Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1840-05-07

published schemes OF abolition, before or
about the time that Gen. Harrison was
eighteen years old but ii never entered
into our heads that they belonged TO that
!" mad and parriclde sect of aboli,ionisss,
which we all now hold IN so much detes,-
alton. We know further, that, at a very
recent period, Thomas Richie, and Mr..
Jefferson Randolph, and Mr.. james Nc
Dowell, were advocates of abolition and
though their doctrines were wild and mis-.
chievous enough, and particularly mis-
chievous in giving countenance to "the
mad and parricide sect Of aboi.ionisis. !"
yet, in candour, we must say, that we do
not regard them as belonging TO that par
ticular sect.
We submit j, TO the good sense of our
countrymen, that the imputaton of Aboh.
tionism against Gen. Harrison, on the al
legged ground that, "just before the ad.
mission of Missouri into the union," he
proposed resolution "for the exclusion
Of slavery from every Territory then held
or afterwards TO be acquired by the Uni
ted States'-(supposlng the assertion true,
which it is not --notirithstanding The no.
torioas fact, that Gen. Harrison, as Re.
preventative in Congress from Ohio, voted
| against the restriction upon the State OF
Missouri, prohibiting the admission of sla.
very in the new State, and thereby sacri
feed, for the time. his popularity in that
part of the Union, and was afterwards re-.
jected as a candidate for Congress for that
very vote--and this imputation coming
from the friends Of MIR, Van Buren,, who
was jealous advocate Of that restriction
on the State of Missouri, is strain of
impudence TO which the annals of faction
or ofjesuis,ry furnish no parallel.
The Address infers that Gen. Harrison
belongs 10 "the mad and parricide sect
of Aboltionisis," from "his proposal to
apply all the surplus revenues Of the u.
States TO the purchase and deportation of
all the slaves in the nation" The aua
thors Of the Address can hardly be gno-
rant that this project is no, peculiar TO
Gen. Harrison, and did not originate with
him. A similar project was suggested by
Mr.. Jefferson, in letter to Mr.. Sparks,
which will be found in the 4th volume oil
his correspondence, page 3SS. A SINH.
lar project was also suggested by Mr..
Monroe in the Virginia Convention OF
1929 80, as will be seen in tho Debates
of the Convention, p. lao, III, y. We
give our adversaries every advantage in
taking their representation of Gen. Har.
rison's opinions, in this particular, to be
fair and true, though we apprehend there
is misrepresentation and then we say,
what they must know, that those opinions
not only do not prove that Gen. Harrison
belongs TO "the mad and parricide sect
OF AboltIonists," but they prove the d.
rect contrary. They prove that Glen.
Harrison proposed the purchase and de
portation Of the slaves, by the application
of the surplus revenues Of The U. States
TO that purpose, ian opinion, which, who.
ther il be wise or not, is not now the qucs.
TOM "The mad and parricide sect OF
boIiionIsts" insist on the immediate abo.
lition OF slavery, without any compensa.
| ton to the owners ofthe slaves and against
their will, and on keeping them in the coun~
| try, at the rIsque, or rather with the GER
tainty, of seryle war, which must end
in the determination OF one or the other
race. Gen. Harrison no more belongs
to the sect of Abohtionists, in the sense in
which this Address uses the phrase, than
a member of the Colonization Society be-
longs to 1.-THE Colonization Society,
which is the especial object of the amino
| sity and detestat:on Of the sect of Aboli.
tionss. But, after ell, the opinion attri.
buted to Gen. Harrison is merely spc-
culative one for il is the most certain Of
all things that are to be anticipated for the
| future, that President Van Buren, viii not
leave one dollar of surplus rerennc to be
applied to this or any other purpose.
There have been already expended, I'M
der his administration, millions of dollars
over and above the current revenue der-
we'd from all sources.
| The Wings CONTINUES this Address, re.
quire the People to believe that General
Harrison IS not an Ab0htionist, "in de.
spite of the notorie,y Of the pregnant
truth that he has been nominated for the
Presidency by the faction Of Aboiiiionists,
and this, too, IN opposition 10 the rote Of
eDery member Of the nominating body pho
belonged TO a slare.hoiding State" In
this passage, there is exactly enough Of
truth to prove the consciousness and ma.
Lightly ofthe Misrepresentation. 1t lis true,
that the members Of the nominating boz
dy (the Harrisburg Convention) from the
slave-hoding States, did, in the first in
stance, vote against the nomination OF Gen.
Harrison for the Presidency; but the au-
thors ofihs Address cannot be so ignorant
as not to know that they so voted only
because they preferred, and therefore vo.
ted for, the nomination of Mr.. Clay--of
Mr.. Clay, against whom this same charge