The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-04-10

Gen. Shields Opinion of Lecom.pton-
"A Great Wrong-An Outrage upoy
Justice and q Disgrace to the North,
1t is with extreme pleasure that we ar
permitted to make the following; extrac
from private letter from General SHIELDS
our other Senator in Congress to a friend i,
his OVID county of Rice, on the su biect of tn
Lecompton Constitution being 70 reed by tin
General Government upon the, people o
Kansas, against their undoubted and clearl,
expressed opposition. The letter reads a
follows:
WASHINGTON, March o. 1s5s
DEAR SIR Lecoulpton is in DANCE
in the House, but fear still that the speciac oravt
the patronage OF the Administration, will pass it. w
will soon see 1t is a GREAT wRosa-an OUTRAGE upol
JusrICE-and DISGRACE TO THE NORTH"
NO one will accuse us of partialitv to-
wards General SHIELDS but we must saw
that he is the only representative of the PEG
pie of Minnesota now in Washington, who is
really representative of their sentiments
and that we thank him in their name for the
honest and independent stand which he has
taken on this great measure.
While his colleague RICE, and the othe,
three Representatives have bowed the knee
to Baar-proved traitors to the rstprinciples
OF popular government, as we'll as those pro-
fessed by themselves when they were elected
he has resisted the Establishments of power:
and preserved his integrity.
The " specific grauity of the patronage of the
administration" was as we understand bv a
gentleman direct from Washington, offered
for his acceptance, as the price of his princi
pies, even before RIcE's feeble honesty was
subjected to the weighty temptation, and sue
cumoed under the pressure
But Gen. SHIELDS spurned the offer, declar-
ing that che had yielded once to the REQUIRE
ments of Presidential power ION the Kansas
Nebraska act] against his better judgment,
but he should not do so again.
The reports circulated awhile back through
the newspapers, that Gen. SHIELDS was also
subservient to the dminisiration-was also
its spaniel as we'll as RIcE-were ISLANDERS
got up by the friendS of that cunning and
dishonest politician to injure General SHIELDS,
and break his own fall from grace by claim
ing that he had Senator SHIELDS for COM
pany.
Inc General however as we learn, has ne
yer wavered in his position from the first.
We are assured, moreover, that if Mr..
SHIELDS policy had been ooncurred in by
Mr.. RICE at the start, that is, to both boldly
present their credentials and demand to be
sworn in, that in all probability the demap d
would have been complied with.
But RICE is jealous of his colleaeue's 81.
perior position on the score of integrity and
high principle, and even intrigued to defeat
bis application for his seat when he did pre-
Sent it
AS for our honorable" Senator who has
embarked in the old Buchanan s'Sbin of
State we learn that his position at Wash
ington is anything but respectable. Douc-
LAS does not hesitate to characterize him as
"a id scoundrel."
Many southern men whom he Unveiled
into speculations which are turning out bad
ly for them, though not for him, do not
mince words in speaking of him; and the
general impression about him in the federal
city is, that conveyed by the Saxon des-
cription which the Little Giant bestowed up.
on him!
Alter the extract we have given above,
there is no installing the ground occupied by
Gen. SHIELDS on the question of the day.
The letter in which it was contained, was
written before the defeat of Lecompton in
the House was by any means an event certain
to occur. We direct attention, also, to Gen.
SHIELDS language. 1t is a text-a battle
cry. 'It is Che says) great wrong-an out
rage upon justice-and disgrace to the
North"
Well said, Mr.. SHIELDS! We forgive YOU
your Nationality for those just and gallant
words. No matter where you were born, you
belong to the brotherhood Of right.