South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-09-03

Delegate in Congress, to be appoint
ed by a joint ballot of the two branches
of the Assembly.
IT so happened that I was a member
of the Legislative Council, and, Of
course, entitled TO vote in the choice
of the Delegate. Harrison was can
didate; and here let ME say, he was
my Intimate friend. Some years be
fore, when ] arrived at Cincinnati, ]
found myselfin the society Of strangers;
not face presented itself that | had
ever before seen. ! br ought letters to
Captain Harrison, then commandment
of Fort Washington he received me
with open arms and warm heart, and
l became almost an inmate of the fam.
lily. GA this statement you are prepar-
ed TO hear me say voted for him. Sir,
| did not voted against hjm,and ii
was the most distressing vote to my
feelings that ever gave. But he soon
became acquainted with my motive,
appreciated ii correctly, and our for
mer friendship was restored. And
now lie. me. exonerate myself from the
charge OF lngratitude on that occasion,
which, without an explanation, would
naturally fall upon me. Ii is general
ly known that Judge Symmes had con-
tracted with the UnIted States TOR the
purchase Of million of acres OF land {;
that he had obtained a patent for about
thfee hundred thousand acres that he
had no dsubt under full conviction
that lis contract would be completely
sold large quantity OF. land, beyonu
the limits OF his patent 10 actual settlers
who paid the purchase money, and
were then improving the land they had
bought. Pflor to the year 1899, Con-
gress had refused to execute the CON
tract with Symmes, by which that nu :
merous and industrious class Of men
were liable to be dispossessed. They
had jost Obtained some indulgence
from Congress as pre-emptioners, and
were anxious TO have il continued and
extended. The vendor had, and still
did oppose their views, from a belief
that it might prevent him from obtain
ing fulflment of his contract, and il
was supposed that his son-in-law had
taken the same view OF the subject, &,
under belief that the contract would
be conf 'med, land the purchasers there,
| by confirmed ia their titles, would al
SO oppose them. Under that impress
ion, the purchasers we're alarmed, and
besought The Legislature 10 elect per-
son On whom they could rely with con-
fidence. Thus you see the situation
IN which | was placed on the one
| hand, we're these unfortunate persons,
numeroas and meritorious, presenting
their grievances on the other, my boz
som frienc, expecting my vote. With
me, it was struggle between duty and
friendship :: | could not hesitate /; | vo-
led against my friend. His was, how
ever, elected; and what was the resultf
Under sense Of duty, he became the
friend and advocate oftbose very per-
sons who had feared and opposed him;
and gave proof to the world that his
integrity could not be moved by con-
Solicitations OF personal interest. His
integrity had never before been probed
to the bottom. But, sir, this is not all:
he had seen the injustice Of the mo-
nopoly introduced into the land sys
TEN Of the United S.atesi by which the
poorer class of citiz ems were efectu-
ally excluded from its bene fi;s. the
public lands were sold in tracts so
large, that none but the wealthy could
/ purchase. The poor man was COM
PEELED to buy handed, and,
consequently; at an advanced price !:
he was at the mercy of the Spectator.
Harrison had witnessed the Cypress
i've opperation of that principle, and
resolved to correct the evil. He
brought the subject before congress,ex-
posed the injustice and inquity Of the
| plan, and obtained the passage of a
aw directing the lands to be sub1ivl-
ded and sold in small tracts. This al
ieration In the system placed the poor
man on a footing with the man OF
wealth, and put it in the power OF the
entire West TO become freehoIders and
independent farmers. If that had been
the last act Of his lile-if he had then
been gathered TO his fathers his fame
would have surviyed-his name would
have been low ed and cherished-and
his country, at lest the Western coun-
try, would have erected statue to his
memory ; but he survives, and hum