The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-07-16
NUMBER AZ.

binary confluence rcp0sed IN him by tho
gallant Governor aud people of that State,
when they subsequently, honored him with
the command OF their army, composed Of
the choice spirits of The land, the best blood
/ Of kentucky. Gen. Harrison spoke with
deep emotion Of the trust reposed in han by
Kentucky, on the occasion alluded TO, and
! sad, that the commission which made him
, the Commander of that brave and patriotic
army OF kentucklans, he had always held
as the most honorable commission which it
had been the fortune Of his life 10 have con.
lerred upon him.
He referred 10 a very recen, story. got
up in his own neighborhcoJ, and sent forth
to the world, corroboraied by the sanclily
Of an affidavit, which represented him as
conessing to young man On a steamboat
that he was an aboltionlst, and that, al.
though lie voted against restrictions on Mis-.
sour, he did so in opposition TO the sugges
lions OF his conscience, &c. He said The
narrative bore on IL lseo the proofs Of It's
absolute iaisity-and UhcH lie pronounced
Il fabrication, withoU, the scmbiauce Of
fact or word for It's basis, il was not be.
cause he thought i, required d contradic.
ton, but TO evince the ,eckessness and des.
peration Of bis political enemies, who seem.
ed to have given up every ground OF hope,
save tina! which they found in vilfying his
name. at is melancholy fact, fellow.
! citizens" said Gen. Harrison, shat the
advocates Of MIR. Van Buren, should SO far
forge. what belongs to the character of an
American citizen, and do so much violence
TO the nature Of our free institutions, as TO
place the great political contest in which
we are now striving, upon au issue such as
this | would not accept the lofty station.
10 which some Of you are proposing to eie.
vate me, if il came TO me by such means.
| would not, if | had the power to proven!
it, allow the fair fame of my competitor to
be uniusty assaed and wounded even for
the aualnmen, Of that lofty aim of noble
ambition. Nay, have often defended Mr..
Van Buren, against what | believed to be
the misrepresentation OF my own mistaken
friends and others. Fellow citizens, if Mr..
Van Buren, be the better statesman, let Us
say sol shall be the last man TO raise en
objection against it, or 10 desire 10 impose
restraints upon the utmost independence OF
thought aud action, and the freest express.
sion Of feeling and opinion. love frank
and generous adversary-such man | de.
light to embrace, and will serve him, accor.
ding to my ability, as cheerfully as my pro.
essed friend. But that political warfare
which seeks success by foul detractiou, and
strives for ascendancy by tie rum of per
sonal character, merits the indignation OF
honest men, is hateful TO e"ary generous
mind, and tends loo surely 10 the destruc.
ton Of pablo virtue and, as consequence,
10 the downfall Of public liberty"
Gen. Harrison apoIosized for occupying
his felIow.cii2eus SO long. He said he
would but mention one more of the lates.
SANDERS which had come TO his knowledge.
German paper, published in Cincinnati,
almost under his own eye, puts it forth,
with apparent sincerity, that " Gen. Harri.
son, now a candidate for the Presidency Of
the United States, was, many years ago,
when young man, aid 10 Gen. Wayne dur.
ing his Indian wars-and that, whenever
young Harrison found that battle was com.
ing on, lie always ran off into the woods"
(Agaln there was loud aud irrepresslble
laughter.) The editor forgot. said the Gen.
era!. when he served up this little dish, that
the only possible security TO young Harri.
sons scalp, on the approach Of battle with
the indians, was in keeping out Q the Woodsl
Such story as this can only excite smile
here, it is true, said Gen. H., but this pa.
per crcua,es not alone in the United States
copies of it are probably read in Europe,
where our history is less known, and where
the contradiction of such silly talsehoods
may possibly never come.
1T has long been proverbial of old sol.
diers," fellow citizens, continued Gen. H.,
"that they deligh, to 60 back TO other days
and tigh, their battles over again. When
began this address TO you, intended only
to speak Of my !ar.tamed COMMITTEE OF
Conscience keepers and the " Iron Cage"
in which they confine me, but have un.
Willingly taken advantage Of your kind dis.
position TO listen to me, and extended my
remarks TO other though kindred topics.
will only add that, although they have made
q wide mistake who make me dwell in an
" Iron Cage" the unlucky wigh, who put
me in Log CABIN was little nearer the
truth than he probably supposed himself to
be. 1t is true tina, part of my dwelling
house is log cabin, but as to the hard CT.
der, (the laughter which followed the allu-
sion to the "hard cider branch of the story
drowned the voice Of the speaker.)
But, said Gen. Harrison, admonished by
the proverb, that you may ascribe my long
speech to the infrmity Of an old soldier,
and bring me under the suspicion Of the 10.
quacity of age, will conclude these hasty
and unprecedented remarks by thanking
my fellow citizens Of Columbus for their DO.
likeness on the present occasion as we'll as
for The friendly feeling of which they have
uniformly and often heretofore given me so
many gratifying proofs.
The General retired, leaving the crowd,
which had continued to accumulate while
he spoke, delighted with the promp, and
manner IN which he had met