Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-08-04
ANOTHER LETTER.

ANOTHER LETTER.
The following excellent letter,was writ
ten by Genl. Harrison in reply to an in.
vitation from a committee on behalf of the
Citizens of Cincinnati, to be present at a
public Dinner given by them to General
Van Rensselaer,, of New York, who ii ap.
pears, has also been prescribed by Mr..
Van Buren,, for opinions sake turned out
of the New York city Post Office. For
classic elegance, it can scarcely be sur
passed, even by the ripest Scholar of the
age-we will not say by those locofoco
politicians that deal in nothing higher than
slang and falsehood.
NORTH BEND, lst July, 1910.
Gentlemen A recent domestic Attic
ton in the death Of one of my sons and the
present illness Of Mrs. Harrison, will pre-
vent me from enjoying the great pleasure
ofbeing present at the great dinner to be
given on Thursday next to my beloved
friend and old associate in arms, Gen. SOL
ONION Van Rensselaer,. Ii is now forty
seven years since first met this distin-
guished soldier in the army of Genl.
Wayne. He, in the capacity of Cornet of
Dragons, and Las an Ensign of Infantry.
Associated in all the tolls and difficulties
incident TO a war,the theatre of which was
an unbroken wilderness of ages nearly
correspondent, and of dispositions and
tastes which induced us to seek the same
employments, the amusements, and the
same fellowships our friendship thus for
med by proposes sion and knit IN common
danger, could not be ephemeral. 1t was
such indeed as though we had owned the
same paternity, and had been nurtured at
the same bosom. And may say, with
Castillo of his brother,
" When had friend that was not Polidore's
| Or Polidore foe that was not mine 7"
| will not attempt, gentlemen, TO give
you even a summary OF the services oil
Gen. Van Rensselaer,. ! will not tell you
of the deep debt of gratitude which Is due
to him from Western men-ofh his gallant
bearing in the battle Of the Rapids, Of the
MAINLAND the blood which saw pouring
from his bosom upon the soil of Ohio,or Of
his still more glorious achievements upon
the heights of Queenstown, ennobled like
those of Abraham, by the blood of the con.
tending heroes. All this you know. It's
found in the records Of your country, anc
furnishes some Of the brightest pages offs
history. But for moment, let me ask
your attention to his more recent history,
J Ave, what is he now What and who is
the hero Of two wars, the conquerer of the
heroic Brock; and of him by whose man
\ agement, or whose gallantry, so deep ;
wound has been inflicted upon the military
fcharacter Of our country!
A year ago,I would have answered you
: fellow-citizens, that he was living in ham
. bic retirement, in the bosom of large ant
u happy family, supported by the emolu.
e monts of an humble Office, the gift Of ;
: President who had himself jeopardized hi
3 life, and shed his blood in achieving thu
t independence of his country, and knew
{ how to appreciate hero's services, ant
e reward soldiers tolls. Such,gentlemeI
3 was the situation ofmy friend the defende
of Ohio Cabins from the furious savage
: the bearer in his body of the marks of
distinct wounds, when the spoilers came
When the disbanded Legions Of Angus
. tus were suffered to eject the happy hus
e bandmen of the fairest portion Of ltaly,w'
u have reason to believe-we know indeet
IS that some were spared. The ruthles
j. warrior was not suffered to usurp the sea
L and violate the groves which had resoun
/! ded to the songs Of the greatest of poets
We may conclude also, that the SCARE
veterans of former wars were exempte
from the. otherwise general prescription
!. Indeed we must suppose that the sympath
- naturally felt between men of same pre-
le fession, would have induced the usurpeI
,. 10 spare the war.worn followers of tn
great Pompey, sworn enemies Of their ow
faction. But, gentlemen, let me ask 20
nOw to point to an exception in the pre-
scription which has ragged in our coustr
q for the last twelve years. Who has bee
v spared that possessed anything whic
: could tempt the cupidity of the spoilers
= MY friend is the last victim. The reaso
= of this honorable distinction could tel
g Il is somewhat different from that whic
e induced the giant Polyphenus, to exten
ie the like honor to the King Of Ithica. b
you may perhaps be curious to know ii
reason which has been assigned for tn