The Minnesota Pioneer

PARTY WARFARE

There is a time and a place, for every thing; an appropriate sphere. Women shine least in the political circles. Boys had better be in the school-room than in the camp. It is more appropriate for those who, have the control of public affairs, to agitate political measures, than for those who are "only passengers." What would be thought of the wisdom of our neighbors in the Selkirk Settlement if they should divide into parties and wrangle and hate each other, as whigs and tories? If they should! get into a fever heat on the question of repealing the Irish Union? or quarrel like cats and dogs about the English corn laws? or interest themselves so deeply in a contested election in the House of Commons, or become so bitterly opposed in the array of party on some disputed question of Parliamentary privilege that they could scarcely address each other with civility? Would such a state of things as this further the interests of that settlement? There, where concert of action is indispensable, where union alone can afford any respectable show of strength, how is any measure to be concerted or any scheme for the general welfare, consummated without union? For let it be remembered that where partyism plants its foot, there is no recess too private and no sanctuary too holy for it to violate. It is omnipresent. It is not only in the election, but it is the town meeting, the school meeting, the road meeting, in the church, in the highway, at the fireside, at the table, at the very altar of God; like the lice of Egypt, it is in the very kneading troughs, coloring, defiling, poisoning every thing it touches.

There is but one condition of things that makes partyism tolerable, anywhere; that condition, thank God, we are not in. It is where the people who take part in politics, have to decide political measures by their votes, and where there is sufficient population and strength to warrant a division of the people into parties, without inducing great feebleness and insufficiency of action. The effect of two opposing forces is to neutralise both forces. Therefore, a division into parties, naturally induces a weakness of the whole. A division of a small State into parties is like separating two sticks which of bound together could barely support each other; while a division of a large State, is more like separating a bundle of sticks into two parcels, either of which still retains much strength.

Does Minnesota fill the first of these conditions? Have our people any vote to cast on the question of a tariff? Have they anything to do with a sub-treasury? Can they thrust their fingers into our foreign relations? Have they to decide whether or not negroes shall be subject to slavery in New Mexico or California? Let us not forget our true relation to the Federal Government. We are not a State. We have no vote in the Senate, none in the House; we have nothing to do with making Presidents or cabinets. Sometime we may have; so may Canada; so may Cuba; so may Yucatan! but now, in our callow Territorial condition, almost without a Territorial pin-feather upon our back, without a vote, we had almost said without anybody to vote, with everything to ask of Congress and with no power to command anything--for Minnesota in this condition, to attempt to launch out upon the dirty sea of National Politics, would be as disastrous as it would be for a chicken with the shell on its head, to try to swim out into the lake with a flock of swans.

What have we to do with Congress? To ask and obtain all the favors we can. Do we want to carry up our applications for appropriations as a Whig Territory to a Democratic Senate? or as a Democratic Territory to a Whig House of Representatives? Fools! What we want let us ask for. Ask and you shall receive;" but to hold out one hand to receive a gift and the other to strike the giver, is the conduct of a madman.

The President has appointed friends of his administration for our Territorial offices. That was right. Nothing else was expected; but is any one to infer from this that these appointments were made with reference to biassing the politics of Minnesota? Those who believe it, know but little of the politics and principles of the President. Amongst all these appointments there cannot be found a bitter partizan--not one who would attempt to use his official station to sway the political opinions of our people. When this Administration or any other engages in the business of proselyting territories, we will oppose it; but while it gives us capable, moderate men for officers, who attend to their official duties, and while the Administration and its officers, favor our Territorial interests. it will not merit the noisy and useless opposition of any set of men among us. Those who attempt to get up any such issues here, will be signally foiled. They ought to be. This press is friendly to the present Administration No press is more so; but we want it distinctly understood, that we will not, either secretly or openly attempt to defeat the election in this Territory, of men who have acted with either or any of the political parties in the States they came from, provided they are the most capable men, unless they are such as will be guilty of the gross folly of attempting to draw party lines and organize a senseless opposition in advance, to an Administration from which we have everything to gain by minding our own Territorial business and by which we have everything to lose if we provoke useless quarrels about measures of a national character which we have no sort of legislative control over.