The pilot. [volume] (Baltimore [Md.]) 1840-1840, 1840-04-13


reference to a statement there made that in the
year 1877, the thanks of Congress were refused
to General Harrison, on the ground of some i'm
proper Interference of his, whilst in command on
the frontier, with the supplies for the Army
Mr.. Gushing, with Characteristic industry, slim
ulated by laudable zeal 10 do Justice to the
| Wing candidate for the Presidency has investi-
gated the whole history of this tale, and in the
following letter, placed it in its true light
w .sninUrUN, lyIarcn n, Io4U.
Dear Sir have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter, in which, referring to
the alleged refusal of Congress to pass vote of
thanks to General Harrison for his services in
the last war with Great Britain, you request in
| formation from the subject; and | shall,
with great pleasure, communicate to you the
facts, as they stand proved, inconestibly by the
journals and debates ofCongress and the records
| of the Government.
| 1t is not true that Congress refused vote of
thanks to General Harrison. On the contrary,
such vote was passed, and may be found, by
any one who chooses to look for it, in the publish
ed volumes of the acts of Congress for the proper
year.
The allegation that the thanks of Congress
were refused to him, is founded upon the aulho-
rity OF an imperfect and therefore erroneous pa
ragraph in one of the newspapers of the day, and
upon the artiice ofsuppressng most Of the ma
terial facts of the case they appear in the jour
nails of the Senate and House of Representatives
seized upon by the political opponents of Gene
raj Harrison as the pretext for this allegation,
are examined, il will be seen that, inSend OF
justifying Ieproach, they are in the highest de-
gree honorable to his character and his reputa-
ton.
1t is the undeniable fact, that on the 30th of
! March 1918, the two houses of Congress passed a
resolution, which as afterwards approved by the
President runs as follows:
'.ResoluiOn directing medals to be struck, and, TO-
gether q1ith the thanks of Congress, presented TO
! Major General Harrison and GOrernor Shelly,
and for other purposes.
"6esolred 6v tie Senate and House of Represent
atiUes Ofthe United States Of America IN Congress
assembled, That the thanks of Congress be, and
they are hereby, presented TO Major General
! William Henry Harrison and Isaac Shelby, late
| Governor of Kentucky, and, through them, to
the officers and men under their command, for
| their gallantry and good conduct in defeating the
! combined British and Indian forces under Major
General Proctor, on the Thames, in Upper Can
ada on the fifth day of October, one Thousand
eight hundred and thirteen, capturing the British
army, with their baggage, camp equipage, and
artillery; and that the President OF the United
States be requested TO cause two gold medals to
be struck mathematical of this triumph and pre-
scented to General Harrison and Isaac Shelby,
late Governor of Kentucky.
"Speaker of the House of Representatives.
president of the Senate, pro TEN.
! "Approved, April 4, 1918.
This resolution is of course the final and con-
clnsive action of Congress upon the whole matter
of a vote of thanks 10 General Harrison; and, as
the journals show, it passed each House on the
same day, and rithOut a division
, Prior TO that time, however, in preceding
CONGRESS- a similar resolution had been reported
: to the Senate, by the Committee on Military Al
fairs. of which Mr.. James Barbour, of Virginia,
was chairman. The resolution was discussed IN
J, Committee of the Whole, and it is the action in
this Committee Of the Whole, separated from
the responsible action of the Senate itself, which
RI is unfairly cited alone, by those to whom your
letter refer, as evidence against the honor OF
General Harrison The journals of the Senate
show that, instead of striking out the name OF
General Harrison from The Tesolution the Sen
ale bv vote of ayes and noes, refused 10 concur
in the amendment fthe Committee of the Whole
to that effect; that is TO say, the Senate, in the
most formal manner, expressly rejected The pro-
position to strike out the name of General Har-
rrison. After which, suspending for the present a
final decision on the resolution, the Senate order
| ed il TO be re-commited without change, to the
! Committee on Military Affairs for further con-
sideration This wss on the Doth of April, 1916
The objections to the adoption of the resolu-
ton at that time, on the part of certain of the
members ofthe Senate, grew out of a groundless
and malicious attack on the integrity of General
| Harrison by persons concerned in some of the
army contracts for the supply of the Northwest
ern Army.
Upon the accusation being publicly made by
the persons in question, General Harrison adj
dressed letter to the Speaker of the House OF
Representatives, demanding generally investiga-
tion of his conduct as to the expenditures in the
Eighth Military District while under his com
L d