The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-06-16
GENERAL HARRISON'S VOTETO SELL.
WHITE ZEN INTO SLAVERY

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This story whicl, wns started some time since
seems Ia he ngain resumed by men wh,induIge
The hope That they can write down William
Henry Harrison. II clearly shows the shifts 10
which the ,neD in power arc driven; and tho
vile slhnder, misrepresentation and falsehood
to which they so naturally rush. It was no nov
| ice III vinny who first started this base SANDER
| 1t was no stranger, Ia the mt Of deception who
conrocted in his own corrupt heart this mali,
ceus misrepresentation: nnl il might well have
emenated from the poverty STRICKEN ron,lucior of
the extra Globe, though we chnrge him not as
The author. The sentence at the bend of this
article has been trlmpeted forth by the Van
Buren, Press, with all The forms Of vitt,peration,
which brain, prolific in the language Of abuse.
could invent until in their imagination, il has be-
come "monstrous.'' ''t, o'
II will he seen that it is no new thing under
the sun, but an old sander newly dressed up In
suit the times In lis origin, some twenty years
since, it embraced Twelve Senators from, the
state OF Ohio. now the enormiiy is laid to the
charge Of Gen. Harrison alone and the purpose
in apparent. We give the section OF the bill be-
fore the legislature Of Ohio. in relation 70 which
llarrison'S explanation, HAT our renders NAV
have the whole subject before them, and Judge
for themselves. The vote was taken upon n
motion 10 strike ont the eighteenth section Of
the bill, which reads follows: .'t.
"Be ii further enacted, That when any person
shall he imprisoned, either upon execution or
otherwise, for non-payrneni of fine or cost, or
both, it shall he lawful Cor The sheriff Of the
county TO SELL OUT SUCH PERSON as n
SERV ANT TO any person within this State,
who will pay The whole amount due, Tor the
shortest period Of service; Of which sale public
notice shall he given NJ least ten dnys; and upon
such sale being effected, the sheriff shall give
The purchaser certificate thereof, and from
which time the relation between such pnrrhns-
or and prisoner shall be that of MASTER and
SERVANT, untilihe time of service expires,
and for injuries done by either, remedy shall he
had in the same manner as s, or may be, pro-
vided 10y law in the case of master and appren-
tce.
But nothing therein mentioned shall he con-
srued to prevent persons from being discharged
from Imprisonment according to the provisions
of he 47th section Of the act TO which this is
smell iIsrnarse r. shall he expedient to grant
nouncing upon any person convicted under This l
act, or The act to which this is supplementary
may direct such person or persons 10 he tleiain.E
ed in prison until the fine I've path, or persons
otherwise disposed Of agreeahly TO the provs,
ions of this act.
Gen. Harrison with eleven others, voted a.
gainst the motion to strike out this section
And this is the sum and substance of his vote to
sell Poor Men into !SIauery a,a
We now give two letters Of Gen Harrison,
written in explanation Of the whole question: To
The Editor of the Cincinnati Advertiser:
Sir:-ln your paper of the 18Th inst. / oh.
Ssry n tnnc vi. mt uttl al ott,
members of the ate SENATE and myself, for II
Seppnsed pote given at tho last session for the
passage OF law TO sell debtors IN certain cases
II such had been our conduct, / acknowledge
that should not only deserve, the rensnre
which the writer has bestowed upon MS, hut the
execraou OF every honest nan in society. An
net of that kinl is notonly opposed 10 the prilr'
cip.es OF justice an. humanity hllt would he Il
palpable violation of tie Constitution OF the
State, which every legislntors sworn 10 support;
and, sanctioned by n house Of Representatives
and twelve Senators, il would indicate state az
tleI:iavity, which would fiji every patriotic ho'
som with The most alarming ;nlcpatons. But
the fact is, thar no such proposition was ever
made in The Legislature OF even thought OF.
The act to which the writer alliples has no more
relation To the collection Of debts than it Inns 10
the discovery q tbe longitude. it was net
tor he punishment of offences against The State;
and thar part Of ii which has SO deeply wounded
the feelings of your correspondent was passed
by the House OF Representatives and voted fus
by twelve Senators, ,nndnr The, impression that
it wns the most mild and Yhpmane mode Of deal
jog with The offenders for whose case il was iu,
tended. II was adopted by tile House of Repre-
sentaiives MS part % the Genera system of the
crniinn law W hch WINS then undergoing com
pete REVISION and anieminent'a A. The necessity
Of this is evincedshv the following facts; for sew
eral years past il bad become apparent That the
penitenrinry system 'was hecoufing more rni
more hureensotne at every session; a large APP.
preparation WINS called for to meet the excess of
expenditure above the receipts Of the establish.
nent. In the comniencetreiit of the session OF
1920 the deficit amounted 10 near $2O,OOO. aaa
This growing evil required The immediate aIn'
terposilion ofsonie vigorous Legislative mems
ures. Two were ecommended ass being likely
TO produce the effectfrsf placing The institution
under better management; AMI secondly, lessen
ipp the number o ronvicts who were sentenced
for short periods and whose labor was found Of
course, 70 lie most unprodnctive. In pursuance
ofthe latter principle, ihefis 10 the amount OF