Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-02-06
POLITICAL.
GE n. HARRISON.

/
State OF Maryland have. for some time, been active
" urging painst YOU new chatge-tha OF settin Q
Unite men, which probably had no Uncomfortable Ell
feet in the reeeut elections that state. and which
is evidently much relied upon to influence tho APP
proaeh,ng elections lhroug hout the United Smtes.-
| enclose you paper tlhe Baltimore Republican,
obtaining the charge IN full, and beg OF YOU, as
act Of Justice 10 yourself and your friends tn
able me TO leiue a charge against the uniform tenor
iyour lie. which | am well aware, has been replee
with Instances oi distinguished private liberaliy and
public sacrifice.
With the highest ,cspecf, have the honor to be,
your fellow. cilizcn,
JOHN II. PLEASANrs.
GEN. WM IL. IlARRisoN.
RcnMoNp, Sept.l 10, 1886.
DEAN Sin:-- ACT nowledge the receipt OF you,
favor of this date have helorc heard of the
sarion TO ~hirh IT refers. On my way hi,her, met
yesterday with sonng gentleman who informed inc
that vote OF mine IN the Senate OF Ohio had been
published, ia favor ola law to sell persons impfison-
ed under udgn en Ter debt, for term Of years, II
unable Otherwise III discharge the execution. did
not, for a moment, hesitate To declare that hal
never gwen any sucl vote aud that, II a vote Of
that description had been Published aud asetibed 10
me, it Infamous forgery. Such an act would
have been repnanant tn my feelings and IN dIree1
conflict with my opinions public and ptyDle through
the whole course ofmy lite. No such proposition
was ever submitted 10 thu Legislature OF Ohio
none such would, for moment, have been enter
Ialncd--nur would any sou oil hers have dared TO
propose il.
SO far from being willing TO sell men fsr debts
which they are unable 10 discharge, | an, and ever
have been, opposed 10 all nnpiNuument Tor debt
Fortunately. have II my power to show that such
has been INV established opinion; and that, IN
public capacity, | avowed aud acted upon H. VIII
those who have preferred the uniUpnded and mali
clous accusations refer tho Journals Of the Senate
an ,,it nd - tK.u
325 1t will there be seen that was OF the Com
mlltre which reported bill 10 abolish imprisonment
Tor debt When the bill was btio,e the Senate
advocated ITS Adoption, aud on i's passage, voted IN
favor See Senate journal, lst session, goth Con.
lress pages loI aud l02.
1t is not hlle remarkable that, II the Effort am
accused of having made to subject 10 sale iof
the payment oi then debts. had been success iu,
might, inm the state ofmy pecuninry circunlsian-
at The ilme, have been Tho first victim. ! ,opeal
The change is vile calumny. At no period oi my
hle W,ud have consented TO subject The poor AID
unfortunate 10 such drg,a nor have omit.
ted to exert myselln lllelr behalf against such an
attempt to oppress tliem.
Itis sought 10 support the charge by means OF
gatblcd extracts tlom the Journals Of the Senate nj
Ohio The Section OF he bin which is eml Logged
for that purpose had manner &C reference 10 the
relation oil creditor and debtor, aud could not by
possibility subject the debtor 10 the control OF his
creditor. None know better than the authors Of
the calumny that the alleged section is utterly Al
variance with the charge which It ~ attempted 10
ionnd upon IL; and lhat So lar from PROPOSE
ton 10 invest creditor with power the Liberty
OF his debtor. had respect only 10 the mode oi
disposing Of pubic offenders who had been found
guilty by jury oil their fellow citzens oil some
crime against tie laws Of their State. That was
exclusively the import aud design OF The section Of
the bill upon the motion 10 strike out which, voted
III the negative. So you perceive tina, in place oil
votIug % euatget the power OF creditors, lie vote
which | gave concerned alone the treataent oil
maelactoIs, eonr eled OF crimes against The Pub
lie.
ltwould extend Ibis letter TO an inconvcnienl
length iog 90 fully INTO the reasons which led me
AT the time TO noplnion III favor 81 the proposed
treatment OF that class OF offenders who would have
fallen within lis operations, nor IL such an expose
called for. The measure was by no means a novel
~ 10 other parts oi the country. Ia the Slate vi
Delaware there Is an in force IN similar
words with the section Of the bill before the Ono
Senate, winch has been made OF late The pietext OF
such inyidious inyeetHe. Laws with somewhat
similar provisions may probably be found III many
other OF the States. Ia practice the measure wouh
have amelIoraled the eondton oil those WHO were
under condemnation. As the law stood, they were
liable under the sentence 10 confinement 10 Tie
common Jail, where offenders OF various degrees oil
pr6iligacy-oi dillefenia ages sex atd COLOR wee
crowded together. Under such circumstances, lis
obvious that the bad must become worse, whilst re-
The youthful offender, II might be hoped would be
reclaimed under The operation Of the proposed s,s-
TEN but there great reason 10 Iesr his slill
greater corruption amid The contsglon oil IA common
rece pacle oil wee. Besides, he proposed amend.
nents Of The law PIE supposed that the delinquent
was in confinement for tho non-payment oil hue
and cos OF proseculion--Uhe payment oil which
was paH OF the sentence j II seemed, therefore,
humane in respect ihr offender, 10 relieve hin
from confinement which deprived HIM OF the means
Of dischargmg he penalty, aud TO place HIM IN sit
uaton IN which lie might work out his deliver
ante even al the loss Tor tIme OF his personal lbel
~
But fobear 10 g. further into the reasons which
led me, sixteen yeafs a2p, rs nchDef oi the oho
Snate, to entertain favourable OPINION OF an aera-
which was pro posed IN the criminal police oil the
State. 1t is certain that neither in respcctio my
self or those WHO concured with, the opinion
at the lime considered The result oil uhinendy
bias towards The poor or unfortunate. Nay, the
last object which could have anticipated even IRON
The eager and reckless desire To assaiI me, was a
charge Of uufiendllness to The humble aud poor Of
the community.
| am, my dear sir, with great respect, your hum
BILE servant,
W. II. HARRISON.
| ], II. PLEAsANTs, Esq.
~ The following is a communication address
ed BY him. ~ 1921, 10 q Cincinnati Editor, in which
/ L.I Iaa