Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-01-02

the council and Albright speaker of the
house. The only business done was to
again memoralizs the new congress to
! organize the territory of Dakota aud
pass few more nnimportant memorials.
at the close OF the session the president
OF the council WAS again declaI ed Cover.
nor ex ofiicio aud w. W. Brookipgs
acted as governor instead of Albright
and the only acts that the writer remem
bers OF the second governor signing was
certificate OF election of delegate to
congress OF j, P. Kidder and several
memorials TO congress-, and after the leg
Islature OF 1853 no more were held.
When Judge Hopkins says laws were
passed, which were duly printed and ap-
proved by Governor Albright and de-
manded admission TO the union son an
equal footing with the original states"
he draws wholly upon his Imagination
for no such demand was ever made or
desired, but the entire effort was to se-
care territorial organization. The
reason why territorial organization
| codld not be secured was that the house
was republican and wanted clause in
the organic act or law prohibiting the
taking of slaYes into the territory; thie
| the democrats opposed and the senate WAS
demoeratic. So that no bill passed
until the southern members left congress
which left o majority OF republicans in
the senate. However after the southern
| members aeceded, the organic act was
| silent on the slavery question. Where
the Dakota land company people made
the mistake was, when Minnesota was
admitted to statehood they did not in
duce the territorial officers to move TO
that portion OF the territory not includ-
| ed In the state boundary and continue
| the territorial government of Minnesota
territory. Had they done this they
would undoubtedly have been recogpiz-
ed by congress, for Buchanan who was
Polk's secretary Of state favored the re-
cognltlOn of Wisconsin territory afser
the state of Wisconsin he'd been admit
ted to the union as state, and this was
the ground taken by many republicans.
Ihe writer at the time received letter
from Hon. Israel Washburn, then g
prominent republican member of con-
gress, saying it was the presidents duty
to appoint all The usual territorial Off
GERS of the territory OF Minnesota as the
state enabling act did not interfere with
the territorial organization outside OF the
state limits.
/ The vote of the house of representa-
tives to admit J. p. Kidder as delegate,
was about equally divided, he being. de-
feated by only q few votes, and this was
brought abcc. by the persistent op.
/ position of Gen. j. B y. Todd OF the
Missouri slope, and Gen. Frost OF ST.
1 Louis, who had large Interests at Yenk-
ton end we're fearful il Kilder should be
| admitted as delegate the capital would
90 to the Sioux valley instead of the
Missouri river. 80 that then, as at pre-.
sent, iealousies kept back our recogni-
| tiop.
When Judge Flsndrau says "a capitol
building was erected" he again draws
on his imagination or received his ia.
formation from some one that misin
formed him as no such building was ever
erected. The Dakota land company
lconstrEcted log house here one story
about, Ii by 2O, o stone house about Il
by 30, one and one half stories in height
stone laid in mud for mortar; also i
priating Office of stone about twenty
feet square, one story, with shed roof
all their buildings not exceeding the
value of $1,000 1t would be interest
ing to know how much they received
from the government for their improve
ments-a better sale probably than could
have been made by any one Lee.
| Origin ally it was evidently the inten-
tion 10 make Medary the capital, conse-
quently it was named for the then cover,
nof of Mjnnee ots territory, but in 1853!
both the Medsry and Flandrau settle
ments had ceased to exist, consequently
the squatter legislature was compelled
to meet at Sioux Falls city, a. they
called their site here. Our impresalop
is that but one issue ci the Dakota Dem
ocrat came out in 1868 and that war
filed with argument IN favor OF terri
torial organization. The next season 9
number OF issues were printed.
In 1860 the paper wss printed by 9
Mr.. Stuart, new OF the Chicago Tim ea
staff, and the name changed to Western
Independent for the reason that MIR.
Albright bad taken the heading awaJ
with him and the changed heading war
founn in Sioux City. The errors OF the
publican editorial correspondent Of the
10th inst. are the result OF Judge Flan-
drau's and refutation OF one disposea oi
the others.
Like Judge FIandrau, 81 take greai
interest in ell that concerns the history
OF this portion of the northwest end like
to see the facts correctly stated" and
having been resident Of Sioux Falls
from 1857 to 1867 ought to have better
gnowledge of them than the Judge.
| This is my only excuse for boring you
with this communication, although
wBs once solioised 10 write up the his
tory OF that attempt at government foi
the Minneapolis Tribune. The mar
facts are given here and all that seems
worth preserving.
! w. W. BRooKINas.