Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-03-19
MIR. RIVES' LETTER.
CONCLUDED.

Piles and opinions, the life and character. O
Gen. Harrison, the sole opposing candidate TO
the Presidency, and if they do not present ;
better guarantee for the safe republican admin
lstratlon OF the government. 1t has been tho
singular fortune of General Harrison to have
been more misrepresented and consequent,
! misunderstood, particularly in his native State
than any other distinguished citizen of oul
| country. The reason of this is, doubtless. to
be found in the circumstance that for the last
ten or twelve years othis life he has been with.
drawn from the scenes of active political EN-.
ploymeut, and that, while his name was be.
tore the country in the last Presidential cleo.
ton, exposing him of course, to much denun.
clatlon and Misrepresentation from his polit.
lcal adversaries, the attention of the opposi.
ton party of the South was mainly directed 10
distinguished citizen of their own section.
so that there was no party interest felt at that
time, In the South, in detecting and EXPOSING
the numerous and gross misrepresentation of
which he was made the subject by an unscru-
puiouspress. From this state ofthinrs it has
arisen. that in the South generally and in Vir-
ginIaln particular, the most unfounded charues
have been widely propagated in regard to his
public principles and conduct, and till lately
without efficient contradiction and exposure
thus Imposing on many good citizens, who will
be now eager to repair the injustice they have
done him. The most prominent of these char
ges, which is still wantonly repeated, is that
Gen. Harrison is an 1bOiifi0niSt. have recent
ly investigated with care, all the evidences of
his principles and conduct on this as well as
other important public questions, and am
thoroughly convinced that if there be one man
who has entitled himselfto the gratitude ofthe
South beyond all others, by the noble and dis
interested zeal he has at all times manifested.
the sacrifices he has freely made, the single
heartcdness with which he has exposed him
self topersecution and political prescription in
defence of the Constitutional rights of the
South and the peace and safety of their fire.
sides, against all interference, whether of IA
naticism or political ambition, that man is
WIN. II. HAaRIsoN of Ohio.
You have doubtless read the speech made
at VIncennes, In the State of Indiana, in 1885.
In which, In the face of non -slayehoIding
audience, he gallantly volunteered to defend
the rights and interest Of the South. Where
can be found, even in the productions of any
southern statesman, a more energetic and I'M
sparing denunciation Of the schemes of the
a6offiOnists ? He pronounces them to be
weak, presumptuous and unconstitutional
-"illegal, prosecuting and dangerous" and
alter nepictng In glowing language the fatal
consequences to which they must lead, he calls
upon his audience with indignant earnestness,
10 'Jroacn upon measures which are to pro-
duce results so much to be deprecated.'' He
lays down in the broadcast and most unenuiv-
ocal terms, the fundamental principle that the
subject of slavery is under the sole and exclu-
slve jurisdiction of the States in which it ex-
lists, and that neither the general government
nor the Hon-slaveholding States have any
right whatever to interfere with it; and he
moreover contends that discussions upon the
subject in the non-slaveholding States, tend
Ing In their consequences, as they do, to ieop-
ard the peace and impair the rights of the
slaveholding States, are an abuse of the free
dom OF speech and of the Press. in violation
OF the spirit and pervading design of the Con-
stituticn. The same declarations were made
by him, and with greater emphasis, if posi-
Bile, In an address delivered to an assembly of
his fellow-citlzens at Chevot in Ohio, on the
18th OF July 1888; from which an insulated
passage, Tin which the author admitting
slavery to be an evil, says he would gladly
see the surplus revenue of the Union devoted
to its progressive extinction by the purchase
and colonization of the slaves, si,riM lie sane
ton Of tie States holding Mem,) has been art
iully culled, and given to the public, careful.
~ suppressing the conferf, in which General
HARRISON maintains, IN the strong and unqual-
ihed language | am about to cite, that .sthe
slave population is under the EXCLUSIVE con.
troll OF the states which possess them,'' and
that 'snelther the general government nor the
non-slave-holdlng States can interfere in am
'cay, with the right of property in slaves
and at the same time denouHces the schemes
oil the abolltioDists as fraught with sshorrors
upon which an incarnate devil only could lool
with appreciation
But even if the Incidental and abstract sue.
gestlon above noticed in the Cheviot speech
OF zen. Harrison were to be looked at, dis
connected from its context. however We
might difter from him bot!, as to its practical
biilty and some of the principles involved
justice and candor would still require us t.
pear In mind That, but few years ago, SINH
lar sentiments were freely expressed both b,
the press and public councils of Virginia, ant
that a plan for efiecting the same object, al
most identical with that thrown out by Gen
Harrison, was evolved and earnestly advoca
tea by MIR. Jefferson, in letter addressed b.
MN, during the last years Of his life, to MI
sparks; which you will see in the 4th vol. O
MS writings, page 3SS-391. But again re
peat, where is the man, whether of the Sout
or OF the North, who, in the practical assertio
VI she rights OF the South, and in energeti
ano decisive reprobation of the projects of tn
nooiiuonlsts, has gone farther than Genera
harrison! a just people cannot forget tn
noble and self-sacrifcinp devotion with zvbic
ne $1,000 alone, out of all the Representative
OF the Western non-siaUe-holding States and i
a little band Of but two or three from tn
"hoie non slave-holding region of the Unior