Rising Sun Times, Volume 2, Number 96, Rising Sun, Ohio County, 12 September 1835 — Page 1

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rLi:tci:i to no party s arritrarv swav, well rou.ow tritii where'er it leads tiif. way.

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tiEMut.vt. wji. n. n vuuisvtN, No duty is more imperative on the conductors of the pus-, than that of giving to the people the histories and characters of those who are aspiring to their f.ivor. By having before them a map of their live, ihoy cm, from the hearing and tendency of their actions, test their claims to public confidence. How fortunate the man, who can present to their contemplation, the record of a life unsullied by a slain, as his surest purport to powtr and distinction. Of no one can this he said vvi:h more truth, than of the subjul of the article, whose life has been "without fear and without reproach." William Henry Harrison was horn in Virginia, in the year 1773. 1 1 is father, in ej amin Harrison, was an iidluenliai member of the Continental Congress, and cue of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He died befcue young II an ion had utlaim d the age of manhood, leaving him no inheritance hut his good name a lich legacy, of which misfortune cannot too him, Havi: g commenced the study of med".cin; he prosecuted it vviih ardor, until he had nearly completed Lis course of sUi lies, w hen he determined lo enter liie service ct his country as a soldier. His intention was approved by President Washington, who had been the warm friend ol tti s father, and who gave him a commission in the army, lie immediately Halted for the west, and reached the place of his destination sdioitly after the i feat of the unfortunate St. Clair. General av ne succeeding to the command of the army, selected him as one of his aids. His arduous duties in that dilHY.uit campaign were cheerfully and aMy pet fanned lo the satisfaction ot his commander, although his constitution was at that lime frail an I his health extremely delicate. His gallant conduct in the action w hich resulted in the total defeat of the Indians and termination of the war, was mentioned in lei ins ot high approbation, by General Way tie, m his despatches to the President. On leaving the army in 1797, Mr. H airism was appointed Secretary ami r 'T'Vf i Lieutenant Governor of the North Western Territory. The Ternlory cnteting into the second grade of Gavciumeni the succeeding year, Mr. Harrison wast hi ted the dvhgdo lo Congic.-s, being the lo ir. n who i cprcsi'nlcd t!ieo u.it; north west ot the O.u in the council"-: of the nation. His first legislative act, was an attempt to piocure an aiteia'.ion of the laws relative to the sales of the public land. Thov were at th it time oil" -re I for sale in tracts cf -1001 acres, and consequently were out of the reach of the hardy pio neer and en'.ci prizing tanner who had driven Inc in nan trom the son and reclaimed it from the wilderness of nature. Tiio system operated en them as a penaltv, while it conferred a pnvi lege on the avaricious monopolist and designing land jobber. After much opposition. Mr. Harrison succeeded in effecting the passage of the bill providing iii future for tho sale of the land in section and half section-. His ob ject was to have the land otfered in half and rpiarter section', but though a bill containing this provision was passed by the ltouse.it failed in the Senate, which proposed the amendment that was a greed to, after a conference between committees of both hou-cs. Thus wn laid the corner stone of that system which under the fostering care of the government, has opened an empire in the wilderness, inhabited by a million and a half of freemen owners of th soil which supports them, and nnsuriiassed in Patriotism, virtue, intelli gence, and industry, by any other peo ple on the face of the earth. To liarncnti. morn tli.in lo :mv one else. lielOllf's the honor of producing these mighty result?, and had lie given no other ividence of his devotion to the interest of the west, this of itself would entitle him to a place in the very heart's core of the western people. His claims can not be diminished by the supposition that, had he failed, the alteration in the land system would soon have been cf - . . i 1 . locted by some omer person, it was expected that nearly all the land within the present limits of the Slate of Ohio would have been soul the very next year after the passage of Mr. Harrison's hill to a very few wealthy speculator Their influence would have prevented nn alternation of the system, until the grasping hand of an avaricious monopo

