The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-08-02

sire, Gen. VIM. Henry Harrison, it is
of vital interest for this generation to
know how this Gen. VIM. Henry Har-
rison stood on the greatest question
of the century. Was he ranged along
side of the men who sought to cast the
mould of thought on the side OF
the kindly humanities, or was ne
the ally of those who, upheld
African slavery Letthe record speak;
When General Harrison was Cover
nor Of Indiana, in 1903 he presided over
a convention held at Vincennes which
petitioned Congress to change the Ordi-
nance of 1887 and permit the intoduc-
ton of slavery in Indiana.
In 1919 General Harrison, then a
member of Congress, voted against re-
stricting Missouri in her constitution
al rights. He was one of those few
members from non-slave-holding States
who voted in favor of Missouri coming
into the Union with African slavery.
In 1885 General Harrison in an adj
dress at Vincennes, inveighed in the
strongest terms against emancipation
lists, denouncing their claims as weak,
presumptuous and unconstitutional.
In this address he commended that the
people of the non-slave-holding States
were not warranted by the constitution
in holding meetings and publishing
speeches against the domestic institu-
tions Of the South.
In 1886 General Harrison, in a letter
to Mr.. Thomas SlOo, jun, of New Or
leans, said: 81 donot believe that Con
gress can abolish slavery in the States,
or in any manner interfere with the
property of the citizens in their slaves"
This is the record of this grand-sire,
on the greatest question that has ever
stirred American blood, since the Re-
public was born. Men of the party Of
emancipation, how do you like it?
Again in the campaign of 1910, Gen.
Harrison sought to fasten the charge
of abolitionlsm ON Martin Van Buren,,
and he succeeded in doing so. The
Hon. r. w. Thompson, of Indiana, was
a Harrison elector in 1910, and he is
alive today and a Republican leader. In
August, 1855, this same Thomp-
son made a speech in Terre Haute, Ind,
in which he said:
"The first time / ever came to this
city was in 1910, when l was a Wing
candidate for Elector. l recollect the
occasion well, and l recollect how L was
applauded for my earnest devotion to
| the Wing principles, which are here pro-
| claimed. Poor Van Buren,, how we did
pummel him for his AbolitiOnisml Not
| only here, but everywhere, all over the
State-in every nook and corner of it
we denounced him as an AbolitiOnist.
| And we brought down upon his head
such a storm of rebuke that even the
Endorsement of Jackson could not save
him."
In other words, Harrison was elected
President because he was the defender
and champion of African slavery, and
Martin Van Buren, was defeated be-
cause he was tinctured with the rising
anti-slavery sentiment of the time.
Seriously now; in this year of grace
1888, is it not rather a ridiculous per
Torrance to run Ben Harrison fol-
President, on the record and fame o.
his grandfather, when that grandfather
never expressed a prayer, a sentiment
or a hope on the side Of humanity, Oh
freedom, for the downtrodden. 9cs ~
Think it over, brother, in the light o.
the record presented, and give us you
honest opinion, whether you thinl
there are any dividends to be realized
on the side of civilization, humanity o
christianity, by booming little Ben TO
President of the United States on hi
grandpa's devotion to the deep damna
ton of African slavery.