The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-07-14

ns AHeslsslPP1 VALLEY.
The 0caAs NeeA Isf d. Paul-rA.,.
Consa4srassens for Her Merchanss
ana Business Men-CasA lAieas for
Every Mechanic and LabOrlne man.
The powerful and convincing array of facts
and reflections on the material interests Of the
Mississippi Valley set forth in the speech Of
Hon. John Hogan. before the Board of Trade
Qor which we thank him on behalf of
the entire city) viii be worth hundreds
of thousands of dollars to our people If
acted upon with the enterprise, intelligence
and zeal which the importance of the subject
| demands
Those facts and reflections show that eyerv
man in this city and State is paying annually
out of his earnings higher taxes in the way of
high prices for all that he buys than all his
taxes to the city, county, State or Federal
Governments combined. Those high prices
are made necessary on account of the hiph
freights charged upon all we import by railroad
and all we export by railroad. Railroad
freights thus, like candle burning at both
eads, have wasted away our substance and
made Us mere vassals to our Eastern masters.
whose manufactures protected by tariff
which we the consumers have to pay, are borne
to Us on railroads also owned and monopol lied
| by them-whose combinations for four years
past to take advantage of the embargo of the
Mississippi, have enabled them to raise their
freighs to such unwarrantable figures that the
West has pinned and dwindled under the incu-
bus, while they have grown fat and coined for
tunes out of our Necessities. While the war
lasted we had no remedy, for the river was
| closed.
We were bleeding to death ON the battle
field where our men were sent by the most
merciless conscription, and our plows left in
the furrow to rust and consume, while weeds
foorkhed in the place of waving grain. Mas
sachusetts In the meantime boosted that she
was serving the cause better by keeping her
men at home to labor. while the IS per cent div
Mends on her manufactures levied upon our
necessities enabled her to buy sa5st;tutes from
| the West, from the South, and by ship loads
from Europe.
We were bleeding to death at home by low
prices on all that we sold, and high prices on
al that Ve bought to pay the freight and
tariffs on these manufactures to free Massa-
chusetts from the draft and enrich the other
Eastern States. But we had to sit still and
bear the cross-for those who were coming
our hearts blood into base drachms had only
to aaunt the stars and stripes over our heads
| to command silence and make mum the
| only "loyal" word left for free white men. If
| we spoke Of war to the knife and knife to
the hilt for the Union under the Crittenden re-
solution, and an honorable peace under this
policy we were branded as "copperheadAn
and told that the war must stiu go on for
purpose beyond this and peace not thought Of
the Mississippi must still remain closed, and
Minnesota and the West still dragged as bleed
Ing victims to the Juggernaut car of the -four
ishing and wealthy East, until "ssausya was
abandoned the cause of the war removed"
and the East sufficiently fattened on our car
ca1 and the carcass of q Polandized South to
rest upon Its laurels and transmit the seeptre
Of Its power to the children of the Mayfower
to the latest generation.
But contrary to their wishes, we actually
have peace and q restored Union of IStotes-not
. Polandized territory of conquered serfa, ruled
over by military satzaps of Puritan preju-
dice and vindictiveuess, with negro voters the
ruling element to humiliate and tyrannize over
the disfranchised and suffering whites, and
swarms of placemen and tax gatherers sent
from other States TO pick the bones Of the con-
quered people, and lengthen out the profits of
the war into lingering sweetness, long after
peace was ccomplished-while the blockade
of the Mississippi should still be maintained
and trade and traffic between the West an d the
South only allowed under such restrictions as
would make the '.Mayfower" the only licensed
packet to plough its free waters, and the
"loyal" children of the Mayhower the only
traders whose permits would enable them
TO buy cotton work contrabands under Banks
four dollars per month system of 4" freedom"
and carry our produce to the South at MAY
flower rates.
We actually have peace and free river to
the gulf The negroes are free and 90 are we.
We are no longer bound to pay tribute to rail-
| road mon0polies, for Richmond IL not only
"ours, but the Father of Waters Is "ours."
And this grand highway, built, not with bonds
shaved by Eastern men for the purpose Of
again shaving Western men, but by the dews
of Gods goodness distilling and ferti'izing our
fields, blending their pearl drops of mercy and
their nvulets Of love into lakes and minor
streams, finally celebrating the completion of
| the great national road by the laundering base
notes of st. Anthony's Falls mingling with the
| merier tenor Of Minnehaha-this grand high
way, now ready to be opened again, calls upon
st. Paul and Minnesota to join our rejoicfngs
with the laughing waters Of Minnehaha and the
| cataract music Of st. Anthony to swell the
grand chorus Of praise and send up shout
| that shall reach to the gulf: 10 triumphe!
! the continent Is ouB!"
No railroad that we are building b worth
the celebration when completed, that the open
| ing up Of the Mississippf calls for. A public
mas meeting to recognize and celebrate the
event and our emancipation from Eastern bon
| dage; which meeting should devise and sue.
gea prsctcable policies for appropriating the
l great ADVANTAGE If mr. nov os,flo< e. sI>S-.-