National Republican., 1878-09-06
SENATOR BLAINE IN MINNESOTA.


A want of space alone prevented us from
publishing entire Senator BLAINE's very
pleasing address at the Minnesota State Fair
at Minneapolis, on Tuesday last. A pcrusal
Of the effort develops the fact that he aimed
to please the Western farmers by q glowing
eulogy Of their country, and must have ac-
complshcd his purpose satisfactorily. He
referred to the time when, under the ad-
ministrution of JACKSON, one Delegate in
Congress represented the territory which
now forms the States of Michigan, Wiscon-
sin, Iowa, and Minnesota and portion Of
Dakota, and which now has eight Senators,
twonty-nine Representatives, and one Dele
gate. There were then but two newspapers in
the Territory; to-day there are seventy
seven dailies and more than 100 other pe-
riodicals. The population then was some
$1,000, who were regarded as adventurous
men on the outskirts of civilization now
it has great cities and population as large
as that Of the whole country in 1912; pro-
duces more breadstuffs than the whole ma
ton did in JAcKsoS's time, and contains
more wealth than was owned by the en-
tire eighteen States which divided their
electoral votes between MADISON and
CLIIToN.
Senator BLAINE gave q brief history of
the State of Minnesota, which was success
sively under the dominion of France, England,
and Spain, and then again under France
before it became part of the United
States. He reminded his audience that the
whole region around about Mime
apolis "was pawned by the Re-
gent ORLEANS in his scheme with JOHN
LAW for creating value out of moonshine,
and made, with other territory, the basis of
that vast swindle in paper money projected
by the Mississippi company, in which real
estate in Minnesota, in the undisputed pos
session Of the savage and the wild beast,
became q shadowy foundation in Paris \
hundred and sixty years ago, of far
greater monetary credit than it could have
to-day in the same financial market, with
all its improvements and its great intrinsic
value When France transferred her
western possessions to the United States
she required fifteen million Of gold dollars.
Eighty years before that time JOHN LAW
and his speculative partner, the Duke of
Orleans, had made the same possessions the
basis for an issue Of paper money amount-
ing to nearly three thousand million OF
francs. In referring to this fact Senator
BLAINE quietly remarked:
Some reflections are naturally suggested by
these facts, which would perhaps not be en-.
tircly pertinent to an address before an agri.
, cultural society. | may be parhoned, however, r,
for the inference that the resources of a
e great country do not afford sound and So
: cure basis for an enlarged paper currency.
: Since becoming part OF the United States
there have been rapid changes in the govern.
mcnt of Minnesota. During the revolutionary
! struggle Governor THOMAS JEFFERSON. of Nir-
G ginia claimed the eastern half Of the Terri
tory as belonging to his State; then It was part
of the Northwest Territory; then successfully
of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, aud Wisconsin.
The western part Of the State was successivey
part of the Territories of Louisiana, Missouri,
and Iowa, until in lsi0, the Territory of Min.
{ nesots was formed. And that seems but yes
, terday; yet the sowing Of the next crop will
:. mark full rounded thirty years since the or
;, ganc act was passed by Congress and President
+ ZACHARY TAYLOR appointed ALEXANDER
g RAMSEY first Governor of the new Territory.
In discussing the agricultural character OF
the State Senator BLAINE referred to the
:, freedom of the people from the business de-
: preston which for five years had weighed
down the trade, commerce, and manuiac-
;, lures OF the country. He then spoke clio.
: quently OF the many advantages that attend
the farmers life. lie then eloquently and
/, fOrcibly added:
While thousands elsewhere have lacked EN-.
II ployment, aud many fear have lacked bread
l. no ablc.bodied man in Minnesota has been
l. without remunerative labor, aud no one has
. gone to bed hungry. Your pursuits and tn ell
results form the basis OF the ideal republic, hap
&c PLY indeed realized within your own borders
10 The tendency Of all your industry is toward
an the accumulation OF independent competency
and does not favor the upbuilding Of colosst
Is fortunes. You are dealing daily with the es
l. sential things of lie, and are not warped ir
a. your judgment, nor DETECTED from your cours,
by speculative aud ilusory schemes of ad
i vancement and gain. You are land owners
1t free holders, a proud title that comes to u
E. through centuries Of civilization and strength
=, "a title that every man IN this country shoult
J" make it his object to acquire and to honor
SeIf.governmeut among the owners of the sol
% in America Is an instinct, and where tina
y ownership is widely distributed, goo,
At government is the rule. Whatever dis
turbances, therefore. may threaten the pesc,
d aid order of society, whatever wilt
theories transplanted from other climes, may
d seek foothold here, the republic of the Unitet
&c States rests securely on that basis of agrcu
IN ture where the farmers of the Revolution ans
-, the farmers Of the Constitution placed 1t. Tn,
,' man who possesses broad acres, which ho ha
n earned by the sweat OF his own brow, Is not ap
IN to fall in with the doctrine of the Communist
m that no one has right to ownership in tn
," soil the man who has the product OF his labo
= In wheat and iu corn, In pork and IN beef, il
ID hides aud in wOOl-cOmmanding gold aud sil
al ver US they always have and always will II
: the markets OF the worlds not to be lc,
VI astray with theories Of fiat paper aud absOlut
lc money, but instinctivcly consigns such will,
IS vagaries to the appropriate domain Of llat foil
h., and absolute nonsense.
' The farmers of the Republic will control it
or destiny. Agriculture, commerce, and manu-
is factures are the three pursuits that enrich
re nation but the greatest Of these is agricultur,
for without its products the spindle Canno
/" turn and the ship will not sail Agricultur
rs furnishes the conservative element in society
III and IN the end Is the guiding, restraining, con
- trolling force in government. Against storm
'u Of popular fury against frenzied madness tina
Ie seeks collision with established order; agains
H. thGOriC, OF administration that have drenche