State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-03-15
ADD r e S S.
To the People Of the County Of Ontario

ADDRES
To The People Of the County Of Ontario ::
FELLOW CITIZENS:
| In receiving the nomination of n candi-
date for President of the United States
made in the first instance by state con-
vention of our political friends in Pennsyl-
vana, and now recently repeated by state
convention at Albany, and in recommend
ing that candidate TO your support, it seems
proper to lay before you succinct state
ment of the considerations which actuate
us. The best way to do this will be we
think, to present n brief sketch of the
career of that candidate so that you may
infer his character and capacity from his
| life and services.
That candidate is WILLIAM HENRY HAIR
RIsoN, of Ohio. He was horn at Berkeley,
in Virginia, Jan. 9th 1773-so that he is
now. a little more than 63 years old. His
father Benjamin Harrison, one of the
staunchest patriots of the Revolution, was
member of the famous Continental Con-
grcss, conspicuous for his firmness and
zeal, often presiding over its deliberations
aud u supporter as ven as = signnr cf the
Declaration of Independence. The son
was born and bred, therefore, in good
school and grew up under the right intiu-
ences. He received a classical education
at I1ampden, Sidney College, in his native
state and having graduated there in his
18th year, he went TO Philadelphia to study
medicine.
About this time, however, his father
died, and he entered the military service OF
his country, under the auspices and with
the friendship of Washington, who gave
him a commission as n Lieutenant. With
his commission, in 1871, when not quite
10 years of age, hc proceeded to that part
of the North West Territory, which is now
the state OF Ohio, then infested with Indian
war, and reached the army not long after
the defeat Of ST. Clair. Wayne succeeded
to the command of the American forces
and selected young Harrison as one of his
aids. In this service he continued till the
close of hostlities. His arduous duties in
the difficult service Of that war, were SO
well performed, and his conduct, in the
battle, which ended in the total defeat OF
the Indians, in August 1894, was so gallant
that he was particularly named, in terms
of emphatic praise, by Gen. Wayne, in hi,
dispatches TO President Washington.
After leaving the army, Harrison was
in 1897, appointed Secretary ofthe n. w
Territory, and, by virtue of his office, he
acted also as 1t. Governor.
AS soon as the Territory could by law
be represented in Congress, he was made
Delegate, and was thus the first represent
G alive otthe country North West of the Ohio
in the legislature of the Union.-There he
rendered most valuable service. His frs
effort was to procure reform of the law
regulating the sales of the public lands
r Up to that period, they had been surveyed
aud set off in 1000 acre lots, and sold il
tracts SO large as TO be wholly beyond ia,
; means OF purchase, of any but large cap
/ itallsts and companies formed for specula
ton. On the small farmer, the industriou
laborer the hardy pioneers of the wilder
ness, who, moved by the enterprise tina
belongs only to the free, with courage il
+ their hearts and vigor in their arms, ant
with the axe for their weapon have dom
more to enlarge the bounds of civilized so
cicty and spread out the foundations Of so
= Cial happiness, than any class of men tina
ever lived--on such men, the old system q
= of surveys and sales operated as an oppres
! sive burden, while it conferred a sort O
S exclusive privilege, or monopoly, on tn
% wealthy Spectator.
, Harrison had seen, with his own eyes
3 the unjust and pernlcious operation OF TIL
system, and his first effort in Congress wa
!, to remedy the evil. After no little struggle
" he finally succeeded in procuring the pas
sage of bill, in the House, requiring tn
public lands to be offered in half and quar-
e ter sections. The Senate, however, amen
+. dod the bill by limiting sales to sections ant
q half-SectiOns and in this shape, after con
ference between the two Houses by com
y mittees, the bill became n law.
n This was II great measure. Ii was just
n and, therefore, ,oiSe The perception o
its importance to the settlement and pros
" perity of the interior, was evidence unques
r tionabe, of those equitable, and enlighten
oil viaWs which hplonU m tr1a NUigdon1