Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-09-30
:. ~ NEW SERIEs,-VOL. 1. NO. g.

sitiOn'" 10 the bearers Of letter. forD
the Democratic State Central Committee
of Kentucky, requesting, in the mos,
gentlemanly terms, his opinion on the
subject of abolition, he stated, in the sue.
ceeding month Of April, "tllat nothing
could induce him 10 answer such inter
rogaiories, coming either from friends 0r
foes And finally, (alihough, in 1922,
in answer to a call on the candidates for
Congress, in the Cincinnati district, ol
whom he was one, "to publish their po.
liical creeds, that The electors might have
fair opportunity of choosing those whose
sentiments should best accord with their
own," he lad responded, that he had sew
er believed that every elector has right
TO make this call upon those who offer
their services TO the people, and that the
candidates are bound 10 answer it, he,
in his Fort Meigs speech on the llth
day Of last June, declared, that he does
" not think that candidate for the Pre-.
sidentship should be asked to give
pledges" But what, fellow citizens, shall
we think of a man who, whilst refusing
10 make any declaration Of opinions for
the public eye, was yet busily engaged
in distributing prirGte assurances TO the
different quarters of the Union, ofnatures
the most opposite and irreconcileable?-
What shall we think of a man who, at the
very time that he was writing letters in
Vulnerable to his friends in the south,
the newspaper publication of which he
expressly forbid, pledging himself TO OPP
pose abolition in all its forms, was secret
ly holding himself out to the abolition par
ty of the north as A good enough anti
slavery man" for them2 Yes, fellow
citizens, mortifying as it must be TO every
man with an American heart. to see a
candidate for the Presidency of the Uni
ted States thus prostitute himself by the
basest deceit, we are forbid 10 deny the
existence of the fact, by evidence 100
conclusive TO admit of doubt. Look at
the communications of General Harrison
to Messrs. Lyons and others of the slave
holding States, published by them against
his consent, and compare the assertions
those letters contained, with the proof of
his course 10 be found in the following
facts: In the Philanthropist" newspa-
per, published at Cincinnati, the leading
organ of the abolition party in the State
of Ohio, the editor, DR.. Bailey. harOoring
"no unkind feelings towards Gen. Har-
rison," made the following declaration on
the 30lh of June:
In two interviews we had with Gen
eral Harrison OH this subject, about four
months since, he was at pains TO assure
US that he had himself belonged 10 an
abolition society in Richmond, Va. He
did not hesitate about the phrase; he did
not use any other. Abolition society
seemed 10 be the only phrase which he
knew or cared to know And yet, in
writing to Mr.. Lyons, he says: If | did
really term it an abolition society, a fact
which can still hardly beliere, 1t must
hare been from forgegulness.'" " Be-
sides," continues the editor, " we know
that he has been in the habit of using the
term abolition as the distinctive title of
the society at Richmond" And again,
Doctor Baily remarks, four months ago
General Harrison was anxious 10 con-
vince aboltionists that he was very
good anti-slavery man." True, he did
not use the term "abolitionist." So open
and undisguised declaration of his pre-
sent sentiments, it was no part of his
policy" to make. But his design, in
holding these interviews and making these
avowals, is nevertheless ahundantly man
ifest. He surely intended to express a
warmer friendship for the cause to which
his hearer was devoted, than mere ab-
stract opposition to slavery would imply.
Again, we find in the proceedings of
the abolition convention, held at Boston,
in the State of Massachusetts,, on May,
24th Of the present year, the following
speech from the Rev. Abel Brown, del
egate from the district represented in
Congress BY the Hon. VIM. B. Calhoun,
who is himself an aboitionist and whig:
Mr.. Brown said" Mr.. w. B. Calhoun
has written home letters from Washing
ion, TO convince the abolitionists that they
were wrong in opposing Harrison. Co.
pies were pr;pately handed around among
the abolitionists by the wings, and he
[Mr. Brown] had seen some Of them, in
which Mr.. Calhoun stated that Gen. Har-
rison was with us, Che abolitionists,) and
would go all lengths, and he Mr.. Cal
houn1 had this from authority which was
understood to mean Gen. Harrison him
self"
Mr.. Calhoun admits having seen let
ter from Gen. Harrison on the subject OF
abolition, the publication of which, thro'
the agency of the press, the writer ex-
pressly forbade. He also acknowledges
having written the letter that was shown
to Mr.. Brown, but will not suffer an expo
sure of its contents to be made TO the
public eve, because, to do SO, he says,
would be indirectly TO publish the letter