Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-09-03

Gus and constantly growing North and West
The Republican Senator's, on these grounds
appealed to the Democrats to not increase the
Rates OF Postage. If true retrenchment was
their aim, it could be better afforded by the
prevention of corrupt coal aud iron con tracts
ordered by u. b." Navy frauds, Utah Jobs.
and Extravagant Steamship Lines, than by
ievying an especial Tax upon the intelligence
and business of the Republican North. :, -l.
But the argmcnts of the Republican minor.
ity were all in vain. The Democratic Senate
amended the bill by raising the postage on
letters from three to five cents, and ON news
papers in still higher proportion. ......
The Bill as amended went back to the
House of Representatives for its concurrence.
But when 1t came up in that body. the Re-
publicans under the lead of Galusha A. Grow,
OF Pennsylvania, resisted the amendment on
the ground that it was measure for "Raising
Revenue, and as such, under the Constitu-
ton, could only originate in the House, and
not in the Senate. 5Fl g&alE s-s.y ,.a
The Postage Increase amendment was
therefore defeated by the whole mass of the
Republicans and some of the Democrats and
the bill as amended by striking out the Post
age Increase was returned to the Senate for
Its agreement to the general appropriations for
the support of the Post Office Department,
still left in the bill. =. II :
But the Democracy and Slaveocracy, still
seemingly bent on nnfairness to the North,
attained their end by different means. The
Post Ofhce Bill came up for further action in
the Senate in the last hours of the session of
congress Mr.. TOombs, the Democratic SEN
ator from Georgia, obtained the floor and kept
1t with the ayowed purpose of killing the
whole bill rather than the appropriations
should be made for the General Post Office
without the Postage Increase. -.,,..-.....
tie was allowed to speak until the session
closed the bill did not pass and so the appro-
prlatlons TOR the support of the Post Office
Department were not made.
What then? The Administration at once
declared that the expenses of the Department
must be reduced. Yet, when Retrenchment
was thus decided upon and proceeded with,
what did the People of the North and West
behold. 1t was not in the South, where the
transportation of the mails did not paw ex-
penses, that mail facilities were cut off and
post offices and post routes discontinued
No 1T was upon the Northwest the blow was
made to fall-the region where free labor was
struggling to make homes for itself by tanning
the wilderness. All along the River Missis-
sippi-all through the interior of Minnesota
our post offices were abolished or reduced in
their facilities.
Did the Democratic Party of the Northwest
protest against this insidious treatment? By
no means. Fidelity to the South demanded
the sacrifice of the North, and the Democracy
offered it up without murmur.
| Freemen of Minnesota, remember all this
at the ballot-boxes next October.
CUBA AND VAN COUvERS ISLAND.
FIFTY FOUR FORTY OR FIGHT.n
1t would be well, fellow citizens, if still
further evidence of our position, that the South
| have always been inimical to Northern growth
and the acquisition of Northern territory, is
| needed-and that the Democratic Party
North, with few exceptions, has always yield
ed IN subservency to its demands: to call your
attention to an issue once of paramount in
terest to the people Of the United States, and
| particularly to the Western States of this
Union and more particularly to Minnesota but
! now consigned to the category of things that
WERE We refer to the old question of the right
OF the people of this Union to the Country on
the North West Coast of America, extending
| from the Columbia River northward to the
Russian Possessions that great rich valua-
bic country, including the Frazer River region,
Quadra Island, VancOuver's Island, &c.;-
Every succeeding year develops more and
more plainly the great wealth, in metals, in
| coal, in soil, of this section, while in a com
nlercial point of view, Vancouver's Island is
the England of the Pacific, abounding in
| splendid harbors, filled with vast coal beds of
the utmost Importance in our age of steam,
and covered over with inexhaustible forests.
already the point of lumber supply for the
ship building of the South Pacific coast. This
region would have formed grand field for the
development of free institutions, and should.
from its commanding commercial position
| and its relations to the trade of China. japan
and the East Indies, have been knit to this
confederacy with bands of steel, Its import
ance to Minnesota alone is greater than twen-
ty Cubas.
1t was claimed by both England and the
United States. Who owned it Hear on
this point the testimony of a Democrat.
Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, in the House
OF Representatives of the United States .Janu-
ary 1916.
For one" he said, 81 never will be salts
fled with the Valley of the Columbia. nor
with 49 deg. nor with "a deg 40 min.; nor will
l be while Great Britain shall hold possession
of one acre on the Northwest Coast of Ameri-
ca. And will never agree to any arrange
ment that will recognise her right to one inch
| of soil upon the Northwest coast; and for this
single reason Great Britain never did own,
she never did have valid title to one inch
of that country. The question was only one
of dispute between Russia, Spain and the
Uuted States. England never had title to
any part of the country Our Government
has always held that England had no title to
it. In 1926, Mr. Clay, in his dispatches to
McGallatin, said. {" 1t is not conceived that
the British government can make out even
cotorabte title to any part of the Northwest
| coast" Not that she could not make out an in
| controvertable title, that she could not make
out colorado title-not a shadow of title
not SO much of shadow as would give
coloring to the transaction"
And yet, fellow citizens, with this magnifi-
cent, this important country before our peo-
pie, with clear title in our hands, with both
right and duty urging US on, the Democracy.
following the teaching of the South abandoned
it to the grasp of the English, possessing not
one title of title to it. We charge this upon
the Democracy, because it was during the ad.
ministrations of Presidents Monroe and Polk
two Democratic Presidents that this world of
wealth was yielded up. The first concession
was made during the Administration of Mr..
Munroe by the Convention of October Goth
1858, our government allowed England the
right of common possession and trading oc.
cupancy ofall that region.
Thus was the gate thrown open our gov
ernment conceding by this step, that which
England had not even shadow of title to.
What next? During the administration Of
Mr.. Polk, the question not of the temporary
possession, but OF the ownership, came up.
AT first the Administration was very brave.
The whole country became excited on the
subject The Democracy everywhere pro.
claimed that we must have up to the line Of
54 deg. 40 min. or fight for it with Great Bri-
tain! .s. -
"Ihe fact is not to be Denied" says Mr..
Buchanan, in his despatch to Mr. McLanc, of