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


Frail hopes-that cheered my bosom only
When l returned she was wed, . ,... ..
And now this heart is cold and lonely.
The Boundaries Of Minnesota.
(From the Faribault Herald)
Mn. EDITOR The article which appeared
in the last issue of the Faribault Herald en-
titled "The Division of the Territory I'M
doubtedly expressed the present preferences
of a considerable portion of the people of
Southern Minnesota. You condemn the &C
ton of Congress in proposing division of
the Territory by North and South line, be-
cause YOU think that the wishes and inter-
ests of the people have been sacrificed to the
schemes of Spectators. If it were certain
that that sacrifice had been made, then no
reproaches could be too bitter for the crime.
If however, no sacrifice was made, but while
the best interests of the people were consult
ed, the prospects of certain SPECTATORS were
at the same time advanced, is it not true, as
q matter of course, that whatever may be
the incidental consequences upon the plans
and property of this or that Spectator, the
interests of the community at large are above
and before all other considerations, and the
question whether private individual is to be
enriched or impoverished entirely secondary ?
adopted, would not the effect in enhancing
the value of property be precisely the same
as if a North and South line was adopted,
with the difference, only, that one line would
put money in the pockets of one class OF spec
ulators, and the other in the pockets of an
other class 2
The objection to either line on that score,
must be the same in principle, and would
prove too much by proving that we ought to
have no line at all. Are we not driven to
the conclusion then, that the question of
boundaries is to be decided with reference to
the greatest good of the whole, for this gene
ration and for all generations to come, for our
present circumstances, and for every variety
of circumstances which time may develop =?
No matter what may be the effect upon par
ticular localities, the advantages of the whole
future State, which is the greatest attainable
advantage of all its parts, must be paramount
to every other consideration, and claims our
first and earliest attention.
You say in substance, that the majority
of the people of Minnesota are intensely OPP
posed to North and South line. 1t must
be admitted that such has been, to great
extent, the sentiment of the Southern cOun-
ties, nor has it been entirely confined to
them but it must also be admitted that the
subject has received but little investigation,
and that very many who, when it was first
preached were warm advocates of division
by an East and West line, have either chang
ed their views entirely, or look upon the
matter with comparative indifference. But
whatever may be the state of public senti-
mcnt, in order to arrive at just and wise
conclusion, with a reason for the faith which
is within him, every citizen should know the
comparative res ources, merits and dement's
of the two contemplated States. There is
some difference of opinion as to the Eastern
terminus of the line in case of an East and
West division were desirable, but for the
purposes of the argument we will assume a
line quite as favorable, and probably more
favorable than could be obtained.
One State then, proposes to embrace with
in its limits all Of that portion of the Terri
tory lying south of line commencing at
Croix River, 80 or so miles North of St.
Paul, thence running due West to the Mis-
souri, River. The other State contains all
that portion of the Territory lying East of
the Red River of the North, and of line
drawn due South, from the outlet of Big
Stone Lake (Which is short distance to the
East of the general course of the Red River, }
to the Northern line of Iowa. This is SUBJ
stantially the State proposed in the Act of
Congress recently passed. 1t has been said
that division in accordance with the prop
osition of Congress wouldlgive US a long,
crooked, unshapely State. Let us look at
the map. The extreme length of the Terri
tory from North to South appears to extend
through 81 degrees of latitude from AZ deg.
30 M, the Northern line of Iowa, to 40 deg,
the Southern limit of the British Posses
sions. The extreme length from North to
South would then be about 375 miles. AS
the line falls South upon the Eastern side of
the Territory the average length could not
exceed $40 or $50 miles. The mean width,
to the Red River of the North, reckoning
the degree of longitude at As miles in the
latitude of 46, would not be far from 22O
miles. The area, then, of the State proposed
by Congress may be- estimated in round
numbers at $4,000 square miles.
1t is unnecessary to give the proportions
of the different States of the Union to prove
that in point of shape and compactness,
Minnesota, as bounded by Congress would
possess decided advantage. The map will
establish this fact with more force and con-
clusiveness than it can be established by fig
ures. Compare with our neighbor Wiscon-
sin, with Michigan, Illinois, New York, any
of the New England States, with Virginia,
Kentucky and Tennessee. In fact there are
but two or three States in the Union supe-
rior in point of fitness of proportions, to
Minnesota, as it would be with North and
South division. Our Western line runs al
most due North and South, our Southern
line East and West, our Northern line is
made up of two general courses, the angle
OF which favors our 1compactness and does
not by any means give an irregular bounda-
ry; and while our Eastern line is far from
straight, the comparatively small extent of
country running Eastward on the North
shore of Lake Superior and in the South
Eastern portion of the Territory cannot es-
sentially desract from the general regularity
of our outline. -
Mark out now the East and; West division.
and try that too by the map. We find on
the North straight line, on the South, while
we have line straight in part, we have also
an isolated projection running below the
boundary of lows, between the Big Sionx
\ Al