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nopoly had seized the whole of the public land, as the fairest prospects for speculation at that day. The whole country which constitutes the Slates of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and the territory ofMichi can would have been under the dominion ofa few wealthy land-holders. Its population would have consisted of their tenantry a miserable race of dependent being, whose situation would have been little better than that of the viilknf of the feudal nobility. la 1C01 the Territory was divided, and Mr. Harrison appointed Governor, ol Indiana Territory, which then entered into the first grade of territorial government. Seldom has a more difficult and important trust been confided to any man; by few could it have been so faithfully and satisfactorily discharged. His jurisdiction included that extensive ; region of country, which now composes the State of Indiana and Illinois, Michigan Territory, and the whole of Louisana, from its purchase in 1803 until 1805. To survey the condi lion, snpplv the wants, and redress the grievances of this vast district of ddforent nations and n itures, required the most sleepless vigilance the most untiring persevcranee,and the most discriminating judgment, united to the most unswerving decision of character. The anomalous situation of liie country rendered nil experience or observation of the practice and laws of oilier States useless in governing it, and he had to rely on his own judgment, firmed from surrounding circumstances, for regulations to suit the emergencies of every occasion. His authority was almost unlimited. He had the power of appointing all office rs, civil and military, except the militia officers above the grade of colonel of dividing the Territory into counties and township?, and conlii ming all grants of land for persons having equitable titles of the same, designated by the law. In conjunction with the territorial judg es, he was authorized to adopt and pub is!! such laws of the States as might be ipphoabio to the. situation, and necesiry for the government, ol the J crntory. I hat such numerous and exten sive powers should be exercised with out exciting the discontent of those ;rone to regard the conduct of one clothed with authority, with a jealous eve. is matter of wonder, and heightens our admiration of the man whom power rould not intoxicate, or impunity miKe aiintrarv. When Mr. Harrison was appointed Governor, lie dec hired to il he would not hold the (hoc longer than the people he was to govern de sired if, and as a proof of the justice and mildness of his conduct, it may be remarked that at the close of each term, the people unanimously petitioned for Ins reappointment. As Governor he was ex o'tiao Superintendent of Indian i Hairs. This was the most dilfeult task of all, and perhaps no man was more eminently qualified hv nature and hahit for a successful negotiator with the Indian tribes. He had to conciliate the good will of thai strange and pow erful people, who viewed with distrust and jealousy me encroachments of the whiles on their ancient domain, and overavve the turbulent who are threat ening the frontiers with tomahawk and scalping knife. The people of the W est were at that tune at the mercy of the Indians, and in his hands alone were placed the club and searing iron to destroy the Hydra which threatened to exterminate a rising people in their infancy. He was also empowered to hold treaties with them, and procure their relinquishment of title to their lands. He made no less than thirteen treaties with them while Governor of Indiana, by which he obtained the relinquish ment of their title to sixty milihns of acres vf tana for a less sum than has mice been piirf for one tenth of that quantify. President Jefferson publicly testified his approbation of these measures, and the legislature of Indiana passed resolutions highly complimentary of his services. In 1803, at the urgent solicitation of Governor Harrison, Indiana was admitted to the second grade of government. The people were then entitled to a delegate in Congress, and a Legislature of their election, besides the privilege ol electing most of their executive and judiciiil ollicers. We mention this fact for the purpose of illustrating one of the most prominent traits in the character of Gen. Harrison respect for the opinions of the people, aud u desire, on all occasions, to defer to their judgment rather than to his

own. While the Territory was in the fust grade of government, his power " as almost dictatorial. By its admission into the second grade, he was deprived of the greatest of his prerogatives. Yet unlike most men unaccustomed to power who relinquish any part of their authority w ith the same reluctance with which a miser pats with a grain from his heap, regarding its sub

