The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-03-28

address of the Majority Members to the
Fe0RAe Of Minnesotar-RemovalO of the
y (From the Oronoco Courier.)
The address to the people by the majority
members of our recent Legislature, is before
us. We must be allowed the usual privilege
of commenting as our individual judgment
dictates, upon its merits and dement's. The
object of the address will appear by the
opening paragraph. "Fellow Citizens The
present unparalleled and revolutionary con-
dition of things in our recent Legislature, and
the causes which have led to these results,
are not, we presume, fully understood by
yon; and it is for the purpose of laying be-
fore you full and perfect statement of that
condition, together with the causes which have
conspired to produce it, and the means used
to bring it about, that we now address YOU"
The syntax Of this paragraph will not
stand the test of Lindley Murray; but it is
explicit III its meaning. Their constituents
are supposed to be ignorant of the causes
which produced the recent Legislative at
tempt at Capital removing, whereupon they
enter upon very special plea, to cast the re-
sponsibility Of that move and the odium at
tached, upon the people of St. Paul. That
city is charged with having labored covertly
and assiduously for such a division of the
Territory as would leave the Capital of our
future State at that place and with having
concocted the enabling bill passed by the late
Congress in such manner as to surprise and
outrage the wishes of majority of the citi-
zens of Minnesota. IF St. Paul has done this,
she has certainly been very naughty, and de-
serves spanking; and furthermore, if that
part of our Territory lying north of the 45th
parallel of latitude is such country as the
address" makes it, we are glad that we took
an early stand against the division proposed
in the enabling bill of Congress.
The address says: "One of the principal
reasons for immediate removal, was the in
t1uence it would have on the boundary line
question" We confess ourselves enlighten-
ed. We learn for the first time that this re-
moval question was secondary and incidental
to another, and was chiefly designed to give
"moral force" to the memorial to Congress
praying for an East and West, rather than
a North and South division The fact of our
Territorial Legislatures having removed the
Capital to some more westetly point than
st. Paul, it was supposed, would induce Con-
gress to give a more attentive ear to the
prayer of their memorialists.
Now, the fact is, the bill of Congress ma
king different disposal of this division mat
ter from that prayed for, was put upon its
passage in that body cctemporaneously with
if not before the removal bill in our own
Legislature. How, then, does this argument
apply? It's effects could only have been
upon the action yet to be had by Congress
upon the admission of Minnesota as State.
But would Congress be likely to look upon
this move in any serious light? 1t appears
to us that it would have been regarded as the
work of a faction. We should have been
pointed to the Organic Act, and referred to
that section which provides for the perma-
nent location of our Capital by the people,
That body would have construed this action
into intentional disregard Of the plain mean
ing of that provision and have pronounced it
factious. The moral force then would have
amounted to nothing. Much as we prefer
an east and west division, we could not have
justified the contemplated removal, at this
time, and in the face Of the common sense
construction of the Organic law of our Ter
itory, on any such ground. We condemn
the attempt, rather, for its being likely to
have neutralized the effect upon Congression-
al action which might have been looked for,
from the respectful and highly proper me-
mortal.
Next on the list of ''weghty reasons for
the removal urged in the address Is this:
The undue and corrupt influence of ST. Paul
capital and interest has hitherto controlled
the entire legislation Of our TerritOrv.'-
This argues, at least, the solcitude of these
majority gentlemen for the honesty of future
legislatures. Some Of these same members
have been participants in the legislation
which they now declare to have been con-
trolled by corrupt influences; and it is cheer
ing to such a laudable effort on their part to
place themselves and their successors be-
yond the reach of this influence, in all time
to come. Still in all seriousness we coincide
with them in the opinion that seats Of GOV
eminent should be located in other places
than in commercial and moneyed metropo-
Uses. But the construction we put upon the
Organic act, is that the people shall have the
work Of locating the Capital and the people
protest against any attempt to forestall their
wishes. When you, gentlemen of the Ma
jority, were sent to st. Paul as our Repre-
sentatives, you were instructed not to enter
upon crusade against that city. You did
so on your own responsibility, and we, your
principals, charge you with having superero-
gated your agency. We expected soon to
enter upon the dignity and manhood of soy
ereignty; and then if we should choose to
return you to our Slate Legislature, or 9TH
ers as frail as yourselves, we designed to look
at it ourselves, that sufficient barriers be
placed between you and the locality of the
corrupt influences you so much fear. ''
The Address says of St. Peter, &c so forci-
bio were the reasons in favor of that point,
that for some time past it has been under
stood by common consent that it was ulti-
matcly to be the Capital" Don't know
about that. There may be many, perhaps a
majority of the Minnesota voters, who would
prefer that place to any others. But it is
only perhaps. And then if so many railroads
are destined to centre at that point, we can
not see for the life of us why st. Peter may
not become moneyed metropolis" with
its corrupt influences" Our apprehension
is heightened by the bounty which that city
offers for and in consideration of the CAPITAL.
Twenty thousand dollars and ten acres of
land in the centre of town-site is no mean
sum /; and its being offered by the St. Peter
Company shows that their faith is not great
in this g common consent" mentioned.
1t is safe rule, and one which we parti-
cularly commend to your case, gentlemen of
the majority, to distrust any interest which