The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-12-26
I1SO19l 1S2ls 1904 1esas 1881 49, goo 18o3
The Election of United States Senate RS
More Recreant Republicans!

The Election of United States Senate rs
More Recreant Republicans!
AS we expected, on Saturday last in Joint
Convention of the two Houses of the Legis-
lature, HENRY NJ. RICE and JAMES SHIELDS
were elected Bogus United States Senator'S
from Minnesota; but as we did not expect,
and are mortified to record, four Republicans
had so little regard for their principles Or
their constituents, as to give their votes to
Mr.. RICE, against JUDGE DAVID COOPER, the
regular Republican candidate duly nomina-
ted in previous caucus
Those Republican members, who thus
flew the track, were Messrs. CAMPBELL of
Washington WAKEFIELD of Faribault Co.,
and WALKER and TOWNSEND of st. Anthony
In regard to Mr.. CAMpBELL's course, our
chargin is the greater, because a personal
friendship existing between US of long stand
ing, renders US 10th to indulge in public CEN
sure upon his actions. But duty to the Re-
publican party of Minnesota will not permit
such ties even to close our lips from chaacteriz-
Ing his con luct, as violation of instructions
from his constituents and a sacrifice of
the Republican principles which he protested
when he was elected; and though by this
vote, he may remoue postmaster() or get
postmaster appointedC) through Mr.. RIcE's
influence; we doubt whether the pay will
compensate him for the lost respect of his
constituents and of the. sanction of his own
conscience thus offered up on the altar of
Democracy and Slavery.
AS to Mr.. WAKEFIELD of Faribault coun-
ty, he is the last man on the Republican side
of the Convention, who ought to have given
such a traitorous vote! But only two or
three weeks ago, he obtained the Republic
can caucus nomination for Speaker of the
House, and when the election for that office
took place, Notwithstanding every body knew
Mr.. WAKEFIELD's success was hopeless, yet
the whole Republican strength of the House
marched up in solid column, and Though
there were some inducements to pursue a
contrary course) bestowed upon him the
compliment of the united Republican vote !!
And now they have their reward for it, in his
voting for a pro- Slavery Democrat for United
States Senate-voting in fact, for the most
willy and insidious foe Republicanism has to
encounter in Minnesota.
And Messrs. WALKER and TowNsEND
also choose to cover themselves with glory
or something else-by showing that they pre-
ferrcd Democrat in the U. S. Senate to
Republican
THAT they, above all men, should 60 for
HENRY M. RICE is amongst the astonishing
things of the day! This gentlcman's ma
chinations, it snotorious, was the handspring
of the violent opposition they encountered
in being elected. 1t was his arrangement,
that started Mr. "Rumbars" Irish Railroad in
the St. Anthony districta few days before the
election because his friends were in nomna-
ton for the Legislature there, and wherever
that was the case no desperation was spared
to ensure success. St. Anthony and Wash
ington county were peculiarly RIcE's battle
grounds !; and in these districts the Republ-
cans had to battle with RICE's money, as
we'll as with R1cEs characteristic recklessness
which stops at no rascality to achieve his OBJ
ject. Yet 10 and behold members from
these districts, whom he tried in vain to de-
feat, walk up, lamb-like in their forgiveness,
and fulfil the scriptural injunction of helping
their enemy!
Whip us all such Republicans Better the
Republican party should remain in minori-
ty forever than rely upon weak, untempered
mortar like they are, to aid in the construc-
ton of the edifice of freedom.
And then, too, the happy choice and
discrimination these four men displayed in
voting for different candidates on the score
of their respective ability and capacity I! To
say the least, Judge COOPER was the equal in
these qualifications of any man who was run
for the office of U. S. Senator. on Saturday
last. Next to Mr.. RICE, he is longest cit
izen Of the territory-he is man of correct
habits-a gentleman of cultivated manners
and address, lawyer in high and extensive
practice-and withal 8 thorough Republican,
who by his ability as writer and speaker,
with his varied information, deep reading, and
comprehensive vie avs ,-with his statesman
tike mould and form of mind-was pre-emi-
nently pointed out as proper man to rep
resent with credit to himself and glory to our
State Minnesota on the floor of the United
States, where in the battle of the giants, he
would, we feel assured, have shown himself
no pigmy in the fight! His statesman-like
speech on the bred Scott decision, during the
late election contest, is yet fresh in the recol-
lection of many and its style and manner
and the cogeney of its argument, convinced
every man who heard it, that DAVID COOPER
would not come out worsted in any encounter
with even the most reputed and ablest of the
Democratic apologists for that despotic de-
cree of Slavery.
But, the future we feel confident will repair
the injustice of the present and the United
States Senate may yet be graced by the old
school gentlemanliness and old school abili.
ty of DAVID COOPER!
1t rejoices us, however, that at least HENRY
D. HUFF, of Winona, received the united
vote of the Republican members. Being the
nominee of the caucus, and the candidate OF
the party, this was eminently proper and
we know if elected, though but recently one
of us, no man would have been stauncher to
the great cause of human freedom, than HEN
RY D. HUFF.