The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-07-16
CHARLOTTE, n. c., JULY IG. 1910.

famous Cor Edential Committee" as the,
calledit." Tile story goes" said Genera
Harrison, that have 10, only commit
tee Of conscience. keepers, but that they pu
inc IN a cage, fastened with iron bars, auC
keep me in that" TO one who looked a
his bright sparkling eye-thc light which
] beafOed 10 lis rich expression--the snilt
which played upon his counteuance, blend
ing The llneamen.s of beneyolence and fra
ness--@ho remembered also that he was
listening to the voice of son of old Gov
Harrison, one Of :" the signers," the pupil OIL
old " Mad Anthony" tho hero Of Tippcca.
noe, the defender Of Fort Meigs, The con.
queror Of Procior-the idea nf VIM. Henry
Harrison in cage-was irresistiLiy ludi.
crous
When The laughter had subsidized, the Gen
eral proceeded. 81 have no committee,
fellow citizens, confidential or other. Ii is
true that ! employed NY friend, Major
Gwy IN, 10 aid me in Teiurnng replics to
some Of The numerous questions prupound
ed to the By letters. But TO such only as
/ any MAO could answer as well as another.
There is scarcely question Of political
nature now agltatlng the public mlnd, on
which have not long since promu!g gated
my opinions, by speeches, Published lei!
ieTs, or official acts. A large majority Of
letters addressed 10 me purported to seek
my views Of Abolition, Ualted States Bank,
and other matters concerning which MY
views were already in the possession OF tie
publlr. The most suitable answer to these
aud 10 we'll lntcntiuncd persons the most
satisfactory u reference to the doCu
mcnts IN which my opinions already OK.
pressed we're TO be found. Such answers
entrusted TO my well tried and faithful
fnend, MAJOR G~ynn. Letters requiring
more particular attention, answered my.
self. Every body who knows Major Gwyun
knows that be is not one whom | would
employ 10 write political letter. He is
selt.madc mana soldier and genilcmap
but neither politician nor scholar. |
asked the service Of him, because he was
my friend, aud | couliIed 10 him, as il was
plaza and simple. My habit is to receive,
open and read my letters myself. Such as
require especial attention. reply to myself
Such as may be easily answered by anolh.
or, | hand 10 my friend, with an endorse.
ton indicating where the information sought
may be found, as thus" Refer tue writer
TO speech at NIncennes "-or " the answer is
seen in my letter 10 Mr.. Denny" &c. But
II seems that Malar Gsynn was Chairman
OF Committee Of the Citizens of Clnclnna
II or Of Hamilton county. When the ia
nous Oswego letter was received, il was
read, and as usual with such letters, | en-.
dorsed il aud handed II to Major Gwynn.-
Bus, IL seems, when the answer was pre-.
pared, IL was slgned also By his colleagues
OF the County or City Committee. OF all
this | know nothug-nor N their capacity
OF Committee had they any tmng to DO with
my letters. Yet by little mistake and
much pcrYersiOn, these gentlemen have been
erected into Committee Of my conscience.
keepers, aud made 10 shut me up in cage
10 pFeyent me from answering interrognio.
RES. Gen. Harrison remarked that, had
he, indeed, called to his assistance the scr
wees Of friend III conducting his cores,
ponJcnce, he would have had high autbor.
" to Justify bun in the measure. Il had
been said OF Gen. Washington that many
Of the papers which bear his signature were
written b. others, and he believed ii had
never been conradcicd and Gen. Bfeck
earidge, aid to Gen. jackson 10 the late
war, had represented himself 10 be the au
thor Of much of Gen. Jackson's correspon.
dence, But he had not done so, 10 any ex.
tent or in any other sense than as he had
now explained tin requesting Major
Gwynn 10 refer those addressing inquiries
TO him. 10 the public sources of information.
And he would here say, that in all his pub
lie life, civil and m,'itary, there was no let.
ter, report, speech or order, bearing his
uatnc, which was not written wholly BY his
own hand. He said, to open, read, aud all
swer oil the letters received by him was
impossible, though be should do
nothing else whatever. To give his hear
ers an idea OF the labor It would require,
he said gentleman then present was with
him the morning he left Cincinnati, when
he took from the Post Office rs letters
there were usually half the number at the
Post Office near his resideace-2i letters
per day. Could any man, he asked, give
The requisite attention to such daily cor. !
respoudence, even to the neglect Of every |
other engagement? True 1t was, that many
were sent him which were .
not entitled TO his notce--seDt by persons .
who had no other object but TO draw from
hlm something which might be used to his
INJURY and the injury OF the cause with |
which he was denliGed--yct, there were /
enough of those which claimed his respect.
ful consideration for the sources from which 4
they oama and the subject to which they re,
ierred, to occupy more time aud labor than
any one man could bestow upon them.
Gen. Harrison said he had alluded partIc. 7
uIarly to this matter of the Committee be.
cause it had so recently been the occasion
of so much animadversion by his political
adversares. But It was ono only of many
of him, his conduct, his (
principles and his opinions with which the
party Press was teeming. He SAID itwould
occupy him many hours 10 discuss them, if