The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-04-14
FROM THE NATIONAL rsreLLoENcER.

of another Letter from Mr.. CUSHING, Represent
alive in Congress from Massachusetts,, on the sub
ject of certain malignant charges against General
HARRISON, which, the reader will perceive, has
been drawn from him by newspaper comments
upon his former Letter:
WASHINGTON, APRIL 2, $40.
! DEAR SIR address you again in relation 10
the proceedings of Congress upon the vote OF
thanks to Gen. HARRISON in order TO communl-
cate some additional details, in illustration Of
points in my letter of the 18th March, which have
been the subject of criticism on the part of the
newspaper press friendly TO the Administration.
1t remains undenled, and undeniable, that on
the Both of March, 1918, the vote OF thanks was
4 passed without division ia either House.
| Nor there be any question as to the roles
OF the Senate in this matter, when was first in
troduced there for, though in Committee of the
Whole it was voted to amend the resolution OF
thanks by striking out the name of Gen. HARRI-
SON. yet the Senate refused to agree to this amend
ment, as appears by the following entry in the
Senate's journal for April 90 1916:
son the question 10 concur in The agreed to
in Committee of the Whole to strike Major General
VIM HENRY HARRIsoN tods determined IN Inc nsgdNpe
Yeas 10, nays l4'
Ordered that said resolution be ecommitted to the Com
mttee on military Afrs further 10 consider and report
thereon"
Every body, who is in the least degree acquaint-
ed with legislative proceedings, knows that It IS
the vote in Senate, (or House, as the case may
be- and not the vote in Committee OF the Whole,
which constitutes the responsible and final acton
of the assembly and it is true, therefore, as |
stated in my former letter. that the Senate, in this
its most formal and only conclusive vote, express
ly rejected the proposition to strike out the name
Of General HARRISON.
But, if it were otherwise, it would be OF little
moment. There is no doubt that, when the pro-
position for vote of thanks TO Gen. HARRISON
was before The Senate the first time, he was chsrg-
ed with dement's ;" and that the Clements
charged were the cause Of suspending the action
ofthe Senate on the proposed vote of thanks. But
what then? How easy it is 10 make accuse.
lions Who has not been accused Did not
the same Senator, who thus accused General
j HARRISON, become not far from the same time
the pertinacious accuser of General JACKSON IN
the same body? What then, repeat The only
material or important questionnow ls,-W ere the
charges true or false
That the charges, chaieper they may hare been
were false, we have the proof In the vote OF thanks
ultimately passed in both Houses without div
sion.
i That the only charge, Of tohich any record eri
dence remains was false, we have the further proc
in the unanimous report of the committee OF the
House 20 which the subject was referred, present
ed by Colonel RICHARD nj. JOHNSON, as follows
| HousE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JANUARY %, 1877.
"The select committee of the House of Representatives
whom referred the letter and documents from thu
Acting Secretary OF War; the subject OF General ARRI
SONS letter ask leave report That they have investigated
the facts this inquiry by the examination OF doc
umens and great number of most respectable witnesses
personally acquainted with the transactions from which the
inquiry originated And the committee are UNANIMOUSLY o.
opinion that General Hanson stands above SUSPICION to
his having had any pecunary or improper conneHoh wiz
the officers of the commssaat for the supply OF the army
that he did not wantonly or improperly interfere win the
rights of contractors and that he in his measures gov
erned by proper zeal and devotion to the public interest
The committee beg be discharged from the furth
consideration of the subject and the papers refer IN
mart to the conduct and Of the of the
Northwestern army whose accounts are unsettled and only
incidentally involved in this inquiry that the papers be trans
mied to the Department of War
But it is said that in addition to the matter oil
charge which was formally Investigated by the
House of Representatives there was another, not
apparent of record TO be sure, but still urged in de-
bate and letter of General HARRISON, in which,
with characteristic generosity, he laments that any
I" dement's of his should deprive the gallant Army
he had commanded of the need of public applause,
which it so richly deserved, is cited as evidence
that another charge there was, besides that inves-
igated by the House.
That other chargc,-that General HARRISON was
" forced against his inclination, TO pursue the Bri-
fish army in Upper Canada was so bare mali
cious rumor which Governor SHELBY, and every
other person conversant with the facts, had stamp
ed LIE upon as soon as it showed its front which
had been merely thrown out in debate,-as any
loose mputaton may be in the pruriency Of Con-
gressional dscussion,-wIihout any man venturing
to put the accusation in record form for respon-
sble nvestgation,-th other charge | had not
been accust med to deem worthy Of deliberate no.
lice at the present day, until it brought'up in
impeachment of the funess or accuracy Of my for
mer letter.
Instead Of re-arguing this point myself recur to
contemporaneous testimony in reiutation of the
charge.
MIR. MAHLoN DIcKERsoN, late Secretary Of the
Navy, and then Senator from New Jersey intro
duced the resolution of thanks in 1918, with the
following speech, made the 9th March, 1918 and
published in the newspapers Of the time:
Mr. DcKERsoN, agreeably notice given yesterday ask
ed leave TO introduce resolution offering the thanks OF Con-
gross TO Major General WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON and
Isaac SHELBY late Governor of Kentucky, for their dsn-
guished bravery and good conduct capturing the British
army under the command of Major General PRocroR at the
battle of the Thames, in Upper Canada the 9TH OF oco-
Der, 1873
g" should not said Mr. DcKERsoN at this late day high
y as think of the merits of those officers who in coopera-
ton with the hero OF Lake Erie turned the tide OF war IN our
favor bring forward the present resolution il similar at
tempt had heretofore been made in their favor but would
leave their fame the of impartial MS