The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-05-08

and abuse Of the venerable man. Many well
meaning but misinformed men of the late Ad
ministration party were induced to believe these
oft-reiterated charges, and they, too, joined the
malignant cry. Could any honorable man, who
valued his character,-any soldier, who priced
his professional honorary man OF properpride
who valued the good opinion of the country,
which, from boyhood, he had faithfully served,
remain quiet, while in every party sheet sent
abroad to the four corners Of the land by the Off
cials Of the Government, and their minions en-
ployed here and every where--from every post Of
flee, custom house, and land Office in the Union,
were circulated the most unfounded assertions
against his intellectual and moral character, and
his physical ability-charges of copardice and
want Of skill as a soldier, and that he was so
imbecile, in mind and body, as to require a
" committee" to keep him out of the way Of OBJ
servation2
Gen. Harrison would not, and could not, rest
quietly under this. My military reputation is
dear to me, and am astonished that they should
be SO base as to assan il" said the noble old
soldier to US just one year ago, Sand cannot
understand how men can be willing to assa
and falsify the military history Of the country
as they do, to reach me.n "These things are to
be expected, and the degraded source from which
they come should be considered, was remarked
in reply. "Sir," said he 81 cannot and will not
quietly permit the public to be deceived, and the
honor Of the country's arms assailed through
me-"
4 III K p. x. 4.
Gen. Harrison did, for long time, remain at
home quietly, leaving the aroused and generous
American people, who were burning with in
dlgnation at their wrongs, and the tyranny and
the deception of their "rulers" continued for
avenge themselves and their own chosen candi-
date. But at last he was compelled, notwith-
standing he had refused various invitations to do
so, against the wishes of his friends in Ohio, to
take the field in his own defence. His first
movement was in June last, when he journeyed
from Cincinnati, some $50 miles, to Fort Meigs
TO meet the people, and to show them there,
surrounded by the grass-grown memorials of his
own services, and sufferings, and glories, that
he was not the "dotard, !" the aimbecile," g the
/" coward" that he was sworn to be by every
Van Buren, paper, and almost every offce-holder
and demagogue in the country. NJ
4 We well recollect the relieffelt in this part of
the country and New England, by men who
had begun to fear that there might be some little
truth in the charges Of unhealthy" so pertina.
ciously repeated, when they heard that the GEN
eral, stopping but single night to rest at Co
lumbus, on his journey, on the following morn
ing, delivered from the steps of the hotel one Of
the most appropriate, ready, and brilliant i'm
proutpfn speeches ever uttered.
Wenext hear Of him at Fort Meigs, adde's
sing upwards Of 40, 900 citizens, and sending
his clear and powerful voice, without effort, to
the outermost verge Of the immense crowd.
4 And such was the force, and beauty, and ef-
feet Of his address, and Of his venerable appear
ance, that shout after shout resounded along the
valley of the Miami-Old Miami Of the Lakes
which in years gone by, had been crimsoned
with the blood of freeman and foe-and copious
were the tears that flowed down the manly
cheeks of his hearers. From thence the good
man returned by way of Cleveland (where even
his venerable presence could not restrain these
vipers from insulting him) to his home. Here
he was not permitted to rest Committees from
Louisville -Loco-focos in disguise visited him,
and with other emissaries from all parts of the
country, opened the subject Of Abolition =
that they might entangle him in his talk
The wretches, instead Of being driven from his
door, were treated with mildness, and quietly
referred to his speeches on that subject, and
copies were given them. Nor was this all-but
we forbear to continue the painful recital.
N. The People of Ohio well know with what
extraordinary ease he discharged these labors
and with what 6rmness and patience he bore the
unparalleled abuse of his enemies. M
Those who heard him address the $4,000
people at Dayton, and the crowd at Greenvile,
at Wooster, and elsewhere, will never forget the
thrilling eloquence, the wisdom, mildness and
spirit of his effort, or the excited feeling of the
crowds of honest and intelligent freemen who
heard him. The $4,000 majority which was
given him by the citizens of that noble State,
against the bitterest opposition of desperate
press, and of the officers Of the State and Gen
eral Government and the degraded and malig
nant attacks of the two most " honorable" and
" illustriously obscure" Senators, Tappan and
Allen, and the prostitution of the Vice Presi-
dent, johnson, who travelled all over the State
in company--the two Senators classifying history,
uttering falsehood and calumny, appealing to the
lowest passions Of the crowd, and then referring
to Col. Johnson for proof of their assertions
and he, poor man, in fear Of his party, endorsing
in. his English, all their falsehoods and perver-
sons show the opinion Of those who knew
him best Gen. Harrison was elected.
We make another quotation: t +a
He went to Virginia, to visit the home of his child
hood and the scenes of early life; but told that
on his way thilher whilst there, and the road back
his mind was kept almost constantly the stretch by
applications to consider claims for Office. The few
days that interviewed before the Inauguration he had