Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-07-02
NO. Il.

to seek my views of Abolition, United
States Bank, and other matters concerning
which my views are already in possession Of
the public. The most suitable answer to
these--and to weH-intentioned persons the
most satlstactory-was a reference to the
documents in which my opinions alrepA'--
expressed were TO be found .-Spr
swers entrusted to my weli-trisu an.
full friend, Major Gwynn. Letters requir-
ing more particular attention | answered
myself. Every body who knows Major
Gwynn knows that he is not one whom
would employ to write political letter.
He is a self-made mana soldier and a
gentleman-but neither a politician nor
scholar. | asked the service of him, be-
cause he was my friend, and confded in
him, end it was plain and simple NV
habit is to receive, open and read my let
tiers myself Such as require special at
tention, l reply to myself. Such as NAV
be easily answered by another, hand to
my friend, with an .endorsation indicating
where the information sought may be found
AS thus-"Refer the writer to speech at
Vincennes'-or ''the answer is seen in
letter to Mr.. Denny" sc. But it seems
that Major Gwynn was Chairman OF q
Committee of the Citizens of Cincinnati or
of Hamilton county. When the famous
Oswego letter was received, it was read,
and as usual with such letters, endorsed
it and handed ii to Major Gwynn. But.
it seems, when the answer was prepared
it was signed also by his colleagues ofthe
County or City Committee. Of all this l
knew nothipg-nor in their capacity of
Committee had they any thing to do with
my letters. Yet by little mistake and
much perversion the gentlemen have been
erected into committee of my conscience-
keepers, and made to shut me up in a
cage to prevent me from answering interro,
gatories. -Gen. Harrison remarked that,
had he, indeed, called to his assistance the
services of friend in conducting cores.
pondence he would have had high authori-
ty to justify him in the measure. 1t had
been said ofGen w ashington that many of
the papers which bear his signaturet were
written by Others, and he believed it had
never been CONTRADICTORY; and Gen. Bteck-
enbridge, aid to General Jackson in the
late war, had represented himselfto be the,
author ofmuch of Gen. Jackson's cores
pondence. But he had not done so, to any
extent or in any other sense than as he had
now explained tin requesting Major
Gwynn to refer those addressing inquiries
to him, to the public sources Conformation.
And he would here say, that in all his pub
lie life, civil and military, there was no
letter, report, speech or order, bearing his
name, which was not written wholly by his
own hand. He said, to open, read, aud
ansWer all the letters received by him was
impossible, thought he should
do nothing else whatever. To give his,
hearers an idea of the labor it would le-
qulre, he said, a gentleman then present
was with him the morning he left Cincin-
natl when he took from the Post Office l6
letters-there were usually half the number
at the Post Office near his residence-24
letters per day. Gould any man, he asked.
give Prerequisite attention to such daily
correspondence, even to the neglect of
every other engagement? True it was,
that many communications were sent hia
which were not entitled to his notice--sent
by persons who had no other object but to
draw from him something which might be
used TO his injury and the injury Of the
cause with which he was identi6ed-yet,
there were enough of those which claimed
his respectful consideration for the sources
from which they came and the subjects to
which they referred, to occupy more time
and labor than any one could bestow upon
them.
Gen. Harrison said he had alluded par
ticClarly to this matter of the Coz.
because 1t had 50 recently been the occa-
sion ofso much anmadversity by his polit-
ical adversaries. But it was one only OF
many misrepresentation of him, his CON
duct, bis principles and his opinions with
which the party Press was teeming. He
said it would occupy him many hours to
discuss them, If 1t were necessary or prop
er for hiu to do so. He referred. however
TO the Richmond Epquiier-.and express-
ed his surprise at the manner in which his
name and character had been treated by
that paper. He did so rs il afforded an exr
ample ofthe prostitution of the press 10
party purposes. Thai paper, which formet-
y did him more than Justice and paid him
the highest compliments as a soldier aud
elvllian-whose editor at one time could
designate no other man whom be consid.
cred so WE'LL qualified for the responsible
place OF Secretary Of War--was now lend
ing itself TO the circulation OF the most dis
credltable calumnies against him and en-
deavoring TO persuade his countryDen thar
he was coward and federalist He al
luded to the evidence upon which. the En-,
az H.