South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-09-10
I General Harrison.

Inner by deputation from the citizens
IF Newark. In their letter Of invitation,
j deserved compliment was paid to him
On account ofthe eminent and diversif-
cd services rendered his country, which
elected the following reply. In the LAM
guage of the Baltimore Patriot, 1--WE
call upon honest meh of all parties, jack
son men in particular, to read the gen.
erals reply attentively, tand then ask
whether they can vote for
Mr.. Van Buren,, (who has never render
cd any useful public service, though he
has grown rich upon the spoils of office.
in preference to the brave Harrison, who
has actu ally impoverished himself while
fighting the battles Of his country ! IL
speaks in the indignant and manly tones
Of q true soldier, of the calumnies that
have been heaped upon him, and we have
no doubt His sentiments will find an a.
biding place in the hearts Of, his country
men. Gen. Harrison's admirable letter
ought to be in the hands of every man in
whose bosom beats an American heart"
NEWARK, s5th July, 1886.
Gentlemen IL, have to acknowl-
edge the receipt Of your letter Of this
date, inviting me to public dinner on
Thursday next /; or, on such other day
as may suit my convenience.
Under any other circumstances than
those in which am at this time placed,
it would give me great pleasure to
meet the citizens of Newark and its
vicinity, in the way you propose /; but
being as | am obliged to leave this
place Immediately, and having declin-
ed several invitations Of my fellow CT
-tizsns Of similar character, at other
places. l am compelled 70 decline that
with which you have honored me.
/ sincerely thank you gentlemen, for
the estimation which. you have been
pleased to put upon my public .servi-
ces. 1t is not for me to determine
whether the view you have taken Of
them, as far as it relates to their I'm
portapce, is correct or not, but may
be permitted TO. say, that in all the re-
latsons which have stood in to the
government or the people Of the coun-
try, the utmost exertion. of my physi-
cal strength and the whole powers Of
my limited capacity were put into re-
QUESTION to bring to a fortunate issue
the various and important duties
which have been committed to me.
That's some ofmy fellow citizens should
not estimate these services in the man
aer you do, gentlemen, Is quite natu-
raj. But i, could not have been ex-
pected that my political opponents
would have attempted to falsify the
records and the established history of
The country for the purpose of impos-
ing upon the people that had been a
recreant from the duties imposed upon
me as the trusted soldier Of my coun.
Try, and false to the principles of re-
publicanism which had been instilled
nto my nind from my earliest youth.
Such, however, is the demoniacal
character of that spirit of party which
las intruded itself Of late into all the /
contests of our country as to
cave no principles safe which opposes
is progress /; and which considers all I
means justifi able that will in the small
Est degree contribute to its victories.
II its audacity has already reached the
engths which you have asserted, gen.
lemen, of putting at naught the most
'utaenIic records, and the testimony of
hundreds or Of thousands Of living wit
lesses, for the purpose of prostra,ing
IN individual, what may NOT be expec-
ed from it in its further progress 2 !
What but that general prescription /
which has been the immediate precur-
or OF the downfall of all free govern
nents ? who is there that is acquainl-
d with history, that does not know
hat the persecution ofiadividuals who
re supposed to stand in the way of
ne accomplishment of some favorite
'oJect by dominant party, was al /
ways the fest in the train Of those
measures which resulted in the darkest |
nd most disgusting scenes which are
described in the annals Of The ancient
epublics.
Do err, gentlemen in giving the
character OF persecution to the course
II viluperation and abuses which is a,
present carried on agains, me What