The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-05-25
AND YET ANOTHER CALUMEY!
Iih1NINLNO1N 2 = I'D
A DEEAITI TERRI


boasts OF the federal prints, that Gen. Harrison,
in the forty seven years he has held office, has
not filcfIed any of the public property. Ihey
dwell with much satisfaction on the assumption
that he is not defaulter, notwithstanding all
his opportunities and temptations to become enc.
The following extract of letter from Wash
ing.ton city tOthe editor of the Richmond En-
quirer, will show that if Harrison is not a de-
faulter, heis sadly in to tbs u. S. Trea-
susy.
General Harrissn,fas ever lived most prodi-
Egally And the habits Of profuse expenditure,
which he taught his son, have Probably done
much more to make him speculator, than the
Iprecepts of the General could effect to keep him
out of crime. Should Gen. Harrison In elected
President, the people will expect him to forkoFer
the BALANCE for which ho'is security-and there
by set good example Is the less prominent de-
falcators, and those who'are their bail u Will
take nearly years salary to settle up this old
score with Uncle Sam. And in the present hard
times it would be relief; to the people OF the
country TO know that they had part of the sala-
ry ofthe President paid in. advance. 1t wOald
perhaps add TO the GeneraEs,chances of success Ut
the committee should pledge themselves that he
should the first year to- cancel the old ac-
count. Hers.is the extract
ut is fact no less astounding than true, and
the archives ef the governmentwill place beyond
controversy, that ]. c. S. Harrison, 8J-the son
of Gen. Harrison, and a receiver of public mo-
ney at Vincennes, in Indiana was removed by
| President jackson, because he was defaulter
to the amount af $4,000, to'the Government,
notwithstanding Gen Harrison. his secu.
rity.-EB Beholl the auspices.of the new Adj
ministration! Behold the harbinger of Harrison
and Reform!!"
And yet, after7the e'forty-seveDl years he has
heldlofice,n the eagle-eyed press, devoted to Mr.;
VanBuren, has not discovered a-single blot upon
the character Of Gen. Harrison, except that he
was security for his son, j. Cleves7Symmes Har--
risen, that who was Receiver. of Public mo
niesat Vincenres, and who died in arrears to
| the Government. It is not pretended that Gem
Harrison ever received one dollar-of the money!
which is charged TO the account Of his 1t IS
not stated that there any breHeh Of trust ols
his EldYt,-the wlIule charge amounts only to the;
inference that ke-was defdtdte3ybecause he was
security for hissen, and that the, debt, which IS
represented to amount to S25,0eoy remains uH@
paid.
When it is reeollected that General Harrison
was charged, IN various capacities, civil and
military, withftle disbursement Of large sums; Of
money, perhaps, not less than three millionssof
dollars it is s'glory enough" that his conduct
public officer has been approved by all the Pre-
sidents, and Eas only encountercd.the inference
involved in tile charge above. But even this=n-
Florence, hisy it will sink into insignifcance
twhen we lock at the facts in the, case.
J. c. S. Harrison, the eldest son of Geaeral
Harrison, became a defaulter the Government
as Receiver of Public Monies at Vincennes.-
The manner in which he became involved ex-
onerates has memory from any unworthy inaputa-
ton. He was prevailed upon, by such assetran-
| ces and evidences as any honorable man might
conide In. to advance for a late Indian agent, in
Indiana, some $780, He was led to believe
that the agent had the authority to draw upon
the Department at Washington for the amount
and if 50, the Government would have aceommo-
ldafad h. la.- ~
ton rather than at Louisville. OF this sum, to
which was added large amount for which the
| Receiver had to pay high interest, be received
from the Agent only $50. j. and since his death
his executors have secured To- the estate of J. G..
S. Harrison 200 acres of land on White River,
as the sole indemnity for the advance.
| These things occurred, and j. c. S. Harrison
died, Just after Gen. Harrison returned from the
public service abroad, in South America. He
soon repaired to Washington and urged upon
Congress the propriety of granting some indul-
gence to the estate of J. C. S. Harrison, for tie
I debt, which, instead of being S25, 900, does not
exceed or $1,000. And if ever claim upon
the magnanimity or justice of Congress was en-
titled to respect, this was one. J. C.. Symunes
Harrison, who had become a defaulter, through
the fault and Misrepresentation of another high
officer, in whom the government confded, mar
ried the only child of the heroic Pike, who fell
in the arms OF victory at York, in Upper Can
Zebulon, Pike of the revolution, and of the
cestEy- of young Harrison let the eloquent speech
OF the gallant Col. r. M johnson testify, as it
was upon this occasion, he answered the ques-
ton, "Who is Gen. Harrisonm
As an evidence of the high estimation in which
j. C. S. Harrison was held at Vmcennes, we can
state that his death created an unexampled sem
sation at that place, and the prominent citizens
OF both political parties met and adopted resolu-
tons Of coincidence, which were directed to be
forwarded to his widow and to his father. Mr.
Elihu Stout, the Editor of the Western Sun,
then the leading Jackson paper, and now sup
porting Mr.. Van Buren,, took an active part in
the proceedings
The petition of Mrs. Harrison, only child of
Pike, was referred to a committe, of which Mr..
Clay, the present Senator from alabama, was
one, and who advocated the propriety of relin-
gushing the debt altogether, in consideration of
the claims of General Pike The sense of Con-
gress was finally obtained, by resolution direct
ing that the estate of j. c. S. Harrison, should
be entitled to an indulgence for is years, 90 of
which has yet to rum and that without interest.
Thus the matter stands-Gen. Harrison does not
now owe cent in his own name nor will he be
called ON as security to pay dollar until the ex-
piration OF the Is years, and then only in the
contingency which is not even probable that the
estate of j. c. S. Harrison will not be sufficient
to pay the debt. j. G. S. Harrison's estate con-
sists OF the 200 acres already mentioned, as re-
ceived from the Executors of the agent before
alluded to, 900 Of first rate land Just oppo-
site to Yincennes, and house and 3 acres in that
town, which cost Gen. Harrison 81 900.
Gen. Harrison insisted upon lien being re-
tanned by the Government upon the property of
his son, and the provisions of that lien will be
seen in the annexed law of Congress, approved
by .4f,dreao Jackson.
i'm act for the relief Of Mrs. Clarissa B. Har-
rison.
SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of Anne
RIGA, in Congress assembled, That the proper ac-
counting officers Of the Treasury be authorised
and directed to allow the representatives of
J. C.. S. Harrison, late Receiver of the Public
Money at Ymcennes, the following credits, to
take date from the respective times the money
was paid or the services rendered by said Re
ceiver, viz one thousand five hundred dollars for