The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-12-26
The Canvass Again !-Stiu Another

| Inc canvass Again !-Still Another
| Phase.
1t would require the labor of months to
follow up and paint in their true colors, all
the vItainies perpetrated in the last few
months to secure for Mr.. SHELLEY a certificate
Of election. But, be the sbors what it NAV.
we feel it to be our duty as a faithful public
Journalist and chronicler Of passing events to
ferrit out and lay before our readers and the
public, some of the most glazing and start
ling acts in this drama of forgery and aohole.
sale corruption i!
1t would have afforded us pleasure, even in
midst of defeat, to have been able to publish
to the world the fact that Minnesota in TAX
ing her position among the family of States,
was free from stain or blot through any of
her public men and especially of those who
held the reins Of power when she threw off
her Territorial vassalage and assumed the
robes and insignia of an independent, sover-
eign State.
We say, we would have been glad to do
this-glad of the opportunity of doing SO,
even though the first steps of her infancy
should have been guided by our political enc
mics, had they attained the right to guide
them by fair and honorable means.
In this we have been disappointed-both
her eTI and entire are marked by series of
FRAUDS and FoRGERIEs, of the like of which,
the history Of the world, furnishes no paral-
lei.
We sincerely regret this The evils which
this state of things have inaugurated will be
felt for years to come.
Our progress will be checked-our young
ambition bridled- our energies cramped, Grip
pied and subdued.
1t will effect, yes, destroy, our reputation,
our political, financial and social position, at
home and abroad. It is a stain upon our
hitherto fair name-a blight and curse up
on our young existence.
Our public credit will become an empty
sound-a myth.
Our public securities, without the aid of
which the machinery of government cannot
be carried on, we will be unable to negotiate:
they will be worthless.
For who will invest their capital in secu-
rites of, or extend credit to, government in
the hands of men who have stopped at no
outrage-men who hold the chief places in
the government through frauds, .toryeries and
peyuries, and who hold them knoaoing that
they were secured to them through these in
famous means
These are solemn truths for the people to
digest; and will prove to them that this is
not battle for the spols of Office, and as an
evidence of the only too certain realization of
all we have stated, we need but point to the
history of Wisconsin under the dynasty of
BARsTow and the "Forty Thieves
Before the unfortunate advent of these bad
men, the public credit of the State of Wis
cansin ranked with that of any of the States
of the Union, and her public SECURITIES were
quoted as "a No. l" in the money market of
| the East. But what was the result of that
advent? and the subsequent attempt to
fost BARsTow upon her people, as their ruler,
through means akin to those, through which
Mr.. SHELLEY is placed in power iu Minnesota,
only the former were not marked by one half
the infamy of the latter
| 1t was total destruction of all confidence
in her public men-an ebbe in her securities
which reduced them to nothing-her credit
and her honor alike were sacrificed; and
when COLES BAsHFoRD finally hurled the
usurper BARsTOw from power, she stood upon
the brink of bankruptcy. And notwithstand-
ing his manly efforts for period of nearly
two years, to redeem her credit and restore
faith in her public servants, he has been I'M
able to replace her in the honorable and en-
viable position from which she was treacher-
ously cast. And as her future history will
prove, it will require many years to restore
her to her former rank
But these reflections, reflections which have
forced themselves npon us, have caused us to
wander from our text
We started out with this article for the
purpose of exposing the completely in the
frauds which have resulted in securing to Mr..
SHELLEY the certificate of election, of men in
high places, and confess that we have been
surprised at finding the facts as they are.
1t will be remembered, that Gov. MEDARY
illegally and without authority, established a
large number of election precincts in many
Of the remote and unpopulated counties. 1t
is also known that the frauds and torgeries so
literally employed and dealt in, were princi
paly confined to the precincts illegally estab-
lshed by His ExCELLENcY
1t will also be remembered, that the Board
of Canvassers, Mr.. GALBRAITH dissenting, re-
fused to go behind the cnnuasSed returns, in
making up the result of the late election!
We now call the attention of the public to
the game that was practlced in making up
these torgeries and we have the assertions of
JOHN M. CHASE. one Of the Democratic men,
bers Of the House, as evidence of what we say,
supported by the subjoined affidavit.
Mr.. CHASE and a Mr.. BRYANT were sent
to Pembina, Cass aud Todd to manage the
trick. Here it is
At the election held at Breckenridge, Mr..
CHASE and Mr.. BRYANT, experimenting, the
Clerks we're required to skip over g. S, 8 and
even numbers on the poll lists at time,
in taking the names of voters. Mr.. HUNT,
one of The Clerks, and an honorable and up
right man, not knowing their object, assent
ed. After the polls had closed, however,
| CHASE and RRyayT took noSseSsOn of tEe