The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-16

WHOLE NO. 345.
d sagheoea, became ussnhss of an abolition socie
~, established al Richmond the object Of which
AmeorAte the condition OF slaves and procure their
,rssoo% ny every legal means My venerable friend,
Judge Catch Of Clennont county was also u member
O tnn soc'ey, and has lately given certificate
thai was one The obigations came under have
faithfully pertcrmsd
In recent publication, addressed to the peo-
PIE Of Virginia, the above appears, and is there
stated 70 be taken from . paper published in Gin
cinnati, on the l4th Of February last plain
honest inquirer. searching for truth, and reading
the above, would naturally suppose that il was,
LIST, letter written in February hast; 2dly, that
It was an entire letter; and 3dly, as conse-
quence from its contents, he would conclude
that Il was expressly written by General Hari-
son, to show that he was an abotionist of the
modern school, Such undoubtedly is the i'm
preston which the publication referred to is in
tended TO produce. But what is our surprise
when we learn, first, thatthe letter was written
not ~ February, 1870, but in the year 1922; Sc
condly, that II Is not an entire letter, but only
two short paragraphs of long letter the whole
remainder Of which is carefully suppressed !;
and thirdly, that IL was written for the purpose
Of defending himself against the votes | have
quoted, given On IL Missouri question, and that
the part suppressed, contains complete and
full ayowai OF the principles Of those votes, he
being then (l822) candidate again for Con-
was elected as an abolitionist, being his oppo-
nent. Here follows the letter entire as it was
then published:
ITO THE PUBLIC.
FELLOW Crr'IzENs: Being called suddenly home
IN anil hava h,.ta ~.
answer few calumnes which are in circulation CON
corning me-
am accused Of being friendly to slavery. From
my earliest youth 10 the present moment, have been
| the ardent friend Of human liberty At the age OF
IL, Ibecame member Of an Abolition Society, esta-
bished at Richmond Virginia; the object Of which
was to ameliorae the condition of slaves and procure
their freedom by erery legal means. My venerable
friend Judge Catch, Of Ciermont county, was also
member OF that Society, and has lately given
certificate that was The obligations qchieh
then came under Jhape Faithfully performed. have
been the means Of lberating many slaves, but nerer
placed one in bondage. deny that my votes in Con
gress in relation TO Missouri and Arkansas in the
least incompatible with these principles Congress
had no more legal constitutional right to enanci
pate the negroes in those sections of Louisiana with
out the consent of their owners than they have ia
| free those Of Kentucky. These people secured
in their property by solemn covenant with France,
when the country was purchased from that Power
To prohibit the emigration Of citizens Of the Southern
States to the part Of the country the situation and
climate Of which was peculiarly suited to them would
have been highly unjust had been purchased on,
Of the common fund; particularly, too, when it is
collected that all the immense territory to the North
west Of the Ohio had been ceded by Virginia. and
that, with unexampled hberality, she had herscl
proposed by excluding slavery from it, to secure il fol-
the emigration Of those States which had no slaves
Was il proper them when her reserved territory wal
in great measure filled up, to exclude her citizens
from every part of the territory purchased out of thu
g. a.
into Congress the proposition that all the eountr,
| ADORE Missouri (Which, having no inhabitants, was
free from the objection made to Missouri and Arkan
sas) should neper hare starery admitted into IT, re-
peat what have before said, that our Union was
only effected by mutual concession only it be
preserved
MY vote against the restriction of Missouri in
forming her Constitution not conclusive one
There would have been time enough, had continued
| to he member before the question decided, fo
my constituents to have instructed me; and SHOULD
have rcjoced in any opportunity of sacrificing my
to my principles If they had instructed in opposi
ton TO my construction ofthe Constitution Like many
other members from the non-slaveholding States, Of
whom mention Shaw, Holiness Mason of Massa-
chusetts Lanman of Connecticut, and Baldwin OF
Pennsylvania could nothing in the Constitution
which had sworn TO support to warrant such an in
reference with the rights Of the States and which had
never before been attempted? And where is the
crime in one set OF men not being able TO interpret the
Constitution other men interpret it As we had
all str0rn 10 support II, the crime would have been
giving it a construction which conscience would
not sanction And, let ask for what good is this
question again brought up2 II has been settled all
our family differences have been settled, the firm
basis Of mutual compromise And PATRIOTISM well
as prudence devoted the effects of that dirf discus
sion to eternal oblivion Is il not known that, from
that the great fabric Of our Union shaken
to its foundation Is it not known that Missouri
would have submitted to the restriction and that
the other slavcholdng States had determed support
her? But for this compromise, the probability is that
at this moment might look upon the opposite shore
of Ohio, not for affectionate sister State, but
armed and implacabe rival. What patriotic would
not join the gallant Eaton in execrating the head
aud The hand that could devise and execute scheme
productive of calamity awfull
Upon the whole fellow citizens our path is plain
it is that marked out well by humanity duty
We cannot cmancpate the slaves of the other States
without their consent, but by producing CONFUSION
which would undo us all For this much to be desired
event. wait the slow but certain progress of
those good principles which arc everywhere gaining
ground, and which assuredy will ultimately prevail
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON"
TO BE CONTINUED.
1