The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-09-11

place, ana hey (DeneVocnt sOuls) conduct MN 10
the famed ground of Tippccanoe, which Harrison
himself, eleven days after, admits to have been (lor
him) most injudicious selection. On his left ran
the Tippecanoe Creek, in diagonal direction to-
wards marsh which hanked his right, forming
thus triangle at the base of which, on the marsh
side, was the Prophets town. In this place, where
his mounted force was useless, Harrison allowed
his men to be "penned" for the night. On the
next morning, between and o'clock, Harrison
being then "awake," (what pity he had not been
apake on the previous allernoon,) the Indians
rushed upon the camp, commencing the massacre
near the angle approaching the Prophets town.
Before the men in that part of the camp could seize
their arms, the Indians were among them, hand to
hand, numbering in all directions. The alarm be-
coming general, the rear of the camp charged upon
the Indians and drove them off, BUT--what did
daylight disclose to the eyes of the brave and con-
lidng soldicry' One hundred and eighty-eigh of
their own comrades "a large proportion of whom
were oilicers) srewed upon the ground, dead or
wounded And what was next done to carry ont
the results of this GLORIOUS victory? Why, de-
stroying part of the baggage and loading the
Wagons with the wounded, the army retreatcd.
How many did the Indians lose? Harrison says
80. will venture TO bet pint of "hard CIDER
that this was guess work. Myriads OF Indians have
been "ked" in Florida but somehow they are
dragged off" by their friends, and are never seen
again until they seen in some other fight Just
as IIarrisons Indians were seen under Tecumseh
within year from the great battle of Tippecanoe.
Such, can assure my old companions in whose
bosoms the "bloody fourth created so much boy
ish enthusiasm, is the true story Of Tippccanoe;
though perhaps they, like myself, having preferred
reading the bright pages of our countrys history to
the dark ones, have for years past chosen to forget
the deplorablc circumstances. Had we not Ilar
sons dispatches for reference, the simple fact of
an assemblage of 80 900 federaliss at Tppecanoc
would be sufficient evidence ofnotional disgrace.
Had the Indians been assisted in the massacre by
few relocated, bob-taied British soldiers (heir
usual allies in American warfare) instead of30 900,
we should have seen 10000 rejoicers.
I have alluded to hard cider, log cabins, and
Tippecanoe because upon these suppose llarri-
son his claims to the sulrages of the people
of Vermont for it cannot be that he rests any
claim upon the circumstance of having first got into
public life by the rule Of Inheritance as the son of
a man of cminencc, or upon having lived all hS
life an office -holder-hc incumbent of offices not
held By The suGrages Of the people, bm obtoined By
intrigue wih pariOm administrations and held
bu scribe adulaiion. Nor can the claim rest upon
his speeches, votes, or acts, which have erer been
influenced by those who seek by cunning nsnua-
tons to introduce monarchcal principles into our
institutions, which, if once admitted, would tend
slowly and surely to the overthrow fthc Republic
Nor can it be his having nercr voted for or sup
5 ported any noble and generous measure Tor more
fairly declaring or more firmly establishing the
principles of Equal RIGHTS, upon which rests
c the safety and happiness of the American people
4 No. no. Upon hard cider, log cabins, and Tippc
n canoe alone does Harrison claim the votes of the
) farmers of Vermont. lie claims nothing for hov
, ing in long course Of weak and imbecile public
n conduct, never allowed an opportunity for reducing
0 American freemen to the condition Of slaves, tt
V bass without enrolling bis name among the advo
d cafes Of the measure. He has, however,, hlg
Y claim in the ewes of the Infamous gang who mos
it loudly support hin-he is the only lrecbon c'tlzc
n Of the United States who dares mol arom his opin
Il ions. and one who, by refusing 10 publish his sen
!, iments upon fundamental questions while he ask
C for surages would leave his voters in doubt wheth
e or they were voting for man or monkey.
How noble in contras. is the position Of Mr. Va
l. Buren,. u will no, insult the patriotism of Vernon
lie nv Speaking of him as ''nor,hern man. Of tn
y poor boy introducing himself to public favor by n
onn meriis-not through the hereditary igfaeac
NJ of his familv or of the man who has riser to pull
pS lie stations by the free sGrages Of his tciiow cit
ne .ens-not by obsequiously cri9giag to cgis'ail'
II bodies and men in authority; but would speak
w and opinions, and who, through three years
y, unexanped perpIextes, has given the highest ev
' dences Of honor, honesty, capacity, patriotism ar
fitness for command. All the books in the wor
"o would not contain the calumnies that have been u
o' tered and published against Washington, Jeierso
- Madison and Jackson; but such has been the di
vs. erection and manlncss of Mr.. Van Buren,, that /
IL opponents, vile and miserable they are, dare
attack his character in any one particular. TIL
II, may abuse his measures ,bu, after years of wachfl
In ness they have discovered nothing bare-fced, til
M they he such as to authorize them 10 assail the
are Then there is the great claim of Van Buren, to
ar suflragcs Of an enlightened, sober minded and
ind ligous people. His friends poin, to 'cho'e Il
KY, ever honorable, ever rreproachabe, ever dcvot
ing to his countrys glory, and not to single solita
ans dazzling act which in the lives Of many great mt
ted is bazed forth to obiterate years Of folly ndisc
ton, or wrong doing
the Van Buren, will not require the vote of verm'
he TO insure his reelection but the honor the ST
Who requires that it should not be given TO his oppone