The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-09-05

cabins and beer barrels, which would disgrace the
torgies of the lowest demagogue, by which hi
nomination has been Paraded forth, by even the
highest of his partIsans, would be quite conciu-
sive with you"
Divest this sentence of its ponderous verbiage
and gratuitous cPithets, and your objections to
| Gen. Harrison will be found to be: First, his re
fusing to disclose his opinion to the people on
subjects of vital Importance to their welfare;-
Secondly, the "mummery of log-cabin and beer
Barrels, by which his nomination has been
hera lded forth ''by his partisans" These you
| saw eSwenld be quite conclusive with" you. In
YOUR next remark, the Editor of the New York
| Evening Pest, in his commentary, interprets
| YOU thus: esThis late member of the Wing party
| declares Harrison to be ga weak and superan-
nuated old man, utterly destitute of qualifications
the Office" of President. "BlE as a Southern
man." you remark, you sEhave much Craze OBJ
jeotionS to him, which you state in the following
words: s'He is National Republican, holding
all the doctrines and principles of that party;
he w as nominated by that party,a and will sustain
every measure which may be proposed by its great
leaders Mr. Webster never uttered coHstitu-
tional doctrine, and MIR. Clay never proposed
meas ure, that General Harrison has not support
ed or pproved. In fact, he will be tool in the
hands of these two gentlemen, and to elect him,
would be to adopt their principles and measures"
| You make these assertions directly and positive
w. and as l presume the same sources where
1 i s..co, aksn ia
country, your letter, of course, implies that the
doctrines and principles of the National Repub-
Iican party are well known; that Gen. Harrison
is well known Gas holding all the doctrines and
principles of that party" that it is well known
that che will sustain every measure which may
be proposed by its great leaders," that he has
supported or approved all Mr.. Webster's 'consti
tutional doctrines,' and all MIR. Clay's measures
and consequently his opinions of principles, mea
sures and constitutional doctrines ought to b.
as we'll known as those of Mr. Webster or Mr.
| Clay.
Here then are arrayed your objections to the
election of Gen. Harrlssn to the Presidency o
the United States. They may be divided int
two classes, in the order you have stated them
First: Those which, of themselves, 'swould b.
quite conclusive;" and Secondly: Those which
to YOU, Gas Southern man" are "much graver.
Let us examine separately, each OF these OBJ
fections, included in this classification.
Your first objection of the eequite conclusive
class is his refusing to disclose his opinions t
the people on subjects of vital importance to the
welfare" This implies that his opinions ar,
unknown to the people, and that they have nj
means of ascertaining them, for if Gen. Harrison
has ever been in public life, voted, spoken, Of
written upon these "subjects ofvital Importance
to the peoples welfare" unquestionably his re-
corded votes, speeches, and writings, would fur
nish the highest and most authentic evidence o.
his opinions.
II seems to me very extraordinary that gen
tleman of your intelligence should urge this a
an objection to Gen. Harrison In the first plac
you ought to have inquired whether the charg
of his refusing to disclose his opinions, whicl
YOU have thus positively asserted, be true; and
think you yanld have found that the charge it
self is untrue, and originated in the grossest per
version and injustice, The charge is pretended
to be founded upon the letter Of a committee o
| Gen. Harrison's friends in Cincinnati, in repl,
to letter of one Miles Hotchxiss. In this lette
II is said that Gen. Harrison would make s'n
further declaration of his principles" than b
referring to the opinions he was already know
to have publicly expressed, which remained III
changed. Now, sir, so Car from this justifyin
the charge of his refusing to disclose his epir
ions, it asserts, what every reading man in til
; country already knew to be true, that he ha
already declared his opinions; that they had vi
/, dergone no change, and that therefore ':tiutht
declaration" was not necessary. And l woul
, most respectfully inquire of you, as an hone
man, and 'snot partisan Of Mr.. Van Buren,,
if Gen. Harrison's votes and speeches in Coz
I gress, and his speeches and letters out of Cor
gress, have not most fully, frankly, and Yithot
regard to consequences to himself, manifested t
the people his opinions on all the subjects of vita
importance to their welfare, whick have hereto
fore agitated, do now agitate the country
Whether any honest inquirer after truth nee
have any difficulty in ascertaining his opinion.
and whether he was not justified in believing
that emo further declaration of hls principles
was necessary, but that every reasonable mai
would be satisfied with reference to the solem,
declarations Of his principles and opinions alSady
made, as the questions arose and occasion re
quiredS
You will thus perceive that your objection il
based upon groundless assumptions that yot
have placed Gen. Harrison in opposition" which
he has not "assumed," and that you have ther
proceeded to characterize that OPPOSITION" as eau
dacious and insulting" In order to exhibit tt
your view, in strong light, the position, whicl
you have "assumed," before the American PEG
pie, in endorsing this charge against Gen. Har
rison, with the choice epitkets you have selected
to accompany it, / beg leave to revive in your
mind the historical "reminiscences of a position
eassumed" by candidate for the Presidency in
800 whom Won defended and sustained with