Year: 1866

Life of n Prominent Patriot.


Communicated


Editors of the Wheeling Register:


Judge Harrison is native of Eastern
Virginia. About twenty-five years since
he located in the Salt Sulphur Springs,
in Monroe county. He never had the
confidence of his relations and connec-
tions. and his earliest acts after locating
in this section were not such as to in
spire either respect or confidence. BY
taking the necessary oaths he availed
himself of the bankrupt law, and few
days thereafter invested his surplus
funds in the purchase of fine carriage,
etc. BY this innocent little trick-he
would regard it as nothing more, for he
has at least upon one occasion avowed
the great contempt he feels for a man
who acts from pure motives-he relieved
himself from the opportunities OF nu-
merous creditors. Along with other
debts he avoided the necessity of pay
ing n widow lady in Staunton three hun
dred dollars, due for board, while he
was attending the law school, and at
the same time freed himself from debt
for considerable amount due General
Locke, being money generously ad-
vanced TO enable him to get an educa-
ton that taught him first to defraud
his benefactor, and from that time
down to defraud every other man
who gave him an opportunity
to do so. The early age at which he
thus began to take ''strange oaths"
NAV perhaps render less remarkable
the facility with which he now swal-
lows them. Between such man and
the masses of the people there could
never Of course be any sympathy, he
often sought political preterment at
their hands and always failed to secure
it-being Il man of some sprightllnesS,
he met with success at the bar. lie
was Democrat of the States Rights
pro-slavery school, and was so extreme
i'm his views that he regarded Governor
Letcher rs not sound upon the slavery
question and in the convention at Pc
tersburg, opposed the nomination OF
that gentleman, saying the nominee OF
the party should be ''like Caesars wife,
not only pure, but above Suspicion"
When the war began he was III Phlla-
delphia and was an avowed southern
sympathizer, and defended the southern
priyateers who were then tried as plr-
ates. He then clandestinely came south
and sought an interview with Mr. Da-
Wis, alleging that he had important IN
formation to impart relating to certain
combinations in the north. lie sought
from the confederate government the
position of commissioner OF ex-
change and failed to obtain it-he
also sought, with equally poor success,
the position of Quarter Master IN the
command of Gen. Heth. tie then re-
mained quietly at the Salt Sulphur
Springs until the close of the war, trai-
ticking in whisky, cotton and tooacco:
When the war terminated he ayowed
himself Union man, sought ana oD-
tanned from Gov. Boreman the appoint
ment of Judge of the ninth Circuit.
Since that time he has been radical OF
the deepest dye. A few days before the
election he and Newlin came to Lewis
burg, as they went to every other
county, either in person or by proxy, IN
the district, and together with Caldwell
and Thatcher, two members OF the
County Board of Registration, struck
from the Registry books tho names OF
more than two hundred voters without
notifying one of them, as required ny
law. Harrison, candidate for the
Judgeship Ncwlin, candidate LOT the
office of States Attorney; Thatcher, a
candidate for the Senate and Caldwell,
n candidate for the House of Delegates.
This is but single instance OF his IN
terf.rcnce with the books of the Regis
trars.


How long arc tho people of these
connties required to submit to the
existing tyranny and oppression
During the war more than nine
tenths of the people of these
counties were implicated either direct
lv or indirectly in the rebellion. AS
soon as the war ended they held public
meetings and declared their purpose to
submit in good faith to the decision OF
all the issues involved i'll the contest,
and to he loyal to the constitution, both
State aud Federal. They have scrupu-
lousy observed and kept these pledges
The Governor has pointed to them as
disloyal and urged the Legislature to
enact laws which are intended tor their
oppression. They have in every way
been ANNOYED and harassed. When Har-
rison was first appointed Judge he well
knew that there were not men enough
in these counties to ill the offices pro-
vided for by law who could conscien-
tiously take the oath Of. office. lie
sought out those whom he supposed
were willing to serve him and gave the
oath what he called liberal cOnstruc-
ton, saying that it could be taken b.
any one who had not been guilty OF any
of the acts therein enumerated, since
the date of the passage of the act re-
quiring the oath. The integrity of the
masses of the people was proof against
his specious reasoning, and he has re-
sorted to threats and misrepresen-
tation to accomplish his purposes.
In this, too, he will find that
he is mistaken. The people of these
counties are true to the great principles
of morality and will never consent to
their own degradation. Their material
property may be preyed upon and de,
stroyed-their rights may be denied and
tramplcd under toot-their honor is in
their own keeping, and will never be
stained as it only can be, by their own
acts.