Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-03-19


country, particularly in the Westerl
States, and chiefly, we believe, by u,
officer Of the name of Desha, that G en-
eral Harrison had been guilty of cor
ruPt conduct as Commander in chief O
the Northwestern army-that he ha,
interfered, for sinister purposes, will
his own comissariat, and that his con
duct to the contractors, during his com
mand, had been particularly unjust an'
oppressive-his aim being, as his &C
cusors alleged, to manage the publ,
concerns with view to his own privat,
interest and emolumcnt.
General Harrison was not the man tc
submit in silence to these SANDERS. tn,
motive and origin Of which he well un
derstood. He accordingly addressed ,
letter to the Speaker of the House OF
Representatives Of the U. S. (then the
Hon. Henry Clay soliciting an inquiry
into the expenditure Of the public mon
ey, within the eighth military district
while under his command. This lette,
was submitted to the House, Monday
March 10th, 1861 and the whole sub
jcct was referred the same day to the
committee on public expenditures.
"Monday, April Goth, 1916, Mr. Tho
mas Wilson, chairman ofthc committee
on public expenditures, reported, that
the cVmmitteo were unable to complete
the Investigation at 80 late period OF
the session in consequence of delay in
waiting for the production of evidence
by the persons implicated ; and moved
that the papers bs referred to the Sec
retary of war, with directions to report
at the next session. The papers were
accordingly SO referred, and report
ordered"
We here beg our readers to note,
that the amendment in the Senate, strik-
ing out the name Of General Harrison
from the vote Of public thanks, ofwhich
such an unmanly porvcrsion is attempt
ed by the New Era, took place April
thirteenth, 1860 month utter the pres
entaiion Of General Harrison's letter and
lis reference 10 q committee for inquiry,
and ~hite that inquiry wos still pending
The Senators, who voted to strike out
his name from the resolution, may fair
y be presumed to have been nctuatcd
by sense of the improperly of C onier-
ring honors on an officer, whose con-
duct was then 4 subject of official inves-
tigation by the House Of Representa-
tivcs, and not by determination to
Judge General Harrison and to fix upon
him the stigma of disgrace, ,as the homes,
writer Of the libel would iain persuade
US. Indeed their subsequent conduct
when the investigation resulted in the
triumphant acquittal ofGeneral II. and
they unanimously voted him their thanks
conclusive Of this fact, Independent OF
all other evidence.
At the next session Of Congress, com
mcncing Deccmbcr-!3l6 (the last ses-
sim under Mr.. Madison's adminstra-
ton the acting Secretary of war com.
municrtcd to the House letter and re.
port on the above referred subject, which
was again sent to a select committee
Of which the PRESENT VICE President
OF THE UNITED STATES, Col. RIcnARI
NJ. JouNsoS was chairman. The com
mittee went into a full and rigid inquir,
as to all the facts, as requested by
Gen. Harrison, and then presented the
following reporthy Col johnson, Thurs
day, January 22d, 1878 1t is a re
markable circumstance that in cas-,
like this, where much partisan pre- udic'
existed. and where the efforts TO assai
Gen. Harrison had been most insidiou
and persevering, not a member of The
committee could be found, of either po
iitical party, who withheld from its con
clusions his most hearty assent, 1t re
ceivcd as stated by one Of them the full
concurrence Of every member OF tha
committee.
Export ofM Committee m The case o
Generul Harrison.
The select committee of the House O
Representatives to whom was reicrre,
the letter and documents from the act
ing secretary of war, on the subject q
General IIarrison's letter, ask leave T.
report
That they have investigated the fact
involved in this inquiry, by the exam
inaton of documents and great mum
Der of most respectable witnesses per
sonally acquainted with the transaction
from which the inquiry originated. An
the committee arc UNANIMOUSLY OF opin
ion, that General Harrison stands aboy
suspicion, as to his having had any pc
c,,u;.,rv M innroucr connection wit