Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-09-19
GEN HARRISON OK EMANCIPATION.

4 CEN. HARRISON OK EMANCIPATION
We procced 10 redeem the pledge, some 'i'''e
since gi,cn to slow that Cen IlarrlsonS Opinions
touching the Slave qutsiion, have been gorgeous
~ misunderstood, or wiIiuily misrepresenied' by
those who apply TO him the cpithe oil F." Abolition
ISL Iftlerc is man in The Union, who has 81
ven stronger evidence than Gen. Harrison oil lbs
antipahg 10 tia; pe>lent faction, We know Inn
not The oniy testimony, indeed, brought for
ward in standardization o! the charge, is the follow
ing expression olopinion, the autcn'isity OF which
do not question
- Should be asked if there is no way by which
the General Government can aid the cause ol T.
Emancipation, | answer HAT il has long been an OBJ
jcct near my heart 10 see the whole o: IT'S surplus
revenue appropriated 10 that object. wan inc
sanction Of tie States hotdmg the siares, there
appears To me to be no constitutional objection
to its being thus applied; embracing not only the
colonization OF those that may be otherwise freed,
but the purchase of The freedom OF others. BY II
jealous prosecution Of plan formed upon that ba-
SIS, we might look forward TO day, not very dis
tan, WHEN a North American sun would not looh
down upon ii slave.
1t has been strangely contcnded that this extract
asserts the right of the gene1dl sorernmenf to le-
gisatc upon the subject Of Slavery vHhm the
slarehoiding States-a power which, on the con-
lrary, Htrpressiy denies, by requiring the sane
ton" of those States 10 the action OF the general
government, without which it would be wholly in
operative and nugatory. To Illustrate this : Con-
gress al its las, session, passed law distributing
q,
Suppose the savclloding States should determine
10 appropriate their respective quotas of thi,
plus to the purpose OF cmancipaiion-No one
would question their right to do this And let us
suppose likewise. that the nom slavelolding States,
willing TO further this object, should Iclnquish their
quotas, (Which under the Distribution bill, they
have right to do,) and the tchoie surplus revenue
should thus be divided among the savcholding
States, (is, by that bill, would be the case) and
Mey should appropriate the entire amount to Tire
object oil n.ancipation--wc see, at once, General
Harrison idea realized, without any of l-gis-
laion whatever on the part of the general govern
mrnt, farther than the passage OF IA distribution
bill Without the " sanction of the States hold
ing the slaves" nothing whatever can be done by
the general government, in reference to emanci-
patton. They may divide the surplus revenue at
wlIl-bnt it can only be appropriated to purposes
OF emancipation by the slavcholding States them
selves, IN part or iii whole. So mucl, for this
monstrous prrvcrsion ola really innocent opinion
ill opinion which: many of the leading citizens of
the lavholding States themselves have entertain
ed and avowcd, and winch every intelligent aud
unpreludced mind perccives at IA glance has re.
ference tfcluscetg 10 the constitutional power of
Congress TO distribute the surplus ,erenue among
the several States, and has no connection what
ever, SO Tar the direct legislation of that body
Is concerned, with the question of Siarery, either
IN the States or in the Territories We should be
a>tonIshed, indeed, that any man should have the
cfrontcry gravrly to contend thai Gen Harrison
recognized the power OF Congress to egisate on
the subject OF Slavery within the States" e.
ven II the extract upon which they rely did not IL
sell amply reinte that Assumption by requiring the
sanction of the slaycholdine States to any mca-
sure that might be roposcd-constitnting as that
sanction necessarily does, an impossible barri-
er against aggression. For we venture to assert
'' 49, - NV an III lIc ntcu States,
not even the great head of the tanatica crew. Ar
thur lappan himself, who pretends to claim for
Congress any such power. Nay, they all, with
one vocc, expressly admit that 50 far as Emanci-
pdfon, :" within the States" is to be effected nv
legal action, it must be confined exclusively to the
slaveholdng States themselves. Is it possible that
any man is so weak in intellect, or SO STEPPED in
! prejudice, as to suppose that Gen. Harrison is
more fanahcaI than Tappan and Garrison, even i!
the above extract were the only evidence of his
opinions estant The suppo>iton is so exrava-
Sant'y absurd and llculou> that it carrie, its own
| rctulaiion on It's face.
But fortunately we have the strongest possible
oGrmattre cridcnce 10 overthrow the inC,mouS
! charge-thc eviden e of Gen. IIaIri,on's own acts
when interest and ambition both urged him to a.
bandon the rights OF the South Let MS refer to
two striking instances:
| l. Gen. Harrison was member of CONGRESS
from Ohio, a non-slaccAolang STATE, when the
celebrated MISSOURI QUESTION threatened
to rive the union asnndcr. Did he take part with
the Abolnionist, Of that dav, in their bold attem,t
to deny Missouri admission into the Union, cxcent
on the s." condhion,' declared by Van Buren, to he
lNDlSPENSlBLE' to her admission. that she
should renounce II" right to tolerate Slavery with
IN her limits No; he fought side by side with