Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1840-07-02
NUMBER 10.
From the Msdissnian---Juns 20, ls40.

GEN. HARRISON AMONG THE PEOPLE.
We noticed the fscs the other day that General
Harrison had left his home to visit the site Of old
Fort Meigs. He srrivsl at Columbus on the alter
noon Of Friday week, and lsft It ten o'clock next
morning. The short period he waA present in thar
city was remarkably Interesting. Al the mcmens
when he was about TO dnpars, he vas ooasrsined 10
answer the calls Of the sovereign people, and - ac-
co,dingiy addressed them nearly an hour in the
frank and manly spirit Of soldier. We have read
his remarks with unalloyed delight No MAN, Of
any party, who has heart, can peruse them with
out an honest emotion OF satisfaction. What ~
lief il such speech from the bitter Trades Of par
" slang-whangers. We throw aside crowd Of
other matter. TO give place to the following which
We find In the Ohio Confederate, Of the fllh Inst.
Gen. Harrison left Cincinnati, ON Thursday--hs
arrived here. distance Of 100 mies, II Sve o.
clock r. NJ, on Friday He was on his feet, recei-
wing the Gala and congratulations Of our citizens.
for houn after his arrival In the evening ho r..
paired, BY invitation, to the Log Cabin. where ~
dtionsl hundreds had congrsgsted 10 meet this BE-
loved and vanersted patriot. Hero with the fraak-
ness and unIessrvedness which have marked biz
character through life, did he ningls for two hours
with the " Log Cabin boys" Of tho Capital. Long
before the sun. and before our youth asr, the
General was. on the morning Of the morrow, up and
out. Having brcakfastcd. with friend At : remote
part Of tho city, he was soon again surrounded ~
the multitude Of our people, VIII refused 70 Be sat-
ished without seeing and communing with him.
The period Of his departure was At hAnd--the
crowd incroased--it was impossible that Ia The
brief interval every could be presented indvid.
uaily tho General, and all were anxious 10 see
and hear him. Al the instance Of . friend, who
noticed the popular soicitudc. tho General from
the platform Of the door OF the National Hotsl, ad-
dressed The people for half an hour or more. We
Il a. k.1 L~-- u AZ
speech. How would the dsfamers Of this great and
good man have dwindlcd In their estimation into
merled insignifoance How would the slsndetsrs
who imputc to him motives which never actuated
him and opinions which ks never held; and de-
signs which he never entertained, and principles
which he never cherished and who infamstsly
aseribe TO him inbeciHfy and decrspitnde and cess
ardice--how would these slandcrers have been In
dignantly rebdkcd BY the righteous judgement Of
an honest and insulted people But a. thsy did
not and could hear L. We win endeavor TO pos
sess them cf IL substa3ce. We took no notes.
Neither General Hsrison any other person
thought Of his making public address, Two mi
nues before he coinmehcedit. II arose sut Of the
circumstances which surrounded him at the msmont
land signally illustrated quality of his chatscs
ter To which we have before alludedthc ability al
ways to say and to do exactly what is proper 70 b
said and dine. The reader will bear In mind, there
fore, that We profess only 10 give him the subject
meter, rot the style and expression Of
GEN. HARRIsON's REMARKS.
Gxs. HARRlsoH said. he was greatly indebted
to his fciiow-cifixens Of Columbus and Franklin
County most cordial hospitality had At al
si,ncs been accorded to him by them. 80 long
ago the time when he Was honorsd with the CONF
mssd Of tho q Northwestern Army" and held his
head quarters At FrankliHton. tho other side Of
the river II was bis fortune 10 lind In ths people Of
Franklin County, only good citaens, bat patfi-
OTIS and soldiers. Their nntarying kindnsss to him
had laid him under many previous obligations, and
their GENEROUS attentions the present occlaion he
chseriuIly and gracefully acknowledged.
He said no had no intention to dstain his friends
by making speech. and he did % In obedience to
what he Understood to be tho desire OF those whom
he addressed. He not surprised that public
curiosity awakened in reference to some things
which had been lately published concerning him,
nor was he unwilling 10 satisfy the fcelings Of HE
felIow-ciiizsns by such proper explanations % b.
came him, in his present position before the corn-
try. He confessed that he had suffered deep NOR
thcation since he had been placed before tho pso-
pie - candidate for the highest Office in their gh
may, the most exalted station Ia the world-thas
any portion Of his counttymcn should think Il mo-
cessary or expedient to abuse, Islander Of viilify
him. His sorrow arose not 20 much from person
al--dear to him the humble reputation he
had cafned--as from public considerations. He
might draw consolation, under this species Of nju-
~. ffom the revelations Of history, which showed
,Lat the best Of men, who had devoted their lives
to.ths pelie service, had been tho victims Of ira
duction. But virtue aud truth are the foundations
Of our republican system. When these are disre-
gaded, Our free institutions must fall he looked:
therefore, ut symptoms Of decentralization with sn-
ccre regret, betokening danger public libsrys
part Of The political press, supporting the exist
ing administration, and certain partixans Of Mr..
Van Buren,. also candidate for that high Office, 70
which some Of those whom he addressed desired TO
elevate him, had Invented and propagated many
caumnies against him, but no proposed, on tho
present occasion, to speak Of ono only Of the hu-
msrous peversions and SANDERS which Allied the
columns Of the newspapers and misreprssentsd
his character and conduct. He alluded 10 the sto-
~ ofhis famous " CONFIDENTIAL CoMMirfas," q
they called it, The story goes" said Gen. Har-
rison, "that have not only Committee Of con-
science keepers, but that they put mo ia . cage,
fastened with iron bars, and keep 10 thai." TIE
who looked at his bright sparkling eys-ths
light which beamsd in it, rich exprsssion--the
smiles which played upon bis countensncc, blend
ing the lineanients Of bsncvolonco and hrmnsss--
who remembered also that he was listening 70 tho
voice Of a son Of old GOV. Harrison, one Of "ths
signers," the pupil Of old (" Mad Anthony" the
hero Of Tippscanoo, the defender Of Fort Mcigs,
tbs conqueror Of Proctor--ths idea Of WIN. HsSRy
HARRIsos in . cage! was irresistably ludicrous!J
When the laughter had subsded, the General
proceeded, /" have no committee, feow-sitssns,
confidential or other. 1t 10 trus, that employed
my friend Major Gwynn, to aid me, 10 returning re-
plies to some of the numerous questions proPoun-
ded to me BY letters but TO ssch only ~ any man
could answer % vol - another. There il scarees
lya question Of . political nature, now sgitatipg
the public mind, on which have not long since
promulgated my opinions. by speeches, published
letters Or official large majority Of letters
Il - --E
Abolition, United States Bank and other matters
concerning which my views were already il possss-
sion Of the public. The most suitable snswsf 70
these--and to well intentoned persons, the moss
satisfactory--was . reference 70 the documents T.
which ny opinions already expressed. we're TO =