The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-06-25

= sea OIL the choice spirits OF the land, III,
best blood Of Kentucky. Gen. Harrison
spoke with deep emotion Of the trust re-
posed in him by Kentucky on the occa
sion alluded to, and said, that the com.
mission which made him the Commander
3 OF that brave and patriotic army Of Ken
tuckians, he had always held as the most
{ honorable commission which it had been
i the fortune of his life to have conferred
upon him.
1 lie referred to a very recent story-got
|up In his own neighborhood- -and sent
forth to the world, corroborated by the
sanctlsy Of an affidavit--which represent
! cd him as confessing to young man on
"a steamboat that he was an abolitionist-
! and that although he voted against restric.
TONS $50 on Missouri, he did so in opposition
to the suggestions of his conscience, &c.
/ lie SAID, the narrative bore on its face the
proofs of its absolute falsity--and when
inc pronounced it a fabrication, without
the semblance of fact or word for its
basis. 1t was not because lie thought it re-
CURED contradiction, but to eyince the
recklessness and desperation of his poll
tlcal enemies, who seemed TO have given
up every ground ofhope. save that which
they found in vilifyingh his name. It is
melancholy fact, fellow citizens,' said
General Harrison, shat the advocates of
MT Van Buren, should so far forget what
belongs to the character of an American
citizen, and do so much violence to the
nature Of our free institutions, as 10 place
the great political contest in whichs.we
are now striving, upon an issue such as
this. | would not accept the lofty station
to which some of you are proposing to
elevate me, if it came to me by such
means. would not. if / had the power
to prevent it. allow the fair fame of nv
competitor to be unjustly assailed and
wounded, even forsthe attainment of that
lofty aim of a noble ambition. Nay,
have often defended Mr. Van Buren,
against what l.beieved to be the misre-
presentations of my own mistaken friends
and others. Fellow citizens, if Mr. Van
Buren, be The better statesman, let us say
SOL shall he the last man tn raise an OBJ
lection against it. or to desire to impose
restraints upon the utmost independence
OF thought and action, and the freest ex-
preston Of feeling and opinion. l love a
frank and generous adversary-snch a
man delight 10 embrace and will serve
him. according to my ability. as cheerful
ly as my protested friend. But that poll
teal warfare which seeks success by foul
detraction, and strives for ascendancy by
the ruin Of personal character, merits the
Indignation of. honest men, is hateful to
every generous mind, and tends too sure
ly to the destruction of public virtue, and
as aconsequence, to the downfall of pub
lie liberty aa
General Harrison apologized for oc-
cupying his fellow-ci,izens so long. He
said he would but mention one more
of the latest SANDERS which had come TO
his knowledge. A German paper, pub
lished in Cincinnati, almost under his
own eye, puts it forth with apparent sin
cerity. that .'Gen. Harrison, now can
didate for the Presidency of the United
States, was many years ago, when a
young man, an Aid to Gen. Wayne dur
ing his Indian wars-and that. whenever
young Harrison found tha, battle was
coming on,she always ran off into the
woeds.' again there was loud and ir-
repressble laughter. The Editor for
got, said the General, when he served up
this little dish, that the only possible Sc.
curity 10 young Harrison's scalp, on the
approach Of battle with the Indians,
was in keeping ont ofthe Uoods!! Such
story as this can only excite smile
here, it is true, said Gen. H., but this pa
per circulates not alone in the United
states-copies Of it are probably read in
s Europe. where our history is less known,
and where the contradiction of such silly
falsehoods may possibly never come.
cit has long been proverbial of old
soldiers, fellow-citizens'' Continued Gen.
H.. that they delight to 90 back TO other
days and fight their battles over again.
When began this address TO you, in
tended only to speak of nv far-famed
Committee Of Conscience Keepers and
the Iron Cnge' in which they confine
me, but have unwittingly taken advan.
tage of your kind disposition to listen to
me and extended my remarks to other,
though kindred topics. l will only add
that. although they have made wide
mistake who make me to dwell in an
Iron Cage the unlucky wight who pu,
me into Log cabin was little nearer
the truth than he probably supposed him.
self to be-. 1t is true that part of my
dwelling house is log cabin-but as to
the Hard-cider (the laughter which follow.
ed the allnsion to the Hard cider branch
Of the story, drowned the voice of the
speaker.
But, said General Harrison. admonlsh.
ed by the proverb, that you may ascribe
my long speech to the common infrmity
of the old soldier, and bring me underline
!. suspicion of the loquacity of age, viii
conclude these hasty and unpremeditatee
remarks, by thanking my fellow-citizens
of Columbus for their politeness on the
, present occasion as well as for the friend
ly feelings Of which they have uniformly
I e..