The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-01-13
An Attempt to Introduce Slavery into
Minnesota.

The bill in the House introduced by Mr..
Sweet of Sank Rapids. and supported so We.
hemently by Col. Robertson, of st. Paul, to in
sidiously permit slavery in Minnesota, was
yesterday voted down by 81 to IL; Our repor-
ter has not given the names of the IL Democrats
who voted for the atrOcious proposition. We
must obtain them, however, and let our read.
ers see hereafter the dozen Democrats who
sought to vote slavery into Minnesota. There
is no doubt about two of them, Geo. w. Sweet
of liberty and humanity -Minnesotian.
The bill introduced by Mr.. SWEET was
simply intended to discourage the emigra-
ton of free negroes into the State of Min
nesota. Although there may be no present
necessity for such measure, yet it is not
improbable that such necessity will arise in
the future.
The aggressions of the Black Republican
party upon the South-the enunciation of
the irrepressible conflict theory by Sew
ARD-JoHN BRowN's foray-and the fact
that sixty-eight Republican members of
Congress have united in recommending the
secret and gratuitous circulation of HELP.
ER's reasonable book in the Southern
States, have induced almost every Slave
State to initiate measures having in view
the removal of the free negroes resident
be done by colonization in Africa, or by
driving them into the free States. The ex-
ecution of the first project, if not impossible,
is undoubtedly improbable, so long as the
free States afford a convenient substitute,
and we may therefore expect within few
years, an exodus into the northern and
particularly into the western States, of a
quarter of million of free negroes. 1t
cannot be doubted that this population will
prove an incubus upon any community
where it is located. Look at the condition
of the free negro population of the north, if
evidence is required of the truth of this pro-
position. They are found congregated in
the purlieus of our great cities-denied all
political privileges, and condemned, as out
casts, to crime, beggary and starvation. 1t
is to prevent just such state of things in
Minnesota, that Mr.. SWEETS bill was origi
mated. If the South desire to drive away
their free negroes, let other asylums be
sought for them than this State. The free
negro population of the north numbers about
100000, and a mere worthless class-one
less capable of bene6tting either itself or
the community, unless compelled to labor
does not exist on the continent.
The Republicans Of Minnesota should be
the last to object to Mr.. SWEETS pruden-
tial measure. In the Constitutional Con.
vention they almost unanimously voted that
negroes have no rights which white men
are bound to respectfully declared he was
subject to taxation without representation,
and that he was bound to obey laws which
he had no voice in making.
We presume when our State shall have
become an asylum for the reception of thou
sands of vagabond negroes, driven from the
South, our Republican friends will change
their policy, and as they have done in other
northern States, elevate the negro to a posi-
ton of political equality with the white man.