Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-07-02
G'spl.H'aHt}As..
Prom the Detroit dfre,dser.
GENERAL HARRlSON'S SPEECH AT
FORT MElGS.

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FELLOW Cir,zrNs:
AN not, upon TINS occasion. before YOU in nc
cotdahce with my nwn individual views or wishes
II has ever appeared 10 ne, thu the Office OF Pc
sldeat al the Uniled STATES should nj be saaph
alier by any individual but that the penplr ,honlt
| spontaneously aud with their own fee will ne
cord The distinguished honor TO the na, nbo The,
believed would bcsi perform us Inpnlttn ,,uiie. =
Entertaining these views, should te law q, zrus
have renamed AT home bul l,r the pressing aud
h'endly imitation winch have received trom tn
clilhrnS OF Petp eh, aud The eafbeslness wtl
winch IFS dcCeplaion WAS urged upon me bN itleud
N whom trusted, ard whom ! am proud 10 Sc,
abound me. II, how ever, rllpw-cuIcns, | had no
compiled with lhat luvitauon--d | had rem lnea
Al lome-belicse inc, my trends. that my spun
would have been wIth You Tor whcte. IN tbs
beautiful land Is ihete place calculated. ~ TIN
Is, 10 real long past "reminiscences, and ietiyt
long slumb"tug, bnt nol whol' cxHns 0lshed, emo.
TONS, III my BOSOM
In casting my eyes around, fellow citizens, they
rest upon the sp't whete the gtllant Wayne III
0mphed 80 glatiously over his encmles. and eaifed
ont those principles whth II srtiued his pleasure
10 impress upau MY mlnd. and IN winch II las ever
been my happiness h0mbly L. attempt 10 lnlta, =
hin. II WIS theic. fellow culzens, saw The ban
of the Uniled States nall III triumph over The
nae of the enemy. There II WIS where WIS first
LAID the fouudaaon of the prosperity of tho NV
VIDE pcad aud beauntal west Ii was there /
brheld the indignant Eagle ito"n upon the Brniss
Lion. ltwas there the yoath OF the land
carry out the lesson, thcy lmbbed hum the gallant
Wayne-lhe noblesl aud best an American can &c
qolrc--to de lor his country WHEN called TO do No
III is defence.
fAtlhls moment the speakers eye fell upon Gen.
Hedges wien lac sad Gen. hedges wall Won
come ~ hefei You have sood by my side IN the
hour Of battle. and canno, bear Ia you u, 81
errat 1 distance now ;" lmnIrusr theplinp follow.
cd at I'D nj
''talse him up" 'plaee him by the side OF hl4 old
General" had scarcely been alDerco, when Gou.
Hedges WIS aftltd forward Ia The sDaud
The General continued. 1t was tbeir | saw ia.
tened my beloved companions--thc companions Of
my you h. Il was not IN accordance with The Stern
ct q 6ellc of mlhlar, life then. 10 moulu their de-
pdlturc but | n,ay Low dfop u tear over lheIr
graves Al the recollection III ihcu vuurs and worth.
In 1898, Tel 'ow- q iIrns, | received my comni,-
sion 10 serve 5d,I Gen. Wayne. In 1874, vas
hls and at The baltle oil Mann. Nineteen years NJ
ler~mds bad tie loroi OF agen beng as.ociated
with many Of hose who where ~ COMPANIONS IN
arms then. Nineteen years afterwards, | lonud
nSsei Commander Incl ot the Month Nest.
ern Army but | found dlnlnniion ~ the
bravery OF The American solder | found the
same spiflt oil vdor III aIl-not III the regular sol
der only, but ia The enrolled militia aud yoluutcef
also
What glorious "reminiscences does the view of all
these scenrs around me recall 10 my mind! When
consented 20 visit this memorable spot expect.
ed thai Thousand pleasant asso1lalious (.oud 10
God there were no painful assoc iatious mingled
with heu) would he recalled that should meet
thousands Of my iellow-c itzens hrre-and aninnp
lhem many ol my old companions heie To
rear new altar 10 liberty place of llic one which
bad men have piosualed.
Aud fellow cnzens. (conllnucd The Genctal)
will not attempt 10 conceal from yon that ~ cuinlug
hele expected that should receive from You
those evidences OF regard which generous people
are ever wiling bestuw upon those whom they
believe 10 he honest IN their endca,ofs 10 serve
their country. | fecewe these evidences of regard
aud esteem ~ the ooly reward Al all adj qnale To
compensate Tor the anxielIcs and anguish which N
the past, | experienced upon this spo'. l. iharr
any man Of scn,iblllty, possessing u feeling of
scli-tespeu, who asks what those feelings were -
Do you suppose that the commander hlrl 6ud,
his reward IN the glItIer aud spendOf Of the amp
IN the forced obedience OF the moses around
him These are not pleasures under all eifcum.
stances-thesG are not the rewards whchd soldier
seeks. | ask any man 10 place himself IA my
situation, aud then say whether the extreme pain
and anguish winch | endured, aud which every
person slmll1rly situated must have endured can
meet with ANY adequate compensation, except by
such expressions oil he confidence aud gratitude OF
the people as thai with which You, icllow-cuiz rs
have tins day h0nored me ruese feeling, are
common to all commanders ol sense aud sens-
billy. The commanders OF Europe POSSESS then
although placed al the head 81 aInles reared Ia
war. How much more naturally would those
feelings attach to commander situated as !
WAS For OF what maleral was the amy cum
posed which WIS placed under NY command i
The soldiers who fought aud b ed and lnunp4ed
here. were lawyers, who had thrown up their btIes
-physieia :, who bad lad ASIDE their Instruments
mechanics who had pul by their too is--aud. u,
fr the largest propofIons agueuurjsts, who had
left Their plouehs the Iurro", although their fam.
lies depended Tor their bread u Their exefIons,
and who hasteued To the battle field 10 gIve tlIeIr
lite TO their country ii necessary to MAINTAIN
her rlghIs. ! could point rom uhefn | now stand,
10 pieces were fell tins anxieiy pressing heavily
upon me, as | thought oil the iealiM con, quenct 5
ot mistake on nv pant. on the want OF Jud Zueut
on The part OF otneis. ! knew mere were wives
who had gwen their husb nds 10 / Gcd-noihers
Who had clotaed their sons Tor tie baiIle aud
knew that these expecting wives aud mothers w,re
locking for the sac return Of lhe.r husbands aud
sous. When tins was added he feco lection, thai
HE peace Of the en5ire West would be broken
NJ, and the glory Of my country latnl,hed, ii
failed, YOU may pos Dy CONCEIVE The anguish
winch my stnatlol was oalcnlaed 10 tfoIuce.-
Feeling ny responsible ~. personally surge rvsed
aHd directed the arrangement OF the army under my
command. | trusted to no Colonel on other oni
cer. No person had any hand III any disposition o
the army. Every siepul wdtfue, whether ioi goud
! OF i'll. was taken under my own dnectiou, aud o
none Other, rs many @ho nov hear me know
| Whether every movement would. or would not
pass the crlticlsh If Bonapare or Wellington
know not but whether thty would induce applaus,
or censupsodpod myself 1t must iall.
| But, lei"w-cHizens still anolhrr motive induced
me TO accept he invitation which has beru So KIND
extended 10 me. knew that here Should NEE
win many who hal fought and bled under my CON
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