Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-07-30

Office! Oh, what pleasant intelligence THU
VIII be to England, our ancient enemy-hov
admirably is it calculated TO make us thu
laughing stock ofciviliaed nations! Fellow
citizens, is it not manifest, that, so far a:
such degrading SANDER is concerned-so VIC
lative of the truth of History, the cause O
itarr;sonls the cause of every American citi
2en. oil whatever party-and that with one &C
cord, all should unite, to frown down these
assassins Of a patriots fame-and of our OWL
national honor.
But have digressed-carried away with
Indignation, at the unmanly course ofthe par.
ty In power. The object of this number, was
TO add something to what said before about
the miserable sheet circulated among you by
tne iohofables Montgomery & Co. of North
Carolina. Driven by recent developments,
and by historical truth, from every strong
hoid-the party now cling with death grasp
10 the contradictory charges that Gen. Harr-
son Is In favour of selling the white men, and
setting the negroes free. How is this! Such
tyrant as to desire poor tchite men and 100
men to be sold into slavery-and yet such
lover OF liberty, as to wish all the negroes set
Tree The two stories contradict each other.
and cannot stand together. Fellow-citizens:
II you must believe lie, let it, at least, be
commended to you by probability.
| oS "uuiCoSIiS you uelOIe, l. nave derived
some information from member Of Congress
In Ohio-friendly to Gen. Harrison, (stranoe
that any In his own State should be his
friends, If what is said of him be true,) which
should satisfy all that that noble old soldier
is, as he has always been taken to be. the
friend, not the enemy of the poor-and that
his vote to retain the 18th Section of the Cri
mlnal law, which has been quoted by his
slanderers against him, was intended to sof
ten the harshness of the law.
The act in question, contained various
harsh provisions for the punishment of often
ders-suited, perhaps, to the character of the
offences, but which might yet operate with
severity in some cases.
Such was the 18th Section Of the act, which
provided that ''All persons convicted of any
"oiiences specified in this act, or in the act to
(which this is supplementary, and sentenced
Ito Imprisonment, may during such imprison-
"ment, be put to hard labour, in such manner
"as any two Judges of the court of common
"Pleas may direct, and for the performance of
'such labour. may be taken from the Jail, and
$50 secured as to prevent an escape, and the
proceeds of such labour shall be paid into
''the county treasury
Here there is no provision for the poor. the
lame, or the old, or the female. The prison
ers were to be taken out, and l presume,
chained to their task-~-as the Judges should
direct. Yet these lovers of human freedom
who assal Gen. Harrison, seem well satisfied
with this clause.
The nineteenth Section, to retain which
Gen. Harrison voted, was as follows :-"Be
lit further enacted, that when any person
''shall be imprisoned, either upon execution
''or otherwise, for the non-payment of a fine
''or costs, or both, 1t shall be lawful for the
"sherlf OF the county to sell out such person
las servant, to any person within this State,
"who will pay the whole amount due, for the
shortest period of service; of which sale
public notice shall be given of at least ten
"days--"and upon such sale being effected,
''ihe sheriff shall give to the purchaser acer
''Gficate thereof, and deliver over the prisoner
''to him-from which time the relation be-
'tween such purchaser and the prisoner shall
'be that of master and servant, until the time
''of service expires, and for injuries done by
''either, remedy shall be had in the same man
"ner as is or may be provided by law in case
SGT master and apprentice. But nothing here
sin contained shall be construed to prevent went
''persons being discharged from imprison-
''ment, according to the provisions of the 37th
"sectIon of the act TO which this is supple
''mentary, if it shall be considered expedient
''to grant such discharge
The 9th Section of the act to which that
act was supplementary, was as follows -
"When any person shall be confined in iail
''for the non-payment of any fine and costs
''that may be inflicted agreeably to the provi-
''sions Of this act, the county commissioners
''may, lift be made appear to their satisfac-
''hon, that the person so confined cannot paw
'such fine and costs, order the sheriff or iaii-
'or Of such county to discharge such person
''from Imprisonment, and the sheriff or TAILOR
upon receiving such order in writing, shall
discharge suchperson accordingly, &c.
80 you see that if any poor person should be
confined for non-payment of a fine and costs of
criminal prosecution,p provision was made bv
this section for his reliefas an insolvent-apd
only those sturdy offenders were to be sold
out, who could pay and would not-who Ell
ther were able and refused, or who had made
fraudulent conveyance Of their property to
enable them to put the law at defiance. Are
your honest sympathies to be excited in IA
your OF such. Rely on it-that must be a
rotten cause which requires such props You
see that Gen. Harrison's enemies are driven
TO the necessity of representing that vote of
ms, as evidence of hostility to the poor.
winch when investigated proves that he was
a friend OF the poor, and cautiously provided
That the poor should be relieved. Another
remark Should be made on this 10Th section,
ior voting IN favour of which he has been so
much abused. Though any lover of the law
VIII admit that no punishment would be too
severe Tor one who having violated the crirni-
MAJ iaw,reiused to pay the penalty when able
topay, yet Gen. Harrison was not in favour
OF vengeance even against them. He advo-
Gated Just so much severity as was necessary
to vindicate justice. The same section which
provides that when an offender could pay his
hne and costs and ,pouM not. he should be