traction as destroying the value of the rest he was constantly uiging on the general government the propt iety of the change which enabled the people to re sume the greater part ol the power which had been delegated lo him. In 1806 the celebrated Teeumseh and his brother, the Prophet, commenced their intrigues amongst the Indian tribes, exciting their discontents, and urging them to hostilities against the whites. These disturbances were fermented by the British trudeis. Governor Hariisnn used every means in his power lo counteract their intrigues and conciliate the friendship of the Indians. 1 he limits of this article will not permit us to detail the history of those transactions. Kvory one must acknowledge th;il the man must have possessed uncommon prudence and extraordinary pow ers of conciliation, who could keep the discontented tribes from hostilities for live years, (from 180G to 1811.) when instigated by men of the bold gen ins and extensive iidlucnce of Teeum seh and the Prophet. In 181 1 the hos tile disposition ol the Indians was so apparent, that the Governor deemed it necessary to organize the militia .and place the Territory in a position of de fence, being reinforced by three hun dred and fifty U. S. infantry under Co lonel boyu, and a detachment of volunteer militia from Kentucky under Colonels Daviess and Owen, he commenced his march against the Prophet's town, in obedience to the order Gf the President. His orders were imperative to avoid hostilities of any kind and to any degree, not absolutely required. On the night of the Gth November the troops encamped on nn open plain, within two milesof the Prophet's town, the spot having been selected by two ofheers who were despatched in ad vancc of the army to examine the ground and select the most suitable spot for encampment. Before da light on the morning of the 7th they were at tacked hv the treacherous Indians, who had but the evening before seal a deputation of three of their principal men to request a suspension of hostilities The particulars of this battle are too well known lo require recapitulation It was one of the most signal defeat: the Indians ever received from the whites. Deputations from the different tribes were immediately despatched to Governor Harrison, to tender their submission, make professions of their friendship, and lament the delusion which had prompted them to commence hostilities. The President, in his mes sage to Congress, expressed the high sense entertained hy the government of the importance of this, victory, and the Legislatures of Kentucky and Indi ana testified their approbation of Gov ernor Harrison's conduct, by the pas sage of complimentary resolutions. It may net be amiss to relate, in this place, an .anecdote, w hich we had from one of the volunteers who marched un der Governor Harrison against the Prophet's town, and which shows his influence over his men, and their con fidence in him as a commander. Du ring the march many of the militia be came discontented, and anxious to re turn to their families. Their murmur .and complaints having reached t ho ears of Governor Harrison, he had the. men paraded, when, after stating to them in glowing terms, the situation of their country and her claims to their services he remaiked that any one who felt re luctant to endure anv fatigues or pri vations in her service, or who shrunk from meeting the enemy, might returi home, as he wished not to lead men to battle on whom he could not depend Those who wished to return were di rected lo march to the rear, at a given signal. When the word was given, not n man moved in that direction; they asked to he led against the ememy; and marched to the battle field as cheerily as to a marriage feast. Such was the popularity with the militia, that on the breaking out of the war w ith great Britain, he wasanxiously desired for their Commander in Chief, by the ollicers and men composing the expedition against Canada.

riicy had no confidence in their com

mander, Hull, and expressed their w ilingness lo ohev the orders of Hantsou, confident that they would march but to victory, under his banners. The Ken tucky volunteers having made known to Gov. Scott their wishes lo be placed under his command, he consulted some of the most distinguished naen of the State on the propriety of giving Gov. larnson, w ho was not a citizen of the State, a commission in its militia. Thev unanimously advised him to comply with the w ishes of iho soldiery, aud ncordinglv Governor Harrison received the commission of Major General in the Kentucky nuhtia, and was appointed to the command of the expedition against Cadada. Oa retching (he place of destination, lie was infjimed of his ippoiniment as a Brigadier General in the regular service. He declined ac cepting it, until tie could learn how ar he would be compelled to act in subordination to Gen. Winchester, Jhe Commander of the Northern Army. On hearing cf his appointment by the. Governor of Kentucky , he was confirm d hy Congress in his comm it. d, and on the 7th September following was anV 1 v.inted by the President Commander in Chief of the North Western Armv. It is to be regretted that this confirma tion was not sooner made, for it is gen erally believed that had Harrison been in command, the dreadful massacre at the river Raisin would have been prevented. The protection of the north western frontier was a duty whose per formance was obstructed by diticulties of no ordinary kind. The district under his command was more extensive than had ever been assigned to any Amcr'nsan officer, except Generals Wash ington and Greene; the posts were numerous and scattered at great distances from each other. He was required to defend them against the predatory ex cursions of the Indians, and at the same time lo carry on the operations of the campaign against a well disciplined British army. We have not room to give a minute account of his successes they terminated with the brilliant vic tory of the I hames, which gave security to the frontiers, and destroyed the power of the enemy in the north, and caused the arm of his savage ally to fall pros trate to the ground. lo his skillful lisposilion of his forces and the judi cious introduction of a novel system of tactics, is the splendid success of the Amerie.in troops at the. Thames to be at tributed. The news of the victory filled the country with rejoicing. Lang don neves, lonner speaker oi me House of Representatives, remaiked on the floor of Congress, that "the victory of General Harrison was such as would have secured to a Roman General, in the best days of the Repulic, the. hon ors of triumph. He. put an end to the w-iir in Canada. Obloquy has been said lo constitute a necessary part of the triumph: the croaking envy and vvhispei mgs ot ca lumny .are always mingled with the lof ty music of its march. An ungenerous attempt has been made to rob Genera Harrison of his well earned laurels, am transfer them to the brows of an officer who possesses the merit of having slain in the battle nn Indian, supposed to la the celebrated Chief iecumsch. L hat his exploit would give, him a temporary eclat, was to be expected. Personal .achievements strike the eye with more imposing effect than the elaboration of intellect, which are seen only in their results by those who seldom understand or appreciate the process of their production. The desperate bravery of Napoleon, in planting the French Standard on the bridge of Lodi, is better calculated loatliact the admiration of mankind, than the working of that mathematical genius which planned the operations that resulted in the v ictory of Auslerlitz, or the slaughter of Borodino. Col. Johnson's behaviour in the battle would have received its due meed of praise, as an exhibition of persona! prowess, and his warmest fiicnds had never dreamed of claiming more for him, but for that spirit of political intolerance which has swept over our country as with the Simoon's blast, and w hich, in pursuit of its unholy objects hesitate not lo trample on a soldier's character, which should be as unsullied and unsuspected sis a females. It has made nn absurd .attempt to rob of his just reward, the. man who was almost cradled in the camp who was uniformly successful against the Indinns who nehicved several brilliant

