Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-10-14

| am, SIR, with great respect,t
Your most ob't seryt,
LEVI G. HARRIS.
CENTREvILLE, ANTE, MI, }
Sept. 10, 1910. /
Leoi C. Harris Esq:
Sir: No scruples Of conscience, / /
assure you, forbid my compliance
with the request you did me the hon
or to make, in your obliging letter Of
the 22d ultimc, in which you desire
me to state ''whether am the person
bearing the name of Winans, who was
present at the celebrated conference,
held between General William IL.
Harrison and Tecumthe, at Vim
cennes, in 1910 and what was then,
and what is at this time, my opinion
of the capacity OF Gen. H., to rule
over the destinies Of this great nation"
And as | have no scruples OF cons
science to forbid me, so | feel bound,
by principles ofpatriotisln and justice,
on all proper occasions, to repel the
aspersions, which party malice and
party management have cast upon the
fair and well-earned fame of that yene-
rable sage, brave warrior and true
hearted patriot.
| | an the Winans spoken of IN the
Biography Of Gen. w. IL. Harrison,
as present or the occasion above re-
ferrred to. l was during the year
1910, travelling, as a Methodist Itine-
rant Preacher, on the Circuit which
embraced the town Vincennes-the
place Of General, then Governor Har-
rison's residence. At the time of the
conference or councilmentioned in our
enquiry, was enjoying, as / often did
the hospitality ofthe Governor. The
council was held IN his yard, nor
more than fifty yards from his door,
The number of Indians belonging tC
the party of Tecumthe was sixty Of
seventy ; and there were from fifty tc
sixty, whose party had not been,open-
ly taken though little doubtwas enter
tanned that most Of them would joir
that Chief, in case Of collision between
him and the whites.
In the course of discussion, Tecum
= the, who, as well as the rest of the In
a dians, was seated upon the ground
sprang to his feet, and angrily pro
tnounced General Harrison liar, 0
# what be had Just said lie. The In
S dians, Of bis party, followed this move
: ment of their Chief, and, by tone an
Il gesture indicated a hostile purpose
! Nearly all these Indians were we
y armed for close conflict; whereas, NJ
s, more than about twenty of the Uhjtc
l had any sort of arms. I was standin
)t at the back Of Cteneral Gibson, Secre
lie tary Of the Territory, who had bee
e some twenty years a prisoner anon
le the Shawnee Indians, and who, const
he quenlly, knew their manners well: an
US | heard him say to Lieutenant Jel
ne nings, Have your men," (alluding
of a Serieant's command who were the
c on guard "Have your men ready
IT. there is danger" About the same i
We slant. the Governor rose, and bat
es the Interpreter tell Tecumthe that t
at "Councii was dissolved: for he won
p sit no longer with such scoundrel
All believed that there was a Probab
,es ty of an attack from the indians; a
a / have now no doubt there would ha
lily been, had not the position of Tecu
is, the and the other Chiefs been su
cir with relation to the Sergeant's guar
nd as to render it almost certain that th
cir would fall in the onset. No man COZ
till have acted with more cool, deliber
ue, bravery than did Governor Harris
ma on this trying occasion. / spent
the evening and night of this dreadful {
in his family; and, though the lndi
were encamped within a half mile
the house, there was not in him,
ring the whole time, the slightest II
cation Of want Of courage, thol
there was provident aud judicious c
taken to he ready for night alta
BIZ should one have been made by the
on, dams, as was apprehended would
ED the case.
10, OF the talents Of Gen. Harrison
. of becomes me to speak with modest
ltry my own not being Of an order
|, in would warrant great degree of &C
tant dence-bH, i'll may be allowed
saw hazard an opinion, It's that his tai
would qualify him amply for any o
/, to in the United States, which does
IF in require specific preparations IN
was case of high Judicial situation
your Thirty years ago, | considered
lar equal to any public man ofhis y
great and his conductsince, both in the Z
are and in the Senate, has satisfied me
his my opinion was well founded.
the viii be difficult, | think, TO fix upon
been individual who, during the last
buse years, has counselled more WI
min acted more prudently or efficie