The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-02-21
TEENS or rnE
Weekly Pioneer and DensOcras
Division Of the TerrItary.


Division OF the Territory.
Mr. RoLErrE, OF the Council, has introduced
q memorial TO Congress. asking the division Of
the Territory, on the parallel Of IS deg 10 min.
from the ST. Croix TO the Missouri. Although
We may not be satisfied with the exact line Sc
lected byMr. RoLErrE, we must heartily concur
in the necessity for division Of the Territory
on line running due east and west, ard believe
that, under no circumstances, should The line
extend beyond the 4Gth parallel
As compromise, We would be well satisfied
with the line Of As degrees 80 minutes, as that
line would probably better suit the natural
formation Of the country than any other.
The necessity, however, for new Territorial
organization. is apparent to all, and we would
by no means allow any preference we may have
for any particular line, to indncc Us to oppose
u measure Of 80 much Importance TO the best
interests OF Minnesota and we hope the Leg
stature, in acting upon this question, will cast
aside local prejudices, where they may conflict
with the general good Of our entire Territory
Minnesota, at present, i equal to five and a
half degrees Of latitude, and eight degrees Of
longitude containing territory equal to four
| States the size Of Iowa, and more than equal to
Eve States the size Of Indiana. That all this
Territory shouldbe incorporated into one State,
is out Of the question. That it will eventually
be divided into four States Is highly probable
II Is therefore important that the Territory
should be now divided in such manner that
eventually, two States may be for,Ded from
hn6as6ia and Two IRON 1he Territory to BE-
set OF north.
| II may be urged that much Of the Territory
north is ia 4 region too cold and inhospitable
to he susceptible Of settlement, and that there
Is no prospect for the formation Of two States
from the northern Territory as proposed to be
divided This we hold to be untcnable, and
the progress OF settlements in the Territory
north west Of the Ohio demonstrates the falla.
cy OF such reasoning.
tits within our memory when the country now
forming the ilourishing States of Iowa and
Wisconsin, was deemed far less susceptible Of
Improvement than the northern portion OF our
Territory is now supposed to be. Experience
has shown that even far beyond our own line
In the Territory Of the IIudsons Bay Com.
pany, wheat Is grown in as great abundance in
comparison TO the amount Of land cultivated.
and Is much surer crop than in Wisconsin or
Illinois. Nature has provided for agriculture
in all parts of our Territory, but in the north
ern portions, other pursuits than that OF agrl-
culture will lead to rapid settlement The
mineral aud numbering interests Of the north
will ill it with a lense population within Il
very few years.
We can see no objection against, but many
good reasons IN favor Of the division Of the
Territory previous TO the formation Of State
Territorial Organization would promote the
settlement of the country which would be em-
bodied within the new Territory. The appro-
[ priatioas Tor the support of two Territorial
governments within our present limits would
he important The extent over which our act
| Elements have reached calls for a division, for
the convenience Of the people, aud good gov
ernment Of the Territory. The want Of q
unity Of interests between the Southern and
the Northern portions Of our Territory is q
subject intimately connected with DIVISION
Last, though not least, among the reasons we
shall o0cr at this time, is, that, within short
period portion of the present. Territory will
form u State constitution and unless the Ter
rtory Is previously divided, the convention for
the formation Of that constitution must be COM
posed Of representatives from large portion
Of the Territory which will not be included
within the State, representatives would parti-
cipote in the adoption ofa Constitution that
they viii have no expectation Of being sub
tectel TO, This would be Injustice to the peo-
pie Of the State,
As we before said. we will not endorse the
line proposed by Mr. RoLsrrE, bat We do not
hesitate to say that an east aud west division
Of our Territory should he made, and the line
should by no means extend north Of the 10th
parallel