The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-10-03

first StOne,'-Thc Candidates for Com
grcss I'm Southern Minnesota.
In an article from the Pioneer going the
rounds OF the country Democratic press, we
observe that JAMES M. CAvENAUGH, nomina-
ted by the Slave Democracy for Congress in
the southern District of Minnesota, is consid-
erably set up, and M. S. WILKINSON, his Re-
publican opponent, considerably set down in
the pictures, after the following style:
"NIr Cavana;.gh removed from Massachusetts, where
he noted champion of the Democracy in their
with the Know Nothngs, to Houston county, in
1854, and from thence to c. ateld in Fillmore Oounty
He a rife scholar, able lawyer, and an until ring
Democrat As public debater, he is second to man
in Minnesota; and confidently rely upon his exerons
ANAuGH has for opponent in the South, MORTON s.
WILKINSON, one of the most inconsistent and corrupt
politicians in Minnesota; man who removed from st.
Paul in desperate hunt after office; who was always
defeated in this city, running far behind his party, at
every election in which, he was a canddate.''
Seldom has the Pioneer been so happy in
its vocation of .crowding large number of
falschoods into small compass, as in the |
above extract.
1t is unjust and false to Mr.. Wilkinson,
and full of Misrepresentation, also, in regard
to Mr.. Cavanaugh. The former it depre-
cates unduly; the latter it appreciates RI
diculously.
But as his friends have thus seen fit to
"cast the first stone," perhaps we will be ex-
cused for so far indulging in personalities"
as to inquired aoho and mhat Mr.. Cavanaugh
really is.
The Pioneer is correct on one point. 1t
says, "Mr. C.removed from Massachusetts, p
and we will add another piece of information:
that he ''removed" gerry sudclenlyt
Besides being a notoI champion of the
Democracy" there, and ft one, doubtless.
this ''ripe scholar this liable lawyer 4" con-
descended to fill the large Office of village
postmaster at Holyoke. in the State afore-
sain.
Now, it may be, that in Massachusetts,
liable lawyers and ripe scholars" are reduced
to very humble shifts to make both ends
meet-that knowledge of the law, ability
and scholarship, are not appreciated-are
poorly paid, in the Bay State; and that
therefore eminent men, like Mr.. Cavanaugh,
find it necessary to beg for such small crumbs
as village postmastership, to keep from
starving.
We say, it may be so, but still it is con-
trary to the common understanding of the
world at large, on the subject
Many will believe, on the other hand, that
Mr.. Cavanaugh could not have been much
above the average of his fellow Milesians of
the green isle; and that the postmaster Of
Hoyoke could not have been so able a law
yer as to hurt him very badly, or so ripe
scholar as to know more than Tom Jefferson
did,
The circumstances under which Mr.. C.
'removed from Massachusetts" are interest
ing. 1t would seem that his combined per-
quisites from his able lawyership" and his
salary as village postmaster, did not net
enough to satisfy his ''ripe scholarship" and
so he suddenly disappeared between two
and left his numerous (?) clients, and the U.
S. Postotfice Department, to lament his un-
timely fight the former on account of the
difficulty, doubtless, of replacing his cable
services, and the latter, on account of slight
deficiency in his accounts to the tune Of
$1,000, for which amount in due time it ap-
peared, that this "untiring Democrat" was a
defaultcr to the United States government
The next appearance on the + tage of action,
of this noted champion of Democracy was at
Brownsville, in Houston county, where his
soft blarney, which the Pioneer seems to con-
slider eloquence, was made available as land
office lawyer, for which pursuit, all know, the
most able kind OF lawycrship and the ripest
kind of scholarship, are not supposed to be
eminently requisite.
When the Land Office was removed from
Brownsville to Chatfeld, in Fillmore comfy,
MIR. c. like Sambo in the song, followed ar
ter; = and in the course of human event s, he
came to St. Paul, as one of the delegates du-
ly appointed to represent the Slave Denoc-
racy of Fillmore county in the Democratic
State Convention, with instructions to support
BEEcHER GERE, our present U. S. Marshall,
as the Democratic nominee for Congress for
the Southern portion of MINES ota.
And he supported him, didn't he? Well,
he didn't. The ''untring Democrat" from
Ifolyoke managed it very cunningly. He
blarneyed around and speechifed enough to
make the Delegates believe that there was
"a second Daniel"-Webster come amongst
then,-thc very man they wanted to cope
with the dreaded Morton S. WILKINSON in
Southern Minnesota; and so,
On Mr.. C.'s intimation that "Barkis was
willin." BEEcHER GERE was gently foored
and the ''noted champion of the Democracy y
ex-Postmaster of Holyoke, and land office
lawyer of Chatfield, received the nomination
for Congress
The whole transaction was an unconsider-
edimpulse up IN the part of the delegates, but
the result of the cunningly laid and not very
honorable plans on the part of the Ex-Post-
master.
Mr.. GERE is good, clever man, of fair
abilities, and popular in his region but he
couldn't speak, and he couldn't, therefore,
come in.
In sober seriousness this nomination of
Mr.. Cavanaugh is one mot fit to have been
made"
brawling dcmagogue, with an insubstan-
tial gift ofthe CAB, his proper sphere is the
bar Of Justice court, or bar of another
kind before which latter he is reputed to be
an extensive practitioner.
The floor of Congress is the last place on
which he ought to appear, with proper re-
gard for the interests, to say nothing of the
character of our new State.
We are informed by gentlemen of high
high character, that Mr.. G.. was in Washing
ton City, during the tendency of the bill ma
king grants of land to aid in the construc-
ton of Railroads in Minnesota, and that his
habits, his manners, and his language, while
under certain spirituous influences, which were
nearly constant with him, did harm to the
cause and the measures which all Minneso-