ahead to
the springing Of such question but that
the people, or those they have chosen to re-
present them here this winter, had any idea
that the measure would come up, we utterly
deny. The whole thing is premature, and
uncalled for by the citizens of the Territory.
And even if such were not the fact, it is too
late in the session to bring forward and
properly mature measure of such immense
magnitude and importance-one which in
wolves the destiny and welfare of not only
the present population of Minnesota, but
their children and their children's children
in all time to come.
Then, in the second place-i we must
express an opinion upon this subject at this
early day-we are opposed to any east and
west line Of division whatever. We have
the elements here to make Minnesota one
Of the greatest States of the Union, if they
be only properly combined in the division of
the Territory. Give us north and south
line; let us combine within our State Dor
ders the three great resources of Agricul-
ture, Lumber and Mineral let us have the
great harbor on Lake Superior, and the Mis-
sissippi with all it's tributaries, for the pur-
poses of commerce, and you make a State at
once great and powerful. We would not
wish, however, to be understood, in advo-
eating this north and south line, to be in
favor of cutting off the new western Terri
tory, or Territories, from retaining within
their limits the whole of the valley of the
Red River of the North, and that portion of
the Missouri Valley which is embraced
within Minnesota at this time. Our line
gives US State of less extent than Illinois,
including in the measurement the immense
expanse of water which lies within our
boundaries.
And again: Why does Mr. Rolette and
the Pioneer wish the State of Minnesota re-
stricted to less than two degrees of latitude
in width, while the State which is eventually
to be erected north of us, would have nearly
four degrees? There can be certainly no
justice in this, even were an east and west
line to be agreed upon.
We shall recur to this subject again?