The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-08-25


now how oh anged the sceneI Little indeed al this
time remains to remind yop and your comrades OF
other days of your past deeds Nay, few even OF
those comrades survive to meet and shake hands with
their old acquaintance the theatre Of their former
action Alas the greater part are gone the silver
threads cut 1.-THE golden bowl is broken. few,
precious few of them yet iyescattered the fallen
leaves of the forest the contiguous plain Here
is little remnant Of them gathered around you They
are come to bid you perchance hast farepeH! The
winter Of Time has frozen their locks to whiteness
THEY have almost paid the debt of Nature These
the men whom erst youled to victory They bat
tied with you in infancy, and restored peace the
frontiers When danger threatened they flew TO the
standard Of their country. With you that country's
foes they braved with you they fought--with you
they sutherland with you they triumphed Yes,
and with you they will triumph again. They were
faithful to you in youth and they will prove constant
in age nation cries unto you to become its de-
liverer the people echo the cry-Gen. Harrison will
obey! Again bid you wecome-thrice welcome to
your Old Treaty Ground
Mr.. Bell having closed Gen Harrison bowed to
the congregated thousands-and after moments
survey Of the immense auditory, he addressed the
throng to the following effect
FRIENDS AND FELLOW CITIZENS Ii is with no sliph
emotion that undertake to address you this
sion. Nor am little embarrassed for words where
with to express my deep of your Kindness to-
ward me, manifested by the frendiness and magma
nimty of your greeting ! must receive different
nature, become something less than what
am, than what any man, while living, can be, before
can cease TO remember and appreciate the too favora
BILE regard and the kind demonstration of respect for
me of my fellow citizens here present My heart
yields up TO you the homage of its deepest gratitude
though my tongue expresses it not
Fellow citizens, you all aware of the position
that occupy before the American people-beng
candidate of portion of them for the Presidency of
the United States 1t will doubtless be said by
that am here for the purpose of electioneerng for
myself that have to solicit your votes but be-
a.. Al
this occasion but invited guest Of the citizens
of Dark. 1t is my deliberate opinion and sincere de-
sire that the besownent of Office should be the free
| act of the people and | have wish to bias their
| judgment uniusv in my favor. But, nowithstand-
ing my wish and determination not to engage po-
litician in the pending canvass for officers to admins
ter the General Government although would have
preferred to remain with my family in the peace and
quiet of our log cabin at the Bend rather than be-
engaged in political other disputes the ad
vocate of my own rectude of conduct yet, from the
| continued torrent Of caumny that has been poured
upon me, from the ISLANDERS, abuses, and obloquy
which have been promulgated and circulated to my
dscrcdt designed to aslerse and blacken my charac
ter and from the vllanous and false charges urged
against me by the pensoned presses of this Admins
raton my attendance at this celebration appeared TO
have been made act of necessity, step which was
compelled to take for sef-defence Chiefly for this
purpose have among you, and trusting you will
all perceive the proprety of this course seems super
fuous TO add any further reasons for its adoption.
Years ago fellow-ctzens, when left this spot-for
aught knew for the last tmeI had little idea of the
surprising change which would be wrought in its APP
pearancc during the time which has superyened.--
Never did expect to stand here and behold such
this It resembles somewhat the recent siege
of g Old Fort Meigsp | am now sixty-seve years
of age. have therefore lived to behold much of the
glory of my country; have seen the palmy days Of
this Republic; and especially have witnessed many
of the brilliant events which have characterized the
growing greatness of the lovely West but this very
day and its incidents mark epoch in my own his
tory the like of which have seldom experienced 1t
is now twenty-five years since last was at Fort
DISQUALIFICATION surrounded by dense forest dark
and drear AT that period there was scarce Log
Cabin between Greenvile and Cincnnati-all be-
tween entire, unbroken wilderness. How
wonderfully and how speedily have the giant woods
bowed their stately tops to the industry and enterprise
of Western pioneers, as If some magic power had
cleaved them from the earth! And now in their
stead what do behold2 Broad cultivated fields
fowery gardens, and happy homes. Delightful pic
ture-gIatifying change! Proud reflection that this
transition of things is the result of the handiwork of
Western Peoplc--of American freemen.
Fellow citizens you have undoubtedly seen 1t often
times stated in certain class of newspapers that
very dccrepid old man, obliged to hobble about
on crutches that was Gagged up and that could
speak loud enough to be heard than four or
five feet distant, in consequence Of which last mlsor
tune am stigmatized with the cognomen Of General
Mum" You perceive, however that these stories
false But there some other more serious matters
charged against me, which ] shall take the liberty to
prove untrue, You know it has been said by some
that | have principles; that ! dare not any
principles; and that am kept under the Surveillance
Of committee" All this il unconditionally
VIGOROUSLY false. The charge Of my being in the
keeping of a committee is the only that
merit a moments consideration, and that barely TO
indicate its origin few months past almost every
mail that has to the post Office at which l
ceivc my letters and papers has brought greater
or less number of letters-all of which have opened
and examined. Some of them have proved abusive
and contemplate, designed especially to aunt and in
suit and such were of course consigned to the flames
But on the other hand letters decorousy written for
the purpose of eictng information, have been uni
lormly replied to- either by myself personally or by
some acting under my authority and obeying my
instructions--eom my opinions and not
his Is there any thing criminal improper in
this mode of doing business Surely, my friends,
trow not
Now with regard to the political condition of
common country trust there is improperly in my
addressing you upon subjects concerning the public
veal What means this great connection among
the People of this great nation What the in
suferable grievances which have driven many thou
sands, nay, millions, of the American People into
council for the purpose of deysng for their
mutual reiefl Wherefore do they cry aloud, with
one voice, Reform Reform Reform Our country
| is in peril! The public morals corrupted. How
has it been done Tothe victors belong the spos,
say our rulers What the consequences Ask
the hundred public dcfaulters throughout the land =
Ask the hircngs of corruption who proacring
power and place as brides to procure votes Ask
the subsidized press what governs its operations and
il will open its iron Jaws and answer you in voice
loud enough to shake the pyramids MONEY Mo
NEY speak not at randon-facts bear me testimo-
NY The principle is boldly avowed, well as put in
practice by in high places that falsehood is usti
fable in order to accomplish their purposes. Why
this laxy in the morals of rulers and of their fol
lowers Did they inherit depavity from their ances-
tors How does il come that such reckessncss Of
truth and justice is manifested Of late by some indi-