The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-15
Showing that tho Old Fashions are
the Best--Exposing a Reasonable
Scheme to Make Minnesota a Crown
Colony Of Great Britajn.-Wtth a
Drop of Chicago Weather.


very pleasant topics to theorize upon, but
they do not always hold good in practice.
For instance, so long as we stuck to the old
fashioned way of travelling, by BURBANKs
stage coaches, we got along we'll enough
but the moment we entered one of those
new~faDgled arrangements that runs on
rails, and is propelled by steam, we found
ourselves in difficulty. A smash'up, days
detention, an amount of profanity that weeks
of penance will not atone for, are only
part of the matters justly chargeable against
the system of railroads facts which should
be brought to the immediate notice of the
Legislature, as inducements against per-
hitting such innovations to take root in the
virgin soil of Minnesota.
In these uncertain times, when the revo-
lutionary spirit pervades everything, and
intrigues and coDspiracies seem the natural
vocation of everybody, it behooves all
patriots to keep their eyes wide open, and
turned in every direction, all the time. 10
seasons of peace and quiet, general con-
fdence may be merit; but in the pres
ence of public danger, universal distrust
becomes the highest virtue. l am the more
convinced of this fact by circumstances
which have transpired on this trip. Among
the passengers down was Mr.. JAMES W.
TAYLOR. Mr.. TAYLOR has been for some
years resident of Minnesota, and has
borne among our people fair reputation.
His special repute has been gained in con-
nection with the light which be has thrown
upon the vast areas to the northwest of US,
rendering the Red River and Saskatche-
wan valleys as familiar to our people as the
fertile regions they inhabit. The amount
of time and labor bestowed by Mr.. TAYLOR
on these matters, has surprised many, but it
has for the most part been set down to the
account of sanguine, enthusiastic nature,
and never, as l believe, to his prejudice as
q citizen, or his dshonor as man. regret
the necessity which compes me to tear off
cessfully. But the truth has at last beamed
upon me, that this man is neither more nor
less than British emissary in disguise
and that, taking advantage of the disinte-
grafton of our model, ETC., Republic, and
the destruction of the noblest form Of gov>
eminent, etc, ever vouchsafed to man, etc,
he is at this moment engaged in traitor
Gus conspiracy to turn over free, Repuoll-
eau Minnesota to the English government,
and tie US, as crown colony, to the apron
strings OF Queen Victoria.
What excited my suspicious first, was the
fact that he gave contradictory accounts of
bis proposed destination-pretendlng to one
that he was bound for Kansas to another
that he was en- route to Washington and
50 on. Arrived at Milwaukee, however,
we encountered dozen of portly gentlemen,
bearing, all of them, unmistakable marks of
English origin and breeding. They were
registered at the NewhalI House by very
common proper names, and as haiing from
such unsuspcous places as Toronto, Ham
ilton, and the like. But the truth soon
leaked out that these persons were promi-
nently connected with the British govern
ment, and that some of them, with whom
Mr.. TAYLOR was hob-nobbing, sported titles
as long as three-tailed Bashaw. When
this fact was known, those of US who had
the honor and welfare of your young and
promising, etc., State at heart, began put
ting this and that together. We recalled
the efforts Mr.. TAYLOR had so persistently
made to innoculate..our people with extrava-
CANT estimates of the beauty and resources
of the British American districts his pro-
jects to bring about intimate social and
business relations between the people OF our
section and their; his missions to Canada
his seemingly accidental meetings and jour~
neyings with scions of the English nobility
on the Northwestern plains; his visits to,
and correspondence with, the civil and &C.
clesiastical dignitaries of the Selkirk and
other settlements; these facts, coupled with
that which was transpiring before our eyes,
convinced US that the apparently innocent,
enthusiastic gentleman, was, in reality,
traitor to Minnesota, of the deepest dye.
Having thus drawn this logical sequence
from premises which cannot be disputed, it
became, of course, a patriotic duty to ex.
pose the nefarious scheme, as l have done.
But the exposure will do little good, unless
the State government take the matter
promptly and energetically in hand. Let
Governor RAMSEY, with bis accustomed de-
cision, apply himself to the patriotic work
of nipping this newly developed treason in