Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-09-01
TO THOMAS RITCHJE Eso


TO THOMAS RITCHIE ESQ
SIR here is scarcely number of the
H'0n'h"nu enquirer, a paper ostensibly un,
uer your control, which does not contain in
some form or other, the charge that General
Harrison is an abolitionis, Now. sir wish
To understand you distinctly on this head
wish TO know what idea you mean TO convex
10 The publicly the charge,-and " hat mean
my you attach 10 the term Z" Abolitiunist -
IL is u term OF vague import, and il is one
recently introduced and therefore there may
ne uiHerence ot opinion as 10 its pruper
Specification Some unde, stand il TO annIv
generally 10 all who dcplore The existence of
me institution OF slavery amongst us as n
moral and political evil, and therefore would
unuer proper circumstances, with the assent
OF the Propr,etors, and by the proper author
it'es, wish the evi! removed. o. this class
! would mention the names of w ilIiam e.
nVes, James Mcdowell, Jefferson Ran
uo'Ph, Thomas Riichie, anda very large ma
Jorhy OF The members of the General AS
semoiy oi Virginia during the memorable
session OF 1901. You know yoursel, sir
That all these gentlemen entertained thai
sentiment al the time refer ed To. and Won
know iuH well that none OF them " ent fur
'her IN lis support than yourself You have
reason To remember il, sir for YOU know
INA. III consequence OF your editorial course
on that occasion you lost many Subscribers
on The south side Of james river. esnec;,Tiv
M we county OF Halifax, and that YOU we're
o"'iseu 10 cry "pecca,i, and 10 recant in or
"er 10 relaln their patronage.
rms, slf, Is one meaning of the term ab
oiilioniSt. But there is another an,, -, m,,ra
odious Specification which is attached In The
term, and the LITTER is, al this time the ponu.
lar s'gnihcaiion. The term as now employ
Gu arose from the villanous ATTEMPTS of
Iarrlson and Tappan, and Thomson 10 sub-
vert the foundations of our social svs,en, hv
aboIIshing the institution Of slavery and ,urn,
ing ns vicious and benighled subjects loose
upon society, to enjoy equal civil, and no.
n'icai rights with The white mar. This i
me species OF aboliionism which drew forth
from al most all the Counties al Virginia and
from The southern country generally. such a
ours' oi Immigration, AN indig WING h
must, and trust ever will, fire the soul. of
neeiheh "hcn an attempt is made la degrade
mem 10 The level OF slaves The tern, alb
olItIonist is therefore used at The present lime
as synonymous with Garrisoni,e or Tannan.
lle' and when The charge is preferred in YOUR
paper that Gen. Harrison is an aholitiouisi
most people understand The accusation i'm thai
sehse.-Now, sir, | wish you 10 come o,,l
oiS'lnctly and specifically on this sui ject and
10 say whether you use the term il, the for
mer or lhe latter sense-You will at once
see SIR that you would be doing the grossest
INJUSTICE TO Gen. Harrison if you int.nd 10
use IL IN the former, and yet let your readers
understand II IN the latter and due regard
20 your honor as man, no less that resoect
ior cand"ur as an editor, requires thai Won
should not thus palter IN a double sense Win
this term abolitonist
Al you use the term in the former sense
,hen have but little TO say, for ALTHOUGH i
Know nothing positive on the subject vet J
nave good reason for believing that General
harrison, In common with almost eyery qood
anu Phlianthropic man-in common with
yourself, sIr-does think that slavery is a
political eVii-that he does believe thai i, :.
an obstacle TO the advance of The noar,h -,
improvement IN those states in which il OK,
ISIS, ana That he would be willing, with the
assent oi the owners 0i the slaves. and bv the
ana OF slate means, whether derived from
s'ate lakes or from the distribution of The
uIpius revenue amongst the states, 10 see an
ehott made To relieve the country from il
hut SIR, II you intend the charge in the other
ana crinInnl sense, then deny the allega-
t,oh ana call for your proof. And although
"ti'e, yei SIR, TO aid you in your researches
alter the truth, which would fain hone iS
sun an OBJECT ot some regard with Won
would refer y ou 10 Gen. Harrison's course On
Inc missouri question-to his denunciation
OF The IapPan abollionists al the public din
ner at Encennes, in Indiana, en- the 25,h ..
May 1888; upon tha, occasion Gen. Hnrri-
son, although he stood in The midst Of non
slave holding population, whose syDuathies
we might naturally have supposed were in
favour of the ah"litionisis, did moi bes;tat.
to denouGce, with his usual bold indenenJ'
ence, The schemes Of these deInded men as
weak InJudicious, preSumpluous and TN
coNsTITU TIoNAL" He then argued the
question OF the constitutiona!ily of an inley-
terence by the Gen. Government. with rbe
snhJee! OF slavery, and demonstrated mos,
clearly that no such power exists. He more.
s oSgf uSed this most emphatic language
N EITHER THE STATES wHEREITIsIA
VERY DOES NOT EXIST, NOR THE Gov
ERNMENT OF THE United STATES CIV
WITHOUT UsURPATIoN OF POWER AM
THE VIOLATION OF a SOLEMN CoMpAcr
DO ANY THING TO REMOVE 1T without
TIE CONSENT OF THOSE WHO AREIM
VI EDiArELY INTERESTED"
You, sir, must have seen this speech ard
now demand as an act of Justice, unless
you nave strnng evidence 10 the contrary
ma, you VIII publicly disavow the CHARGE
nat Gen. Harrison is an aboi;;ionist in no
sense IN which the charge is made.
SHELBY.
messTS Editors: I was moi a EtIo a.,