Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-24
4 BIT oFR4MsEY,s E4RLY HISTORY

The GLOBE has had upon its table for
some time the following query sent it
from Wright county:
1t is stated that when Alexander Ramsey
first came to Minnesota he got gold to pay the
Indians, but exchanged that for paper and
thereby gained several thousand dollars.
Please state the amounts and oblgc,
ONE OF YOUR READERS.
Not having regarded Mr.. Ramsey as
really in public life, save as about to re-
tire with the present administration, we
have not narrowed his remains by reply,
hut as he now asks reelection to the
United States Senate 1t is appropriate to
consider the matter. Probably few of the
present residents of Minnesota are aware
that Mr. Ramsey was investigated by
Congress at an early period in his public
career, and that the result was any thing
but favorable to him.
As Governor of Minnesota he was also
Superintendent of Indian affairs. and the
alleged malefeaSance in Office occurred in
1852. The investigation took place by a
congressional committee i'm 1854. and
makes a volume of over 400 pages. The
volumes have been carefully destroyed,
until they have become very rare docu-
mcnts, SO rare that the congressional
library at Washington does not contain a
copy. AT present the GLOBE contents
itself with quoting the following extract
from page A of the report, which shows
the mysterious and still unaccounted for
disappearance of $4,000 between Wash
ington and New York:
The evidence shows that Governor Ramsey
received a draft from the treasury department
on the assistant treasurer at New York, No
3,S0S and dated October 9Th, 1852, for S593, $50,
for disbursement according to the stipulations
contained in the fourth articles of the treaties
concluded with the Sioux Indians at Traverse
dies Sioux and Mendoza, on the Esd of July and
9Th of August, 1851, and the act of Congress
making appropriations; that he went from
Washington City to the city of New York, and
there made deposit of gold coin 1.-THE avails of
said draft with the Merchants Bank of New
York, of the sum of S5S3. $50; and that the
funds thus deposited were stated by Governor
Ramsey, in the presence of the cashier,
10 be for Indian payments, when the
deposit was made. The cashier further
testiies that of this sum 100000 was subse-
qucntly drawn out in gold coin, 100000 in
bank notes, ($60,000 of which were on the
Merchants bank, and $4,000 on other banks in
New York; and that the residue of the deposit
was paid out on drafts to various individuals,
a large number of which were drawn by Gov.
Ramsey in favor of Hugh Tyler, after his
return to the Minnesota Territory.
The cashier of the Merchants bank also
says i'll his testimony, that he had reason TO
believe that deposit of $l50,000 was also
made by Governor Ramsey, about the same
time, with the Bank of Commerce in that city
This latter amount, it would seem, must have
been portion of the sum originally deposited
with the Merchants bank, and subsequently
withdrawn and deposited in the Bank of Com
merce, but for what purpose is not shown by
the testimony-nor is the discrepancy of S10,-
600 between the amount of the treasury draft
of 1898, $50, and the amount deposited with
the Merchants bank of $5S3,050, accounted
for.
The above answers our correspondent
though it is only a slight slice of the
mine of richness which this rare old
volume supplies.
Ramsey is a nice bird.