victories over them who planned the

operations of the North Western camaign, which secured the frontiers from the tomahawk and scalping knife of the merciless savage, and terminated in the war in Canada, which had hith erto been the theater of defeat and dis-jra-o to our .arms, and bestow it on one of his officers, whose highest mer it is tue obedience of his orders. The dtlusion lasted for a time, hut is fi,t melting away before the lising liirhfs of reason and truth, and the hem of Tippecanoe and the Thames is at length leceni'.g, with interest, the tardy debt of national gratitude. In the summer of 181 1. in cor.iu net Ine with Gov. Shelhv and Cnn i. concluded a successful treaty with the Indians, to flic interest of the neonle and the credit of the government. In 1816 he was elected a member of the. House of Representatives, hy a district in Ohio, and subsequently" to the U. S. Senate, by the Legislature of that Slate. Whiln n the Senate he was appointed Minister to Columbia. While discharging the fatics of his station in a manner which heightened the respect entertained hy tin; Columbians for our government, he was removed by the administration which then entered into power. Since thai lime he has lived a private life per.'orming the duties and amoving the pleasures of an agriculturist. He was, lately appointed Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Hamilton county, vmio, wmcn oiiice he still holds. Tiie character of Gen. Harrison as a soldier, statesman, and citizen, may be judged hy the incidents which we hav e thus briefly and imperfectly sketch ed. As a commander, Ins leading traits of character were caution, vigilance and perseverance. lie was ever unwilling to hazard Ihe lives of his soldiers, except with the certain prospect of a commensurate advantage. He surveyed, with a quick and discriminating eye, the field of operations, and detected every advantage; yet he always listened with patience to the opinions of his officers, and formed his plans with deliberation. Whem once determined en, no dangers could defer, no difficulties prevent : him from fheir accomplishment. No commander understood more thoroughly, or piacticcd more successfully, the science of Indian warfare. If a campaign in wilderness, against scattered tribes of Indians, abounds less in those hriliant achievements w hich when blazoned forth with all the pomp of national gratulation the ovation the triumphal arch the military procession are honored by the acclamations of the multitude; still they require no less military talent, and their results arc no less important. If we are to judge genius by its results, then Gen. Harrison is entitled to the praise ofa great commander. His enduring trophy is the situation of the north western frontier, to which, during the. last war, he was both a sword and shield. No general ever possessed in a higher degree, the confidence of his naen. He ministered to their af.lictions, relieved their wants and redress.i 1 their grievances, as far as was consislanl with strictness of military disci pline. J i is career is not stained with the wanton aefs of power, or outrage against the civil authority, to which he at all times acknowledged a prompt and willing deference. In appreciation of the importance of civil ntftirs, and incapability for their management, is a frequent, a just ground of objection to military men. We might refer to his successful governship of Indiana Territory, as a refutation of the charge 'when applied to Gen. Harrison. The man who could govern the vast country confided lo his care, and its peculiar situation, so a to preserve its order and increase its prosperity who could discharge the extraordinary powers delegated to him without exciting the jealousy of their grantors, or the' murmurs of the governed, must have possessed, in no ordinary degree, the various qualities of statesmanship. As a member of Congress, he was fluent in debate, patient in the investigation of subjects, and unwearied in his application to, the detail of legislation. He was fervid in his devotion to the interest of the West, advocating with his utmost strength, that system of domestic manufactures and internal improvement, which are the main springs of her prosperity. He was in favor of administering the government according to cstabI lished precedents, and preserving thoso

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