The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-28
WHOLE NO. 1872

tional Disgrace and snatch from British domi-
nation and savage butchery, the very country
now represented by the gentleman from Mich
lgan. have yet one other witness to call
against the gentleman from Michigan. Sir.
u the last rest of the illustrous dead is dis
tufbed IN this unnatural war upon a living
soldiers honor, and living patriots fame, the
lauit Is not mine. 1t will appear presently
that the gentleman from Michigan has-un-
Willingly, II may be-dishonored and nsulicd
the dead, and charged the pure and yenerated
Madison with hypocrisy and falsehoad If
General Harrison had been the weak, wicked,
or imbecile thing the gentlemun from Michi-
gan would now pretend, was not this known
TO MIR. Madison, then President Of the u.
States, who gave the orders under which
General Harrison acted, and to whom the lat
ter was responsible for his conduct Surely
no one can suppose that there were wanting
those who, if they could have done so with
truth, would have made known any conduct
OF General Harrison at the time referred to,
which seemed in any degree worthy Of repre-
hension. With all these means OF informa-
ton, what was the testimony Of Mr.. Madison
respecting the battle Of Tippecanoe will
quote his own words from his message to Con-
gress about month after the event The
message is dated 18th December, 1911, and
reads as follows:
" While It is deeply lamented that so many valuable
lives have been lost in the action which took place
the 7h ultlmo, Congress will with satisfaction the
dauness spirit Of fortude VIGOROUSLY displayed by
every description Of troops engaged as ,re as the COL
iected rmness phich disting their commander on
an OCCASION requiring The utmost ererons Of paior and
discipline"
Mr. Speaker, have no pleasure in thus re-
captivating and piling proof upon proof to re-
pei an insinuation, which l think is now appa-
rent TO all has been thrown out in the madness
of party rage, without consideration, and
founded only on total perverson, or rather
fiat contradiction, of every historical record
having relation to the subject.
Something was said by the gentleman from
Michigan about the encampment at Tippeca-
noe. If | understood him rightly, he con-
demned it as injudicous, because il had RI
yer on one side, and morass on another
Now, Mr.. Speaker, shall give no opinion on
the question thus stated; but it just now occurs
to me that this very subject, which think in
the military vocabulary is called castrameta-
ton, admits of some serious inquiry bearing
upon the criticism under consideration. In
almost all scientific research, we find that
what is now reduced to system, and arises to
the dignity of science, was at first the product
of some casualty, which, filling under the no.
tice of some rejecting mind, gave rise to sur
prising results. The accidental falling of an
apple developed the great law of gravitaton
am sure have somewhere seen it stated that
Pyrrhus, the celebrated King of Epirus, who
III b,,o H. ~
first general of his rime first learned to fortify
his camp by having river III his rear and
morass on his flank and this was first sug-
gested to him, by seeing wild boar, when
hunted to desperation, back himself against
tree or rock, that he might fight his pursuers
without danger of being assaied in his rear.
Now, sir, if | comprehend the gentlem an from
Michigan he has against him on this point not
only the celebrated king of Epirus, but also
the wild boar, who, it seems, was the tutor Of
Pyrrhus in the art Of Instrumentation. Here,
then, are two approved authorities, one of
whom Nature taught the art of war, as she
kindly did US colonies, and the other that re-
nowned hero of Epirus, who gave the Romans
so much trouble in his time. These author-
ties are near two thousand years old, and, as
far as know, unqueslioned, till the gentle
man from Michigan attacked them yesterday. /
Here, again, ask who shall decide? Pyrrhus
and the boar on one side, and the gentleman
from Michigan on the other. Sir. | decline
jurisdiction Of the question, and leave the two
hundred and forty colonies of this House to
settle the contest, ''non nosi,um tanies COM
ponere Htes."
Mr. Speaker, | feel it quite impossible to
withdraw from this part Of the debate without
some comment on another assertion, or rather |
intimalon, of the gentleman from Michigan,
touching the conduct of General Harrison at
the battle of the Thames. All who have |
made themselves acquainted with the history |
of that event, know that the order in which
the American army was TO attack the com
bined force of British and Indians at the
Thames was changed at the very moment
when the onset was about to be made. This I
order of the General drew forth from Com
modore Perry and others, who were in the
staff Of the army, and on the ground at the
time, the highest encomiums. The idea OF
this change in the plan of attack, it is now
intimated, was not original with Gen. Harrl-
son. but was, the gentleman seems to init
mate. suggested TO him by another, who, 1t is
said, was on the groand at the time. Who
that other person is, or was, the gentleman
has not said, but seemed to intimate he was
now in the other end Of the Capitol and
thus we are led to suppose that the gentleman
intends to say that Col. Johnson, the Vice
President, is the gentleman alluded to. Sir,
regret very much that the gentleman should
treat historical facts in this way. If there be
any foundation for giving Col. Johnson the
honor Of having suggested to Gen. Harrison
movement for which the latter has received
great praise, why not speak out and say SO
Why insinuate Why hint or suppose on a