Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1840-07-16

columns Of the newspapers and misrepresen,e,
his character and conduct. He alluded 10 tn,
lstory Of his famous "CoNFIDENT1AL COMMITTEES.
as they caledit. "The story goes" says Gen
+ Harrison, SHAT have not only a committee o
conscience-keepers, but that they put me in ,
lcage, fastened with iron bars, and keep me ir
that To one who looked at his bright anc
sparkling eye-the light which beumed in it,
rich expression--the smile which played upor
his countenance, blending the lneamen,s
Ibenevoence and frmne0s--who remembered
also that he was listening to the voice OF q SOL
Iof OLE Gov. Harrison, one OF ssthe sipners.'
the pupil of old "Mad Anthony" the here
Iof TipPecanoe, the defender Of Fort Moigs
the conquerer Of Procior--the idea Of. WIN
HENRY HARRISON in cage! was irresi Abl,
ludicrous!
i When the laughter had subsidized, the Gener
al proceeded. II have no committee, fellow
Icitizens, confidential or other. 1t is true tina
employed my friend, Major Gwynn, to aid me
in returning replies to some of the numerou.
Questions propounded to me by letters But tc
such only as any man could answer as well as
another. There is scarcely question of pc.
litical nature now agtating the public mind
on which have not long since promulgated
my opinions, by speeches, published letters or
ofhciai acts. A large majority of letters ad
dressed TO me purported to seek my views OF
Abolition, United States Bank, and other mat
tiers concerning which my views we're already
lin possession oil the public. The most suitable
answer to these-and to well-inten,ioned per-
sons the most satisfactory--was reference to
the documents in which my opinions already
lnYnrnecad . ha lotnA Cuoh I
entrusted TO my weli-tried and faithful friend
Major Gwynn. Letters requiring more par
tcular attention answered myself. Every
body who knows Major Gwynn knows that he
is not one whom would employ to write po-
litical letter. He is self-made mana SOL
der and gentleman-bu neither politician
nor scholar. asked the service of him, be-
cause he was my friend, and confided in him,
and it was plain and simple. My habit is TO
receive, open and read my letters myself. Such
as require special attention, reply to myself.
Such as may he easily answered by another, II
hahd TO my friend, with an endorsa,ion indica-
ting where the information sought may be
(ound-as thus--"Reicr the writer to speech
at Vincennes"-or 'the answer is seen in my
letter to Mr.. Denny,"&c. But it seems that
Major Gwynn was Chairman Of Committee
Of the Citizens ofCincinnati or Of Hamilton
County. When the famous Oswego letter was
received, it was read, and as usual with such
letters, endorsed it and handed it to Major
Gwynn. But, il seems, when the answer was
prepared it was signed also by his colleagues
Of the County or City Committee. OF all this
| knew nothng-nor in their capacity Of Com
mittee had they any thing to do with my lot.
70 Vof hv n IiftIn voiatako md no,,nh ror II
version these gentlemen have been erected in
to committee Of my observation-disclosures, and
made to shut me up in cage 10 prevent me
from answering interroga,ories. Gen. Harr-
son remarked, that had he, indeed, called to his
assistance the service Of a friend in conductingI
his correspondence, he would have high author
ity justify him in the measure. 1t had been
said of General Washington that many Of the
papers which bear his signature were written
by others, and he believed it had never been
and Gen. Breckenridge, aid tol
General jackson in the late war, had preresen-
ted himself,to be the author Of much of Gen.
Jackson'S correspondence. But he had not
done so, to any extent or in any other sense
than as he had now explained tin requestingl
Major Gwynn to refer those addressing inqui-I
ries 10 him, to the public sources Of informa-
ton. And he would here say, that in all his
public life, civil and military, there was no let
Ter, report, speech or order, bearing his name,
which was not written wholly by his own hand.
He said, to open, read, and ansUer all the let
tiers received by him, was physically impossi-
BILE, though he should do nothing else whatever.
To give his hearers an idea Of the labor il,
would require, he said gentlemen then pres
ent was with him the morning he left Cincin-
natl, when he took from the Post Office l6 let
ters--there we're usually half the number att
the Post Office near his Residences letters
per day. Could any man, he asked, give the
requisite attention to such daily correspon-
dence, even 10 the neglect Of every other en-
gagements True il was, that many commu |
nications were sent him which were not
entitled TO his notice-sent by persons who
had no other object but 10 draw from him
which might be used to his injury
Andtihe injury Of the cause with which he
was identified-yet, there were enough Of
hose which claimed his respectful considara-
lion for the sources from which they came and
The subjects upon which they referred, to oc-
cupy more time and labor than any one man
could bestow upon them
Gen. Harrison said he had alluded particu-
arly TO this matter or the Committee because
i had so recently been the occasion Of so much
by his political adversaries.--
BUTT was one only Of many misrepresentation
Of him, his conduct, his principles and his opin-
ions with which the party press was teeming.
He said it would occupy him many hours toll