Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-10-08
From the Charleston !Mercurg.

We are glad Ia see that even The whi2
papers of Georgia are startled at The scntI-
ments and principles that form The basis Of
the constitution Of the Richmond Abolition
Society. Of which Gen. Harrison boasts TO
have been member Eat the early ase Of
eighteen" IL presents prints indeed at
which Southern maj even i'll the mad
dest pariizau fury, cannot hut shrink back.
Besides abounding in the coarsest aud
most insulting can, Of Abolition, itcxpress-
" provides that mo person shall he "A
member who holds a slave or IS concerned
i'm the uurighteous tra6c of buying or sell
ling that unhappy race Of human beings"
], is not the crime of Gen. ii. that he
was member of this society in his youth,
bu, that in manhood and in old age-iu
the wear 1921, aud again in lSlO. he has
published it. claimed i, az merit and re-
commended himself to the Abulitinnisls
on the ground tha, he hat been faithful
all his life to the Obligations he then came
under. How this can be gor over. il
would puzzle even whig parIizan to dis.
cover. We shall see how they have al
tempted it.
The constitution ofihe Richmond Ahn-
l,ion Society was publiched in the Ma
,ional Inquirer, Pennsylvania paper a.
bou, four years ago and passed without
much comment, because at the time no.
body at the South cared what were the
opinions and what had been the connec-
,ions of WIN. IL. Harrison. The presiden-
tial elections had passed, and he was sup
posed 10 be politically nothing. But the
docuneu, was then published because il
was found among the papers Of a gentle
man then recently deceased, Mr.. Thomas
Shipley, and was regarded as curiosity.
The recent contest a,ont the character Of
this Society, which Gen. ii. himself. by
his manifold eqnivocatons has in great
measure given rise Ia, induced q cores
pondeur of the Pennsylvania Freeman, 10
copy il AMI Sc ! it to that paper about a
month aud half ago. 1t embraces a.
mons its officers names familiar still TO
Richmond. among them that of Robr.
Pieasants, the father. we believe. Of the
present senior editor of the Richmond
Whig. 1t has passed the ordeal unlucs-
toned till for the frs, time the Augusta
CRfORtCtC UUu korHttutt u
forserv-not because any body in Virginia
has given color 10 such an opinion, bul
from internal evidence. General Harri
son was the son Of slave holder, aud
therefore according 10 this learned expon-
der of law, could MOI at the age OF eighteen
have been a member Of socielv that ex
cluded shareholders! All the other proofs
oflhe Chronicle are mere nothing, and for
this. we are fully impressed with the con
viction that Gen. Harrison never did own
a slave in his life. The authenticity ofIhe
document however in no sort depends up.
on thar, as it is manifest that he could unr
have owned one, during the life ofhis father,
,iIl three years after no joined The Abolition
Society. II there had been auy doubt of
the authenticity of this paper, however,
it would nor have been left for an editor in
Georgia to discover il. The Richmond
Whig has done its hest t. sufien The whole
matter to the people of Virginia, but not a
word Of forgery