The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-09-14
HISTORICAL SCRAPS.

Men may outlive temporary bursts of in-
but they cannot outlive history.
There is a vast difference in being great
and being called great-and there is a diff
ference between the men who 4" achieve
greatness" and the man who has great
ness thrust upon him Of the latter class
history and common sense would deem the
doubty hero of the whiglings. Censure fire.
quenily falls upon military chiefiains more
because of their,msfortunes than their faults
but in the person of Gen. Harrison we
view one who owes his obscurity To the COM
bination of both bad luck and sheer ignor-
auce. But we shall not detain the reader
we would rather hasten him to the examin-
alton of subject which is so fruitful in re-
dection, and so prolific of thought. 1t is
not the idle gasconade nor the one-sided
praises ofwhigsm, but the plain mpartiality
of historical truth. Columbus Magician.
GENERAL HARRISON.
The friends of this gentleman have boas-
ted much about his ehipdirous" conduct
at the battle of Tippocanoe. 1t may be
well enough to take glance at history for
the purpose of understanding how much
praise he deserves for the manner in which
he managed that battle. We feel no dis
position To assail the reputation o: General
Harrison but when his friends extol him to
to skies rs an able and efficient Military
Commander we are led to inquire where is
the evidence of his Generalship Was it
exhibited at Tippecanoe We will see di-
recily
In 1884, Mr.. Marshall Of Kentucky pub
lished History of Kentucky" in which
mention is made of this aforesaid battle of
Tippeoanoe. We have only roomt to make
a few extracts from the chapter on this sub
ject. They may be found in the 2nd vol
ume between pages 500 and $40.
"Well, then, it is in the face Of an enc
my that we look for the penetration and
skill of General What does our Gov
ernor General whose name is flaired and
b!aired about as a modern Hannibal Why
truly, after having determined to encamp
on prairie, one and half miles or less
from town when the army had been drawn
up in order of battle, without seeing an enc
my, as we understand him, he is diverted
from his object on the report of the Indian
insolence and hostility !" Speaking of the
camp ground Mt Tippecanoe, our author
says, "Go"ersl Harrison again rccommen-
ces his march, is again stopped by so or 90
Indians ordering him with loud voice to
halt upon which he tells them that he ony
wants ground to encamp on where there is
wood and water, which the Indians very
kindly point out to him and he as .judicious-
ty accepts, upon the report of two of his Of
tIca mi "a han ha f.,t In
to encamp it is just such as the Indians
would choose to place enemy whom they
intended to surprise or destroy"
If the God whom the Indians adore in
war, had made piece of ground for the
ground for the camp of nn enemy, it was
this his worshippers directed General Har-
rison. Aud Gen. Harrison seeing the kind
and quality, aud seeing (n his own Ian
guage, "that it afforded great facility TO the
approach of savages,' the very enemy he
had oppose most judiclously aud like Cen
erat Harrison, quietly encamps on the
ground Uith0m trench or palsade."
"But General Harrison did not expect
to be attacked that night And why did he
entertain an opinion of security, which we
admit any ordinary man or old woman inca
pable of compa ing facts and circumstances
might have entertained. Was not the ex-
pedItion predicated upon The hostility Of the
Indians Has not General Harrison, as be-
fore recied, taken much pains to demon
strate their hostility. Was he not an inva-
der of their territoryl Did not the Indians
know that their fate depended upon that
night And that success or submission with
or without battle was the only alternative :
Did not Governor Harrison know that a
defect of strength seeks ITS compensation
in stratagem :. ADd does not stratagem be-
long to war in general, and to the Indians
in particular Why, then, if it is true that
the Indians were hostile, is ii that Governor
Harrison did not expect an attack What,
then, is the Generals apology Tor his con-
duct IN the face of the enemy, for taking
that particular piece of ground; for encamp-
ing his men on It without fortIiications for
permitting the army to sleep-in word,
tor not guarding against surprlsef why,
truly, he did not expect to be attacked, aud
all precautions To that end was useless la
bor, time thrown awayl Aud this man
would be thought GeneraI!! And there
are simpletons week enough TO call him
eonsummafe Geaeroi!!! But the Indians
made other calculations, and they surprIs-
ed his camp with forces much Myerior IN
point of number, and killed and wounded
leo men who now, under the conduct OF
a real General, would be at home tho COM
fort Of their families, and some Of them the
ornament of their country.
To prove that the camp was surprised
aud TO detail the other cx xploils Of this most
<..s.m..x,fe <.,a.raUl sh.u ha th, busi-