The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-20
Or the following extract from letter re
,eived from Ohio:

experience In Minnesota, and be ready return. We
learn that twentythree children have frozen to
death in Minnesota during the present winter.
Who is there can believe that such reports
originate in anything but the most fraudu-
lent and corrupt motives. Our winter has
been remarkably mild and open-there has
been no continuous sleighing, the snow bare
ly covering the ground for day or two at a
time, and the Mississippi River so little fro
zen as to interfere materially with wood-cut-
ting and other pursuits that required solid
ice surface for hauling-and yet in the face of
all these facts, triumphantly trumpeted
through the columns of every journal in the
Territory, the Eastern press continues free
zing and starving us with wonderful pertin-
acity. Can we believe otherwise than that the
"wishis father to the thought"
Or does any man here under rate the po-
tent influence of the sovereign Instrumental
Press, now welded against us ? Does any
man doubt that the universal diffusion broad
cast over the land of their ISLANDERS will turn
thousands and tens of thousands from our
doors As Shakespeare said of the players.
"Better that thou have bad epitaph after
thy death, than their ill repute while living"
We all know how sanguine we were last win
ter of an immense increase in population
during the spring of 1857, and during the
winter months certainly nothing could have
promised fairer. But at the very turn of the
season, the Eastern press alarmed at the inn
mense exodus which threatened to depopu-
late their country, joined in one tumultuous
torrent of abuse of the West, eliminating
in prophecies OF. its immediate downfall. l
need not advert to the subsequent history of
that downfall where it commenced nor how
instrumental the prophets were in bringing
about their own forebodings it is sufficient
for my purpose that the eastern press stayed
at once the expected flood and that instead of
the largest emigration that ever visited our
shores as was expected, we received perhaps
the smallest. After such lesson we should
not underrate the power of the public journals,
potent as they are for good or evil low
much we would reflect upon ourselves if
from a want of correct information, widely
disseminated, next spring the tide of en-
pire sweeps past us to find a resting place in
other localities possessing not half our ad-
vantages.
The necessity for some action at this time
is generally conceded. The discussions in
our Legislature on the Exemption Law show
the prevalence Of the feeling. 1t is still more
strikingly exhibited in the proposition of Mr..
Rehfield of the House to publish thirty thou
sand copies of a pamphlet setting forth the
advantages of Minnesota, to be distributed
by committee. There is no question as to
the necessity of some steps to counteract the
false and injurious influences at work against
u.s. The only question is as to the best means
of getting at the proposed end. As citizen
of Minnesota, with all my interests centered
within her borders, have thought good
deal on this subject. and for one l see the
great folly of sitting idly waiting for the
flood of fortune to come to our feet, while
other and rival localities are industriously
and unfairly at work dyking and daming it up
to keep it from us. We must be aroused and
doing
The means already discussed, 1 would re-
spectfully say, seem, in my judgment, insult
fcent to the end proposed. AS to the just
ness and expediency of properly modified
exemption law there can be no question, but
it does not reach the heart of the disease
1t is very desirable to those now here, but it
cannot offer sufficient temptation to overcome
the impressions already produced on the
minds of the Eastern people. An exemp-
ton law cannot greatly influence man to
emigrate into country where he has been
taught to believe he would have nothing to
exempt. Entire immunity from debt would
not people Kamschatka. The Exemption
Law may be set forth as one of the many adj
vantages our Territory possesses, but alone
it can do but little.
MI. Rehfeld's proposition is right in its
purpose, but there is one main objection to
it. Its efficacy would depend solely on the
distribution of the 10000 pamphlets, and as
to this the Legislature would have to trust
agents who might in turn trust other agents,
and the result would probably be, that many
Of them would be sent to useless localities,
and still more be left in plies in the corners
of dusty offices. Who is there, be he chief
agent or sub-agent, who will take the trouble
OF even possess the data on which to form
list of 80, 900 persons to whom to send these
pamphlets by mail--or even if such list was
prepared, what guerdon have we that one
tenth Of the persons so named would have
the slightest inclination towards emigration
of any kind, and consequently would not
trouble themse to read a voluminous
pamphlet on subject in which they had no
interest. 1t may be said. in answer, that
dividuals in the East who were known by
citizens here to be already inclined to emf
CRATE hither but here Mr.. Bacombe's ar
gument comes in, that such persons can be
much better supplied with information on
the subject from their friends here who have
interest enough in them to furnish their
names to the government agent. The great
argument, however, against the pamphlet
system is to be found in the insuffciency of
10000 pamphlets to enlighten the 25,0OO,000
of people in these States, to say nothing of
the inhabitants of Europe, on the advantages
of Minnesota. They would not be drop in
the bucket, even if distributed with the
greatest care, and this. as We think we have
shown, is matter of much doubt.
The plain and the direct mode of contro-
verting the ISLANDERS of the press is to use the
columns of the press in our defense the ref
utaton will then 60 wherever the assault has
gone. We would be as the adage has it,
taking hair Of the dog that bit u.s." But
how is this to be done? There are but two
ways, the first is by individuals the second,
! by the State ITSELF Let US take up these
modes.
The first, by individuals. To this there
are two objections. First, there are few or
no individuals who could, as times now are,
take upon themselves the expense of such adj
vertising, or who if able would feel called
upon to assume the burden of the defense of
the Commonwealth. And secondly, could
any such individuals be found, their state
ments would be looked upon by Eastern en-
igrants with suspicion and distrust, and he
would be regarded as quack or a sharper
who was practising upon the credulity of
the public.
What then remains? Here is great
community, blessed in Thousand natural ad-
vantages and resources, yet traduced and
borne down by combination of neighboring
and rival States. Here is 8 community
whose good name is banded about to the
four winds of heaven at time when she
] 1nost irnnnratiralzr moods intellinnnt