Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-05-24
SATURDAY, MAY II, lS5t
THE CONPIRACY!


HOW GREAT-LITTLE MEN BECOME GREAT
IN THEIR OWN ESTIMATION:
Yesterday We stated, that at the time we had
concluded to start Daily Paper in this city, (at
that time there were but three Weeklies, viz -
the Pioneer, Democrat and Minnesotian,) we be-
came acquainted with Willis A. German, who, as
we have since learned, was sent to Minnesota to
occupy the Gubernatorial Chair, in order that he
might not disgrace his political friends at the
East, who considered his leaving a particular
blessing to their immediate locality, and conse-
gently most earnestly urged his appointments
There was as much rejoicing in Indiana as among
the little squad of ofpoticans who suffered the said
German to walk the same streets with them.
Well; we made his acquaintance, and in the
winter of 1854, February, we think.) Printers
Festival was held, at which the said German made
speech. This was the first time we had ever
heard him, and although he possessed an exterior
dignity, stalking manner" with him, as the la
dies say, his speech was so nserspersed with vul-
garties that we refused to report it, and did not
report it, although reported and published the
speeches of others. Those who were present at
that Festival know full well to what parts of the
said Gorm2n's speech we allude. Notwithstanding
these little inaccuracies of the man. we felt dis
posed to respect him, if not for his personal quail
ifcations at least for the office he held, which
should have been filled by one who was worthy of
it, and not by an il-bred, sccond-rate, bar-room
politician. We did not come in contact again
with the said German, until we learned that be
the owner of materials for Printing Office,
the types of which had been used to print paper
in Indiana to aid his election to Congress. We
thought we might buy these materials and so we
negotiated for them. They were represented to
be in an excellent condition, but little used, and
worth some $l5O9-the said German would sell
them to on time for $500. We took writings
to this effect (for we positively did not dare to
take the mans word,) and made our arrange
mants to leave for st. Louis in the Spring, where
the materials were slowed. About this time, the
Democrat, edited by David Olmsted, which had
been the Governors organ, turned against him,
and the said German, doubtless imagining that
we were, or could be made as pliabl> as his 9TH
er tools, offered to gire (T. NJ. Newson) his of.
fee, and back us by thousand dollars, if we
would but consent that the forth coming paper
should be h,s organ, and do his dirty work.
Not liking the stripe of the pig, we summarily
refused, and so this bubbling politician, although
severely chastised by the Pioneer, finally made
that his organ; a matter of history we'll known to
persons residing in the city and Territory at that
time.
1t was but shortly after this occurrence that
Douglas introduced his Nebraska bill, and burn.
ing with indignation at the Northern traitor, and
others who were seeking to break down the Mis-
souri, Compromise, in order that they might ride.
into power, we renned article against both
the bill itself and the originator, and published
it (without the knowledge of Mr.. Brown) in the
columns of the Pioneer. The next week another
article appeared from the pen of the Editor (not
ours,) repudating the one of the week before and
taking directly opposite grounds. The furor ere.
ated at that time-over these articles, was of an
amusing character. The pompous German took
US to task, and in a labored argument of an hour,
Tin which the personal pronoun was freely used)
he endeavored to convince us that white was
black and that the moon was made of green
cheese, but he labored in vain for we opposed
the repeal of the bill then--we oppose it's repeal
now, and should we live to be a thousand wears
old, we should continue to oppose it all through
our life. We did MT hear anything further of our
being his organ after that, for he inclined to the
opinion. Ito use his own language,) that we were
"d-mn Abolitionist'' Other matters of a
too personal nature for publication occurred with
the said German during our connection with the
Pioneer, but rs We have few facts to spare, we
shall lay them aside for use when called for
Immediately after Mr.. Goodrich purchased in
to the Pioneer establishment, we issued our Pros
pectus for the DAILY TINEs-simultaneouslv ap-
Pearcd the Prospectuses of the Pioneer, Demo.
crat and Minnesotian. Nothing daunted, and be-
lieving that bold spoken paper would live, we
hastened to st. Louis to examine the type and
press purchased of German on condition that if
they suited us, We should take them, but we found
them in such a miserable state, SO much more
worn than represented to US, that we kicked them
aside in disgust, and purchased new Office at a
cost Of $1,000! We thought we knew something
of German up to this late. This transaction,
however, lowered him still one peg more in our
estimaton but he has continued to 90 lower ever
since, we shall leave him for the present, prom.
ising further and richer developments while un-
rareling an Infamous Conspiracy to cripple our
resources and crush our paper. 60.