The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-23
The Proposed Issue Of $5,OOO,OOO OF
State Bonds TO aid the Railroads..

The Proposed Issue Of $4,000, 900 o
State Bonds to aid the Railroads.
Sotidn.
DEAR SIR Permit an humble citizen t,
address you in his own plain style, and ap
peal to you as the editor of an Independent
prese to help save the State from the gul
that is surely being prepared for her by thos'
who should be the first to save, not destroy
her. A bill has already been introduced int
the Legislature of the State to alter thu
Constitution recently adopted, and permi
during the present Session the passage of 6
law authorizing the issue of from four to y6v
millions Of dollars in State Bonds to be handed
over to sundry irresponsible Rail Road Com
panies under the specious pretence and double
purpose of giving a currency to the people
and building their roads.
That you will strive to prevent the con
summation of this plausible but most infa
nous scheme, there can surely be no doub
in the mind of any one familiar with you
character and the principles that have gov
erned you, during the whole caurse of your
editorial career,-surely you will at once
denounce this damnable continuance, to lay
lasting tax and burden on the State, to re-
pair the shattered fortunes of few individ
uals-surely you will do this. So base are
the motives that control, and so desperate are
the means that will be resorted to, to carry
out these measures that every citizen how
ever humble has right to interfere and ap'
peal to the Press, to avert this fatal blow
aimed at the prosperity and honor of the
State.
Party politics. Partially for friends or any
Of those considerations that we'll may inf1u-
euce US all in the ordinary positions and af.
fairs of life appeal in vain to an Editor of a
free and honest Press who realizes as you dc
the dignity of his high position and sacred
character of his trust. That attempts are
now being made, that lans are now on foot
to destroy the credit of our State under the
specious pretence above referred to, no man
familiar with the progress of events can doubt
nor can he doubt that if these plans are al
lowed to move on to their fulfillment and
ripen to their fruits, they will stife the ia.
FAINT energies of the State, and crush a. its
very birth its high promises of future great
ness.
The people of Minnesota recently elected
a number of their citizens to frame a Con-
stitrtion for the State, and among that num-
Der was yourself.
The Constitution made by this body OF
citizens was in many respects carefully framed
and wisely guarded, and was submitted to,
and adoptnd by the people with unanim-
ity teat was high compliment to those who
had given their time and talents to the pre-
paration and adjustment of the features of
this, the organic law of the State.
This Constitution, among its wise provis-
IONS, said that the ''debts of the State shall
never, in the aggregate exceed S 25OOOO.-
When this Constitution was submitted to a
vote of the people there was no provision
adopted with more hearty good will-no
provision that more strongly evinced the wis
dom of its trainers than this one that protec-
ted the PEOPLE against the curse of public
debt.
That the people approved this feature is
shown by the unanimity with which they
adopted it.
That they approved your conduct in sup
porting this measure is shown by the gener-
al assent.
What change then, sir, has since occurred
that can call for the alteratio of this constitu-
ton thus recently drawn up by yourself and
colleagues, and confirmed and ratified by the
almost unanimous vote Of your fellow citi-
zens. Are the interested appeals of persons
or corporations to outweigh the solemn con-
victions of yourself and the other members
of the convention thus confirmed and ratified
by the general voice. What sir is there in
the history of few bankrupt Railroad COM
panies that should enttle them to WELD pow
er to alter this solemn instrument and sink
our state of decrepitude and bankruptcy as
hopeless as their own.
Can it be possible that men will seriously
ask that State with population of one
hundred and fifty thousand souls shall be tax
ed to pay interest upon four or five millions of
dollars and that thus this new and damnable
burthen shall, be added to the tax that now
discourases and Expresses them. And should
the people, chafed and tired down by the
financial distresses that have now overtaken
item in common with the people of all the
States, adopt the views and carry out the
measures Of these heartless, soulless corpora
tioDs what would be its sure result-its I'M
doubted consummation When the present
debts Of these companies were full
y paid, q blush when I learn how these
debts were incurred and the balance div-
ded am"ng these roads, which to build would
cost sixty millions of dollars, what, I ask,
will be the result? All that would remain,
all that could remain, would be this crushing
debt to knaw at the vitals of the State, and a
few miles of Railroad embankments to serve
as melancholy monuments OF the fraud and
folly Of those who designed, and the GRIMM
al indifference and neglect that did not crush
at its birth the damning policy. Avert if
you can, by your voice and pen, this solemn
and you will deserve the lasting
respect of all your fellow citizens, as you now
possess that of
AN OLD CITIZEN.
AN IMposroR ABRoAD.-We are requested