Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-10-24
REPORT OF A SPEECH DELIVERED LIZ
COZ. R. A. STEWART,

|. rush OF 81. fieLend, on ne oH "
FeAow Citizens: Ny competitor, the Hon
John H. Harmanson, having lodged all the Po-
litical issues involved in this campaign, ana re-
sorted to the cry OF persecution, has been anu
is now industriously endeavoring to convince
the people of this District that have sIandered
him in Il most gross and reckless manner ne
has thrown aside his political ATlnor, ana SOUND
inc a truce to political warfare, etdet'ors 10
entrench himself in your S0ciM sympath'es-
He does this too, fellow citizens, at the same
time that be refuses to meet me IN pubic ana
there openly and honorably contest the truth OF
what he is pleased to call slanders-l1e Will not
meet me. as | have invited him to do, and prove
contradictory and face TO face, with me- that
what | have said is slunderous but he chooses
rather to make his assertions alone, and enforce
them on vour minds as truth, by the most pl-
teous and sympathetic appeals; and leaving them
| improved ard uncontradicted, he expects them
| to have the effect desired. But Mr.. Fl IS greatly
mistaken if he thinks by thus refusing to meet
me in open discussion and prcferring his charges
in NV absence, to ret Judgment by default
arainst me: for although | am thus deprived OF
the advantage of contesting and rctutlng the
charges when made. | have still left cthe proud
satisfaction of knowing that Il hearing from
those who are to sit in Judgment on the merits
of these CHARGES. is at all times available and
the happier consciousness of possessing and
bearing with me proofs to substantiate the char
ges | may make or have made: and sustaln me
in the position which | have taken.
And now, fellow citizens, | will proceed to
show YOU wherein Mr.. Harmauson pretends to
you that he is slandercd, and prove every charge
that he calls a Islander to be the truth; and Sd
tisty Won. too. that Mr.. II. is the slandercr and
not | :and that he has slandered himself in a
manner that | should have never thought OF,
much less attempt.
In a speech delivered by Mr.. Harmanson in
Jackson on the 4th of August lSl9,and report
ed in the Southern Mirror, he says: that First
he (Col. s. has charged me with voting
against the instructions given by the State Lc-
! gislaturc to our representatives in Congress to
vote for the REIMBURSEMENT OF Gen. Jacksons
! fine.
Fellow citizens, | deny ever having made such
a charge. In my speech delivered in the same
place on the 9th July, and reported in the same
paper, | called on DR.. Perkins, who was present
to inform me as to Nj. Harmanson's vote on the
instructions, given by the Legislature to our
representatives in Congress, to relinqulsh tie
fine imposed on Gen. JACKSON for whipping
the British land in reply DR.. ?. stated that Mr..
He voted against the Instructions" his mis-
taken answer. for such it vas. should not be
made use Of Tor purpose OF impeaching my mo-
tives in asking the question for the question
on my part was fully warranted and Justified hy
a conversation had with DIR. Perkins 4 few
minutes preceding the hour in which l spoke;
wherein DIR. Perkins remarked to me that
he thought that Mr.. II. had voted as above stat
cd, and said that he would 60 and examine the
! journal and be certain. With this purpose he
left Inc and | saw nothing more Of him until |
had far advanced in the delivery OF my speech,
nor said nothing more to him until asking him
the question as stated above, and when asking
| was not certain as to what would be his an
swer; that | expected the journal to determine.
Was | not justifiable in asking the question un-
der such circumstances? | did not charge Mr..
Harmanson with voting thus, and call on DR..
Pirkins to prove it and | can't think that | am
to be held responsible for the answer of anoth-
er, in reply to Il question, asked, on my part, for
the purpose Of c~Iiciting information as DR..
Perkins honestly erred, he has honorably atom
ed for it The has done all that honor would die
tate, and all that honor could require notWlth-
standing which, Mr.. Harmanson still repeats, in
every speech, that | have charged him with this
vote, and that | colludcs with DR.. Perkins to
prove it on him-He forgets his Jealous love OF
reputation and character, when stlgInatlzlng an
honorable man, as Perkins is known to be, with
an act so disreputable .and that too, when he
has no ground for SO doing or rather he seems
to forget that any one, save himself, cares tor
the integrity of their character and honor and
while he would blast at q breath the honor OF
an honorable man, he will call on the people OF
this District to protect and viudicate his own.
Mr.. Harmanson, in a speech delivered in st.
Francisville and reported in the Democrat OF
Plaquemine, of 18th of August, states that he
was with me, in Jackson, several days before
that speech, in which, he says, | made the fore
going charge. This assertion, fellow citizens,
has no more foundation in truth, than the for
mer. as | will prove by facts and circumstances
that MIR. H. cannot controvert Or deny-Atter
stating that he saw me i'll jackson, rs above, he
turns witness against himself, and ~testities that
he saw me in Clinton the next day aferl spoke
in Jackson; which is true he did see me in Gin
ton on that day but he did not see me in Jack
son for more than one month after the day on
which l delivered the speech from Clinton our
courses diverged, ! going Eastward and he GO
ing homeland now Mr.. Harmanson, so unwil
ling to excuse an error in DIR. Perkins, is here
found entangled in Interpretations and sell
contradiction, themselves irreconcllable, ano
from which to extricate himself. the only way
left him, is, to adopt the honorable course pur
sued by DR.. P. and acknowledge his error. But
will he do this! Let those, who have heard
and may hereafter hear from him, answer!
Mr.. Harmans0n in his speech made in Jacl
son, and reported in the Mirror, as above stated
says: "The second charge in this indictment is
that l voted against the annexation Of Texas
:, A charge more false and outrageous than the
l first" And yet Mr.. H. in his speech delivered il
St. Francisville and reported in the Democra
of Plaquemine, admits clearly, uneQuivocally
2 and unreserved1y; that he did vote against tn
annexation of Texas, and gives as, what h
= conceiHes to be. iustifiahIe- reasons for doiue