Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-08-11
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
TO THE PEOPLE Of GOuCIILAND.

Mr.. Editor | perceive in the Wing Of tbs friday
morning : communication from Pi"asantS. ihr senior
Editor OF that journal, making a violent attack np"n
me-. for my course n GoochlanG Courthouse, al the
July Court: and, aS a matter .: Justice To myself, ]
ask 4 small space in your columns tor the purpose o:
brstowing a brief notice upon II Il shall BE- bret, 10!
have no time To waste Upon SUCH trash as Mister
John llaInpden Peasants.
Il does seem 10 me. that after having pursued a
course NJ Gonchland Courthouse, that excited the
modification ami disg"St at his own talrHdS, As well as
the pity Gnd roHismpt Of his foes, tins dsoant SpsctweR
OF sdeccncv" oG.Et to skulE away into some -eqUrs-
tered corner of the world, WHERE he might hide hun
self and his tntamy together. But instead Of pursu-
ing this 10 hrm) prude ntial COURSE. with cha rGcfsrISiC
npudence, he publicly ...,nrics IN his shame, and
seems 10 think that the people OF G"ochInnd will ms.
take his bra-sH ,frontery for the holtnrss of conscious
recttnde. am very well aware that ~tL'S,hood, III
John Hampton Peasants, finds acon-ental soil IN the
ma!ignancy al his disposition. and now -four shes there
rs 40 indigenous plant. l. ts indeed, the neutral Ian.
guGgc IF his heqrt-a constitutional faIlInG.-and, per.
Ia s. IN charity, we ought 10 ply aud iors irr II, as 4
m,GknssS that he caunrt conquer. know also that
rs ~penchan, TOR iyi"g has been so often exposed, that
Diet, ction has no terrors To inn. The commandment
Thou shalt not lie,' he has virtually ezpuHeed from
the Decalogue and, II certain Lgnch5uTg fr1dtiOnS
are t. be relied on, there g oRs Other cGict Of Holy
Writ that he has no great reverence for. But all ,his
is foreign to tie purpose.
The charge tina; made against Gen. Harrison al
Goochland Courthouse, and Which seems 70 have gwen
40 great offence 10 this truth-i0riHy 1ey par.
Ion-,his man, is not truly stated By htm. | did not
pretend 10 use tn" UGrHS oil Gen. IL, but only their sub
stance. What | did say was. that"Gcu. Harrison had,
N his Hamilton county address, rirtugig declared that
he would not consent to the repeal Of The Tariff, until
grass grew in the streets of Norfolk and Charleston,
aud until til. Southern people could find no market
for their produce. aud these effects could be clcGry
traced to The Tariff. Now Peasants, b. ..CrEUHgiDg
thu word virtually, makes me accuse Harrison OF hav-
ny SAID, in 50 many words, that he would not consent
to the repeal, &c, when, in fact, gave IT only rs The
unarOiGaJie tnJertHce from what he I'd say; and. under
a proper sense OF my responsibility atthe bar Of public
opinion, | feel fully warranted IN NOR deliberately re-
pcGitHg the charge. These are the circumstances, &C.
rordtng 10 the best Of my recollection. under WHICH the
declaration attributed 10 Gen. HARRISON ~as made b
him. James u. Garnett had, n 4 speech IL FREEZER
icksburg, asserted that. under the operation ofthe Ia
riff, grass had grown up in the streets Il Norfolk and
Charleston, and the Southern people could iind no mar
ket for their produce. Harrison. in ms Hamilton
county address, denies that such had been the effect %
the Tariff. He then enters INTO an argument TO show
that the Tariff had greatly enhanced the prosperity o
the country-denies that any of the evils predicted by
lis enc mlrs had resulted from IT but asserts, on the
contrary, that all parts OF the country had been greatly
benefited By ii. He then adds, Il quote from memory:
-.]ut It may De asked. are there no circumstances
:. that would induce me TO consent to the repeal OF The
. Tariff answer, understandings. yes: ~he"srT NE
= streets Of .IoIf0E and ChaHeSt0mn shall .roT MP I"
" grass, ard the Southern psopi, shall find no 'narkd .jgr
= HtT pE0HHTr, ttS fUtttS can " 'bI.4 go :
:. iraced 10 The Tarif, THE.N irN i~nS,aHt'y consent 10
9 IT'S rsyeat or mod!feanon. Now, | submit II 10 an
enlightened public, could Gen. Harrison have possibly
used a stronger figure 10 show that he was absolutely
deroted, aye, wEDDRDto the Tariff; And, was not hns
declaration, that whenever these effects could be clear
" traced TO the Tariff, ruES be would consent TO ITS re-
p' al, equivalent to saying that he would not rNTiL then:
Take an illustration Suppose that some Wing were
to assert IN your presence, Mr.. Editor, that # Mr.. Van
Buren, were reelected, the country would certainly De
ruined, and then ask if you will not support Gen Har-
rison; you reply. "yes; when the country shall be rn'
incd, and this effect can be clearly traced TO Mr.. Var
Buren,, then | viii support General Harrison. "onld
you not thereby declare VIRTUALLY tina, You would MOI
support Harrison uHtii the country was ruined The
case IS absolutely 100 plain for argument.
50 much for the charge.
Perhaps | ought 10 observe here, IN justice to myself,
that was about to ex plain, as have done above, when
the Intentionally interruption was made by Peasants
and the noise and confusion was afterwards s. grea
that t was impossible to be heard, almost every bod
in the court. house speaking at once, some proposing
sskick Peasants out Of doors" which trouble he saved
them BY very quietly '~'shaJtiny IF"
A to the assertion of Peasants, that took care moi
TO let him hear my retort, have only to say, that cher
are none so deaf as they that WONT hear Amos
er-rY body else in the courthouse heard II, and mos
empba,ically endorsed the charge, too, as they, with on
consent, appiauded il. But, perhaps, as he r0Hd n"'
hear II. he can read til, therefore, repeat, that a man,