The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-25

The state of Wisconsin, was admitted
into the Union in the year 1913 with the
st. Croix river as its western boundary
This arrangement left st; NPauI, st. An
thony. saltwater. Marine. Taylor's Falls
and other settlements which had sprung
up Ill wisconsin, west OF sthe St. Croix,
without any governments The inhab-
itants of these communities Immediately
sought ways and means TO extricate
themselves from the dilemma in which
they were placed. There were a great
many men among them OF marked ability
and influence; Henry M. Rice, Henry H.
Sibley. Morton S. Wilkinson. Henry L.
Moss. John McKusiek Joseph r. Brown,
Martin Mcleod, VIM. r. MARSHALL and
others. Differences Of opinion existed as
to whether the remnant of Wisconsin on
the west side of the ST. Croix still re-
manned the territory of Wisconsin,
or whether it was kind of no mans land
without a government of any kind. Gov.
Dodge, of the territory. had been elected
to the senate of the United States for
the new state. The delegate to congress
had resigned, and the government of the
territory had been cast upon the secrc-
tary, Mr.. John Catlin, who became gov
ernor eX officiO on the vacancy happening
in the office of governor. He lived in
Madison, in the new state and would
have to move over the line into the de-
serted section if he proposed to exercise
the functions of his office. A correspond
ence was opened with him, ana he was
invited to come to Saltwater and proclaim
the existence of the territory by calling
an election for a delegate to congress
from Wisconsin territory He accepted
the call, moved to Saltwater, and in the
month of September, 1913, issued his proc
lamation. An election was held in No
vember following and Henry H. Sibley
was chosen delegate from Wisconsin ter
ritory to the congress of the United
States.
Sibley procured the passage of an act
on March s. 1S49, organizing the territory
of Minnesota, and we have had regular
elections ever since.
There is little unwritten history con-
nected with the transactions above re-
lated. The principal citizens west Of the
st. Croix fixed things up among the set
Elements in manner entirely satisfac-
tory to themselves They divided the
prospective spoils about as follows: Sib-
ley lived at Mendoza. and that place was
to have the delegate to congress, st. Paul
was to have the capital, Saltwater the
pebitentiary and st. Anthony the uni
Versity, which comprised all there was to
divide. The programme was faithfully
carried out. and has been maintained ever
since, although various attempts have
been made to violate the treaty by the
removal of the capital from st. Paul, but
L am glad to be able to say in behalf of
honesty and fair dealing, none of them
has been successful. ~
The existence of this sunwritten history
has been denied. but there are men yet
living in the state who took part in it.
and have publicly affirmed its authentic
ity. Judge Douglas. of Illinois, when
chairman of the senate committee on ter
ritcries. insisted on locating the capital
at Mendoza, with the building on top Of
Pilot Knob, and had it not been for the
stern integrity of Sibley he would have
succeeded, to the everlasting inconyen-
| fence and discomfort of our people.
There was really no politics worthy
of the name during the years of the ter
ritory. All the principal offices were fill
ed by appointment by the general govern
ment, and the rest of them were deter
mined by personal rivalries. The main
| business of the territory was the fur
! trade, carried on by warning companies,
! whose chief factors Sought office more for
the sake of its influence on their bust
ness than for any principles they repre-
scented.
legislature,
| In spasm of virtue, passed Prollibitory
liquor law. which the supreme court, I'M
der the influence of a counter spasm, i'm
mediately set aside as unconstitutional
Outside Of the cities, where the mission
aries eXerted a strong influence, the con-
tention was usually whisky or no whisky;
in fact, there was little else to fight
about
The first governor was appointed bv
ho icc ho
yet unborn), and as Coy. Ramsey was
from Pennsylvania. we had great in
fux OF immigration from that state The
second governor (Gorman) was appoint
ed by the Democrats, and came from
Indiana, and, the people of that state
being much more migratory than the
PennSylvanians, we were flooded with
Hoosiers. These various influences caused
differences of opinion and interests suffi-
cfent to keep the political pot boiling quite
lively, but on lines that were necessarily
personal and temporary in their bearing
We soon, however, approached the more
important subject of statehood, and
strange as 1t may seem to the present
generation, the question of slavery was
strong factor. The Republican party
was born about 1854 and as its principal
creed was opposition to the extension Of
slavery, its followers naturally forced the
subject into the politics of the day. I can
however, positively affirm that no one of
any political faith had the slightest idea
of introducing slavery into Minnesota.
A constitution for the proposed state was
framed in 1857, and in. the fall Of that
year the election for the officers of the
first state government was held. and. of
course, great interest was manifested as
T to the result. The general election was
fixed by law for November IN all of the
counties Of the territory except one. The
county of Pembina was so distant from
the capital that it was found to be diff
cult to get the returns in so as to be
counted with those of the rest Of the
state. The only transportation between
the two places was Red river carts
| drawn by oxen in the summer and dog