The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-03-01

adopted by the late State Convention.
Our Legislature Again at the Work of
DisuniOn and Civil War.
On the 18th, Senator WILKINSON present
ed to the Senate, a memorial signed by every
Republican member Of the Legislature of
Minnesota, to which we desire to call the
attention of the people of this State. al.
though it is voluminous document, we
publish it to show to what length the
fanatics and ofice-seeking knaves, in our
State Legislature, have gone:
To the honorable Senate and House of Represen.
tat'res OF the United States Of America in
Congress assembled
The undersigned citizens of the State of Min.
nesOta respectfully represent to your honOra.
BILE body that several States of this Union have
rebelled against the Government of the United
States; have captured forts, arsenals, cannon,
small arms, and other property of the United
States,> to the amount and value of several
million dollars; that, within those States, citi.
zens of the free States, who have gone thither
for health, pleasure or business, relying upon
the guarantee of our national Constitution, that
"the citizens of each State shall be entitled to
all the privileges and immunities of citizens of
the several States"--are. by the score and
hundred, tarred and feathered, banished, and
many even murdered, by lawless mobs, with
out judge or jury, indictment or trial, and their
property confiscated without any process of
law; that the authorities of the States wherein
these crimes are perpetrated take no measures
to prevent or punish them, but rather encour.
age and approve them; that among those who
have been SO maltreated are citizens of Mime
sofa; that within said rebellious States the
Constitution and the laws are dead letter,
and the authority of the General Government
dehed 4; that an American vessel. bearing the
flag of the United States and in Government
employ, has been, by rebels and traitors, fired
upon, and by force prevented from entering
port OF the United States that the channels
leading into some of the ports of the United
States have been, by the authority of the re.
bellious States aforesaid, blocked up and OBJ.
structed; that cOnspiracies have been set on
foot to take possession of the capital of the
United States by an armed foe in open rebel
lion against the Government; that the naviga-
ton OF the Mississippi river has been and is
impeded and prevented by means of battery,
or batteries, planted on its shores, by authority
of one of the said rebellious states; and that
your petitioners cannot learn that the cOnstitu.
ted authorities of the Government have taken,
or are taking, efficient measures to put stop
to or punish such proceeding, or even to pre-.
vent their repetition and indefinite extension.
Your petitioners also learn that certain mea.
sures have been urged upon your honorable
body, having mainly in view the extension and
perpetuatlOn OF slavery, as means of buying
off the perpetrators of the above stated out
RACES from continuing and aggravating them
Your petitioners are convinced that such
measures will not have the desired effect and
that it is due to the integrity of our Government,
as we'll as to the law abiding citizens who
claim its protection, that the laws shall be en-.
forced, land that the Federal Constitution, the
rights of States, and the Union of the States.
shall be preserved"
Wherefore your petitioners pray that your
honorable body will place at the disposal of
the President of the United States such means,
in men and money, as may be necessary for
the purpose; and that you call upon him to
enforce the laws, to reinforce the forts threat
ened by rebels, to recapture Gf not peaceably
delivered up on demand) the forts and NUM-
tons of war of which the Government has been
robbed, to take measures to bring traitors to
trial and punishment, and, generally, to see to
it that the Republic receives no detriment at
the hands of rebels and traitors.
And your petitioners respectfully and firmly
protest against the adoption by your honorable
body of any proposition for amending the Con-
stitution, with q view to conciliate States
which are in open rebellion, or which threaten
rebellion if their demands be not compiled with,
until such States shall have returned to their
allegiance, and have withdrawn their threats of
rebellion. And especially do your petitioners
protest against the enactment of any law, or
the adoption of any proposition for amending
the Constitution, which has in view the extern
sion of human slavery. 4..,.. .t
We find in this precious petition, the
statement that "citizens of Minnesota"
have been "tarred, feathered, banished,
and many even murdered, by lawless mobs,"
and "their property coniscated without
any process of law" by the citizens, aided
by the connivance of the authorities" of
the Southern Statesl Is it not terrible,
citizens of Minnesota, that such monstrous
LIZ should be presented to Congress, at this
time, endorsed by the signature of every
! member of the Legislature of our State
There can be no excuse for it,. The petit
ton sets forth q liza wicked lie; and
those who signed it, did it either through
ignorance or Misrepresentation of its con.
tents, or willingly consented to endorse an
apparent falsehood. Of the getters up of
this petition there can be but one opinion
they should be at Saltwater, serving the
State, instead of at st. Paul. But who
are they? Let us have their namesa
The official majority Of the Hon. Henry
A. Wise for delegate to the Virginia State
Convention is IS over the Rev. Mr.. Bur-