Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-05-01

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the size or number of the family who were to nhab''
a., sv.leurnes with reference to increase, a
puncheon floor, lin bark lof, and cl.p'o@-d -""t-
The industry of the matron and her daughters was
displayed BY the thick folds of lnsey frocks, panta
looms, and hunting shirts, which behung IFS walls
IT'S loft was UNDERLYING with strings OF dried pump
kins, and its capacity heated and lighted with a
large wood fire from its capacIous chimney %
much for the description. Now for the trollc The
frolic consisted in dancing playing, and singing love
and murder songs, eating johnny cake and pumpkin
pies, and drinking new whskey and brown sugar out
of gourd Our dancing in my youthful day, and IN
my neghborhood, was done to the performance OF an
old Irshman with leg with the heel of which nc
beat time fiddle with three strings, to the air of
Barney let the girls alone,
Barney lei the girls alone,
Barney let the girls alone,
And let them quiet be-
judy put the kettle on
Judy the kettle
And well all take tea.
far If recolect right think fiddler played but
one tune.
But let me tell you, sir our girls were not to be
sneezed at. They presented form IN beauty ti"t
marked the developments OF nature, when unrestraeo
by corsets and the whitening dissipation OF fashionable
and high life, and their gueless hearts looked through
countenance that demanded confidence IN their nno-
cent and unsued virtue. But, oh, their forms. when
YOU piled your arm 10 their waist in the gddy waltz
with the twenty-five yards OF warm hnscy IN whcn
they were comfortably enwrapped, you had an armful
OF health and frmness These constituted my plea
sures in the days Of log cabins, and this descrip
ton Of log cabins, which, far Us 1t goes, Will be re-
cognised by those who have been found IN the Yves
tern country But, Sir, the days OF log CABINS nave
passed away in the older settlements of the West,
and with them most of the log cabins; and with the
log cabins many of the amGScments common TO such
tenements All the older pioneers of the West ana
their descendants, who have observed that Eind OF pro"
dence industry and economy, which constitute the
character Of The rood ct2en and entltlc HIM to the
confidence of honest men, have possessed themselves
of comfortable and commodiouS brick and frame nous.
es large barns and well improved farms, checkered
with grain fields of every color, and mantied win
horses cattle sheep, and hogs, and with hard cash ior
= rainy day aud some to lend friend IN need
General Harrison was one of the earliest settlers of
the West WHY is he not provided with the means,
too of comforting the shutdown OF his HE: II would
SEEM if he had possessed the ordinary prudence, IN
dustry economy, and stability common to the pioneers
of the West and which has raised them from Indulgence
To comfort and ease; and some OF them to aifurhce,
lao would not necessarily be the humble tenant OF
log Cabin and haze to toll his winter beaten frame IN
the child OF old age, for his daily bread How does
,his matter stand 1T has become duty and our m
terest to inqure for il his poverty the result OF ms
fortunes and rntowari circumstances, over which
he could have had control, then is II virtue,
rather than fault, and claims Conmiseraton. But
# it is the result Of mprudence, extravaganza, ..
Of ill-drected Judgment, the fault is his own and
such faults and frailties clearly render him unh'
10 be the Executive ruler of Il great and power.
fu nation. What have been his mistortunes and
what his opportunities | profess to be somewhat
acquainted with the history of Gen. Harrison pot
cal military, and private life am his ncighhor, and
live in his county As to his private llic ! hhoc q
no stain thct for moment sullcs him believe he Is
strictly honest; | believe he is liberal, but not :" -
fault | have meyer heard of any pccun:ary i!s"r
tunes the lot of that man: and | think his history
(and bv: the-bye, let me here say, that have very
little confidence iii the history o! man, written anc
published in his life time; such history is very aP
10 be coorcd and bedzened with aduat"n and t'atery
represents him the descendant OF ''Ho"6 bonn; :
of highly respectable and wealthy parcntage. Veal
Inv parentage: Then he received at his outset Pa
trinlony w hat has become of that: Why, II It wa:
not borne away upon the wings OF misfortune, per
haps it was sacrifice to the ;ncXpercnce of youth
Be il so. That is not To he charged TO hiin as
fault now nor does it max" Em The less capable o.
dischargng important Official duties, tor winch h'
NAV have qualifications. But HI. history (verbai II no
wrien) represents him having received large ior
tune in lands of the most valuable quality, and ,h'
most eligible location, by his marriage. What has be
come of that fortune: For its flight 1t viii not be Sc
easy TO find an apology for, lis reception he was
in The vgar aud wisdom of manhood; with his mind a
its strength and with judgment at ITS full SIZE Bu
If the loo cabin and the poverty story IS rne that cs
tate is in way disposed Of But that IS not an
General Harrison has held profitable Offices from h
boyhood With but little ncrnission to this day, In
hand has been in the public Treasury Yes, SIR, al
almost without interrcgnum through a lie as long a.
the Divine promise-tor, | believe he is now on the
verge of the horizon of threcscore and ten-and at th
moment holds Office worth, think, clear and clear
Of all expenses five thousand dollars per annum.
think may venture to say General Harrison received
from the public Treasury than one hundred thou
sand dollars He has drawn more from the public
Treasury than siA-lorse team can haul, III hard dol
lars over the Allegheny mountains, the nationa
ro1d and yet his political partzans clam for him tho
Presidency, because he is poor and needy. What ha
become of this last vast estate: Can his friends an
swer,
Why sir, so far from General Harrison being untor
tunate he has been of fortunes choicest and mos
cherished children. Now, permit me to ask, II Gc
neral Harrison's poverty gives him claim upon th
American people either for political patronage or ever
more than common sympathy; certainly not, unless
be shown clearly that he has been reduced porcr
BY misfortunes and calamtcs beyond hrs control
While settled principle honorable to the Amcrcai
character that the vrtuons and qualified poor man IS pre-
icrred 10 the virtouS and quGi ned rch man Tor Office
iet inquire whether, when poverty the result oil ex
travagance profgacy, indol, nee, weak m'nd u bad
directed Judgment encouragement, Il does not con
qualification to hold responsible station Q
official character Permit me to ask, ii the man wh
has not had the capaci'v n competency 70
the evening OF his life ~ such vast resources, cal
safely be trusted with the administration Of this Go
yernment: ask the question candnr ana truth
and il becomes every American 10 ask the qucs
ton Is the who has not the ability control and
MANAGE his own small and circumscrbed domestic con
Germs the suitable man in whose hand to place the
des,nies Of this naton-the management of this wide
spread and complicated Federal Union, whose harmony
and whose duration-whose prosperity at home, an,
whose character abroad, depend upon lis udicous laws
their best direction, and able and faithful execution
A patriotic and intelligent people will answer TIM
question
But, Sir, will now come 10 the rescue OF Genera
Harrison, and relieve him from the incapac'ty wheel
his own friends have virtually and indirectly charged
upon him General Harrison is not poor man; h
does not live in log cabin; nor does he toll IN swea
and dust for his living lie rich man. he lives IN
magnificent frame house, and is surrounded with
prncey estate of as good land ever the Nile nun
dated, and handsomely and advantageously Located
rs any past which the majestic floods Of the Ohio o.
Mississippi roll from their TO the Cult OF Mex
leo No, sir, all this story about the log cabin Is
falsehood 1t is fraud, attempted to be prac
Used upon the credulty aud sympa,hies of the Amer
can people, for the base, denasogical purposes OF poll
teal deception General Harrison neither TO be che
rished nor repudiaed by the log cabin fiction the whole