Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-07-07
u Mr.. Griswold's Card-certainly, in our next.
FOR TIE ENQUIRER

" Mr.. Griswold's Card-certainly, in our next.
TO GEN. WIN. II. HARRISON.
In your late letter to Mr.. James Lyons, you inform
him that Messrs iStnnly, Afford, Legare, Dawson and
King, ''trniy assert that / hare dome and suffered more
10 support SouthGR rehts thur mn Other person Worth
Of .HasOa and Digon's line Really, You do not appear
TO be orerburden"d with m~odeSty. Lest the Southern
people should be ignorant of your important services
IN their behalf, you ~modestly inform ,them that you
shave done and suffered" not a great deal, but '.m0rc''
for "So"htrn rights than any other person North of
Mason and Dixon's line" In other words, you say TO
the Southern people "that Mr.. Van Buren, nor any
. other man North of said line, has done and suffer
" ed for you as much as have, and therefore you
:" Southern people ought 10 sustain me in November
g next Probably, SIR, you will find that the South.
crn people are ignorant of your great doings and suffer.
ings in their behalf, or they differ widely from YOU as
to the measures necessary to "supSort Southern rights"
They are utterly IN the dark as TO your important ser.
vices to them, or the Union, and they will thank you
or your thinking and writing committee 10 ennuierate
the items of what you have 'donc and suffered" for the
South.
The Southern people are very sensitive upon the
subject of Abolition. In 1896, Mr.. Van Buren, dis
closed his opinions frankly and boldly upon this and
all other subjects. You were defeated, and Mr.. Van
Buren, elected President. In his Inaugural he pledged
himself TO veto any bill which Congress might pass on
tins subject, and he has recently declared that his hos
tility to Federal interference with this delicate subject
has been 'greatly strengthened by subsequent expert
ence and reflection What was your course in 1890
upon this same subject: You were written 10 for the
purpose of obtaining your views for the public eye
You received the letter, and from that day 10 this you
have kept your opinions buttOnrd up within your own
doublet. You acknowledged the receipt of The letter
in a laconic note, promising 10 give your opinions fully
in 4 short season; but four years have run round, and,
unfortunate man, you have not yet avowed your senti-
ments with the courage of a soldier or the candor Of a
statesman. Time will demonstrate that the Southern
people are not disposed to award their generous con-
fidence" to him who cannot confde his opinions 10 them.
That want of confidence and reliance upon the people,
which is evinced by your refusal 10 make known your
present political opinions, will be fully reciproca,ed IN
November, By the deafening voices of your country
men. But enough of this. Letne ask for some ofthe
proofs of your sufferings and services for the South.
During John Adams's administration, you opposed the
reduction of the Standing Army, in opposition TO the
Republican party. In 1919, you offered, in the Senate
Of Ohio, the following resolution:
"ReSoleed, That in the present state of pecuniary
embarrassment amongst the people, ttiS nnniSc and i'm
polite far the Gorernment 10 pay of Me pUbic ddt
more rapidly Man the obligations Il may haze come I'M
der 10 its creditors may require, and that any sur plus IN
the Treasury would be more usetully employed in tho
Internal improvements of the country, by roads and
canals, and IN The support and ,nc0nrage,atRt Of domeS-
tic manufactures As a member Of Con gress, you
voted for Internal Improvements again and again
You voted for a bill setting apart the bonus of the last
Bank Of the U. S, as a fund for Internal Improvement,
which passed Congress, and ras retoed by President
Madison, as unconstitutional. You subsequently mani.
tested your regard for Southern rights, by advocating
the election and sustaining the administration of J. z.
Adams. You also voted for the Tariff of ISIS, not because
the Legislature of Ohio instructed you, but purely, |
suppose, Sir, for the purpose of proving your devotion
10 Southern rights, and TO secure the votes oil your
grateful friends, James Lyons d Co, in favor of your
elevation TO the Presidency. The people OF The South
cannot forget your kind consideration for them, after
hearing that you thought the Tariff ought only TO be
abandoned, when grass should grow in the streets OF
Charleston and Norfolk. They also remember, that
you e%ulogIZed the Proclamation, as a greater feather III
Gen. Jackson's cap, than the victory of New Orleans;
and gave them some IRIS ght into your love of RepublI-
can principles, by endorsing MIR. Webster's speeches IN
answer to Mr.. Calhoun. Nor should you and Mr.. Ly-
ons fail TO remind them, that you became a member Of
an Abolition society in Richmond, at the interesting
age of j., which you have recently concluded to CHRIS
ten by the name of 'sHumane society" TO puzzle the
weak and disgust the wise. The Southern people may
learn how much you have Suffered" on their account,
because, in 1888, you declared that it was an object
"ncar your heart TO see the surplus revenue applied TO
the removal of blacks. To the South, yod are repre-
scented only as an Emancipationist, willing to see the
revenues of the Government applied to carry cut that
Abolition, which the Northern fanatics desire. You
agree with them in the object, but differ as to the
means. In 1922, in your letter to the Editor of the In
uuisitor, you say II believe that the existence of slave
~ in our country, IS the greatest evil that we at pre-
sent lie under; and ! believe it to be the duty OF non
slaveholdino States To offer 10 their sister States erery
inducements, and afford them ereyJaeitify 10 get rd 81
his curse Since that time, you wrote a letter, III
which you warmly ~repelled the lmputatIon OF beng
friendly to slavery, ass ''catanny ! have not leisure
or inclination now, TO examine your highly Objection
able conduct, IN reference TO slavery in Missouri.
A word, in conclusion, as to your views upon the
Bank question. In lc22, in your letter TO the Editor Of
the Inquisitor, you pronounced the Bank Of the T.. ).
sunconstitutional-it being not one of those measures
necessary to carry any Of the expressly granted pow
ers into effect The Wings OF Virginia, in the Adj
dress adopted BIZ the Convention held in Richmond
last winter, assert that ''as far as we know or believe,
Gen. Harrison has but one opinion about the Bank, and
that is against it," In 1896, in your letter to Sberrod
Williams, instead of expressing but one opinion about
the Bank and that one against IT, you clearly admitted
guage too plain to be misunderstood, that you would
sign a Bank bill, whenever the public mind was
prepared, SC, &c. Will you or Mr.. james Ly-
ons be good enough to inform the people how u nap
pens, that you are represented as antI-bank by the
Wing Convention Address, when, four years ago, IN
your letter 10 Sherrod Williams, you went beyond the
perpcndicular' in favor of one You were opposed TO
a bank. as unconstitutional, in lc22, and IN 1886 you
were \ bank man. In some States, your opinions, Al
uttered at one time, are used for your benefit; and IN
otb-r States. contrary opinions, also uttered by you at
another time, are used for the same purpose. Your po-
I;tical te rgiversations have given you some notoricty,
vet they confer no claims 10 the confidence OF your
countrynen, who have vainly sought for any evidence
of YOUR attachment TO the true principles of our Con-
stitution, or proof of possessing abilities sufficient to
enable you to discharge the duties Of President honor
ably TO yourself, or prosperously to them.