Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-09-27
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25, 1866.
Popular Sovereignty ms applied T. minnss.,..

Popular ssvsfsisaty applied T. slinnsse.a.
In repeating tho Missouri Compromise, and
opening free territory to the damning institution
Of system that licenses barter in human flesh
and bones, the followers of Pierce, Douglas,
Buchanan, Stringfellow and Atchison claim for
the territories the Democratic doctrine of self
government, and upon this plea, and this alone,
was it expected to stultfy the senses Of the North
to human justice and strengthen their political
prospects in the affections of the Southern negro
drivers. Never was there a greater political
falsehood uttered to the world. Popular sover-
eighty in the Territories What stupendous
fraud! They never had it in their bills
they never intended it should be there--the as
sertion is lie-s cheat. One of the vlest tricks
to obtain power that ever animated in the womb
of political corruption-unheard Of in Repub-
lies and unparalleled in the most absolute despot-
isms Benedict Arnold never dreamed of worse
treason, Aaron Burr never coucocted q more
devilish scheme to establish tyranny on this con.
tinent, and all, too, under the garb of popular
sovereignty! That the people in Sour territories
should govern themselves" was tho hypocritical
cant on which the hoped and expected to ride
into power and Office. We need not ask the
reader to 60 beyond the boundaries of his own
Territory to show up the shallow pretensions Of
this new tangled theory Of the slave Democracy
"a theory Matched by slavery propagandists,
trained in corruption and fed on duplicity.
Think you, reader, If the people Of Minnesota
had voice in their own government that the
Executive Chair of the Territory would be filed
by its present unworthy incumbent? A man who
is so universally abho rred couldnever be elevated
by the voice of the people to that important post
a man whose indscretion and ignorance have to
SO great an extent involved all our cherished
schemes of Territorial improvement in ruin who
makes his official power and oath, obsequious to
his interests; whose veracity is byword and a
reproach; whose profanity stigmatizes him as a
bully and blackguard, could never, with the
sanction of the intelligent people of this Terri
tory WELD the power Of an Executive officer.
AS recreant to the interests Of the people as
has been the career Of our Executive, it yet has
q parallel in our indolent Secretary. He has
scarcely, if ever, been found at his official post.
Indeed. utterly has he disregarded the interests
grievances that he was summoned to Washing
ton, his affairs Investigated by the Administra-
ton, and he removed but owing to the fact that
no one could be found to fill the short time allot-
ted under the present Chief Executive, he was
again thrust upon us.
Even the Judges of the Territory, who were
sent here to administer justice to all, and hold
L. klck IL -. IL
under the Constitution, have assumed preroga-
tive and imposed upon our people an expense as
illegal as it is unrighteous. Notwithstanding
they have a fired salary to perform certain duties
prescribed, they have assumed tho power of At
torneys at Law by charging fee for entering
town sites. Not Judge in the Territory has a
right charge individuals for any such services,
as this is duty prescribed by law, for which he
receives salary out of the Uaited States Trea-
sury.
Our Land Officers, too, have been guilty of ex-
ercising advantages given them by their official
position to speculate in Government Lands, re-
ceiving interests in town sites as bonus for an
entry without improvements, and exhibiting par
TALLY towards moneyed men for consideration.
For the past four years, we have not had post
master who attended personally to the official du-
ties of his Office, and the present incumbent in
this city is VIGOROUSLY following out the example
of his predecessor, who was removed on the
grounds of neglect of duty.
In fine, there is scarcely an official in the Terri
tory, appointed under the popular sovereignty
policy Of the Administration, who has either done
4
general rule, they are composed of set of drunk
en-, gambling, bullying demagogues, with whom
might is right, and the power given them by their
positions exclusively used to advance the most
corrupt and depraved ends. And this is popular
sovereignty in Minnesota.