The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-02-28
To the Hon. Warren J. Howell, Menu
Der of the House Of Representatives
from the County of Fillmore

To the Hon. Warren J. Howell, Menu
Der of the House Of Representatives
from the County of Fillmore
SIR: Just at this moment, (Which is ten
O'Clock, A. NJ, on Saturday, February 2l,)
the person alluded to as the editor of the
Minnesotian in your decent letter published
in the Times of sad Saturday morning, has
finished perusing that document. He an
swers you from sick room at his residence;
but the exigencies of the times" seem to
require that he answer you at once, if at all.
About what the Mnnesotian has said in
regard to improper means being used by the
St. Peter Company to procure the removal
of the Capital, why, friend Howell, that has
been said, and it can't be unsaid, just yet
The writer of that article and this expects to
be called before the Investigating Commit
tee, and answer, under the pains and penal
ties of perjury, all that he has declared he
personally knows upon the subject; and per-
haps some things in regard to this matter
which have not yet been divulged. Hyou
will only keep your neither garment on un-
til you read our testimony, you will see how
far you will be implicated thereby.
But really, after conversation had with
you three weeks since, upon the great fun
damental principles of the Republican party,
We came to the conclusion that there was no
need of buying you, even if purchasable, on
this or any other rank "squatter sovereign
ty" measure that may be called for by that
prince Of squatter sovereigns" Gov. w. A.
German. And here we must do the Cover
nor the justice to say, that i'll repeated con-
versations with him on this Capital moving
question, We could never induce him to say
he would or would not sign the bill. But
most of us believe he will. We have never
known his most intimate friends to claim
that he was a match in political virtue for
the elder Brutus, or even the younger OF
that name. To resume directly: You and
the Governor, so far as we understood you,
claim that the people of the Territories have
right to fix their State boundaries, and to
take any portion of the national domain
within the bounds of your State-more or
less-any action of Congress to the contra
ry notwithstanding. You, claiming the right
to thus fillibuster upon the territory of the
whole nation, why have you not an equal
right to repeal the Organic Act, as you voted
to do, and remove the Capital from St. Paul
wi,ho@ submitting the location to cote of The
people ?
While, therefore, sailing under Republican
colors, it appears to be your policy to adopt
in full the Missouri "border ruffian" doc
trine, whenever it best suits your ends. You
are certainly, friend Howell, one of those
dead-head" Republican members, whom
the "squatter sovereigns +" of the St. Peter
Company have taken aboard their boat; and
your hat being chalked by them for your
passage up the Minnesota river, 1--WE do moi
say they paid you forgoing) you have no fur
Their claims upon the supporters and uphold
ers of the true principles of the party. 70,
were nominated, supported and elected as ,
Republican; but you are about to get thro
the session with a tail to your principles,
Republican Of the Squatter Sovereignty school
Entertaining this view of your action an,
principles, We disclaim any right on your par
, to call us to account in regard to what tn
effect Of our structures upon your action viii
have upon the future welfare of t he party
If We remain an exponent of its principles
in our present or any other capacity, it mus
be purged of all heretics who denounce an
deny the great leading principle upon whic]
it was founded: Supreme Congressions
power and control over the Territories, a
authorized by the Constitution of tlae Unite
States. There can never be any sympath
between Gov. Germans views and our view
on this subject; and those who choose t