The Ohio Democrat And Dover Advertiser

From the Nashville Union

"WILLIAM H HARRISON! WHO IS HE!"

He is the Federal candidate for the Presidency of The United States. Is that all? Oh no-he is the man who was once used in the Presidential candidacy by Webster as a bat stick to beat Clay with, and once by Clay as a similar instrument with which to beat, Webster. As the artisan loves a faithful tool with which he has wrought for years, so do Webster and Clay like Harrison; they like him much better than they like him much better than they like each other.

So much for the checking of the knowing "ones' who move the pieces upon the great Federal chessboard.

Who is William H. Harrison?' The Federalists have asked the question, for (as Mr. Bell says) we 'always try to keep our powder dry.' Wm H. Harrison is the man who, in the Ohio Legislature. voted TO SELL FREE WHITE AMERICAN CITIZENS FOR DEBT! Do you doubt it? Here is the proof, positive proof:

Extract from the Journals of the Senate of Ohio.

"TUESDAY, Jan. 30, 1821.

Senate met pursuant to adjournment.

The Senate then, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole upon 'the bill from the House entitled an act for the punishment of certain offences therein named,' and after some time spent therein, the speaker (Allen Trimble) resumed the chair.

Mr. Fithian then moved to strike out the 9th section of said bill, as follows:

'Be it further enacted, That when any person shall be imprisoned either upon execution or otherwise, for the non-payment of a fine or costs, or both, it shall be lawful for the sheriff of the county to sell out such person as a SERVANT, to any person within this State who will pay the whole amount due, for the shortest period of service; of which sale public notice shall be given for at least ten days; and upon such sale being effected, the sheriff shall give to the purchaser a certificate thereof, and deliver over the prisoner to him, from which time the relation between such purchaser and the prisoner shall be that of MASTER & SERVANT, until the time of service expires; and for injuries done by either, remedy shall be had in the same manner, as in, or may be provided by law in the case of master and apprentice. But nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent persons being discharged from imprisonment, according to the provision of the thirty-seventh section of the act to which, this is supplementary, if it shall be considered expedient to grant such discharge; Provided, that the Court in pronouncing on any person convicted under this or the act to which this is supplementary, may direct such person to be detained in prison until the fine be paid, or the person otherwise disposed of."

And the yeas and nays being called for

[Here follows the vote, where Wm. H. Harrison voted yea to strike out the section allowing the sale of free white citizens for debt.]
Gass, Heaton, Jennings, Lucas, Mathews, McLaughlin, McMillan, Newcom, Robb, Russell, Schofield, Shelby, Swearingen, Thompson, and Womeldorf—20.

"And those who voted in the negative were Messrs. Baldwin, Cole, Fox, Foster, William H. Harrison, McLean, Oswald, Pollock, Ruggles, Roberts, Wheeler and Speaker—12."

But perhaps the sceptical Federalists may dare to doubt the truth of the above. In that event we would commend to their special notice the following certificate, which is endorsed upon the back of, to wit:

Secretary of State's Office,
Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 10, 1836.

I certify that the foregoing is a true and accurate copy from the journals of the Senate of the State of Ohio, being the first session of the 19th General Assembly, held at Columbus, Dec., 1820.
See pages 303, 304, 305.

CARTER B. HARLAN,
Secretary of State.

General Robert Lucas, the late Democratic Governor of Ohio, was then a member of the Senate, and in the true spirit of patriotism, made the following remarks in support of the motion made by Mr. Fithian, of Champaign, to strike out the 19th section, a true copy of whose speech, as then published, is below:

"Mr. Lucas said that he would vote for the motion of the gentleman from Champaign, (Mr. Fithian,) to strike out the section. He considered it objectionable in every point of view. He considered it but only a violation of that provision of the constitution of the State which declares that there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in this State, but it contains principles of the most revolting character. It declares that a person who is unable to pay a fine, or costs, shall be liable to be sold; and that the individual who will pay the fine and costs for the shortest time of service shall be the purchaser.

'What will be the operation of this section?' said Mr. Lucas. 'We will suppose a case;—Suppose one of the Patriots of the Revolution should be insulted by an enemy of his country, or a Tory, who had fought against him in the struggle for liberty, and he should be provoked to commit an assault, in defending the honor of his Government—by our laws he might be prosecuted and fined. He is poor, and unable to pay the fine. What would follow under the provisions of this section? He is PUBLICLY ADVERTISED FOR SALE—he is dragged by the crier along the streets—the man who provoked the assault, bids the amount of the fine and costs for the shortest term of service, say for FORTY YEARS—THE OLD PATRIOT IS KNOCKED OFF TO HIS PERSECUTOR, and driven, in triumph, into BONDAGE. Any unfortunate citizen, who, in an unguarded moment, might be thus subjected to the payment of a fine, would be liable to be SOLD, under this section, and DRIVEN INTO SLAVERY BY A FREE NEGRO, should such a negro choose to become the purchaser. This would be revolting to every principle of humanity, and a disgrace to the age in which we live.

'The question was then taken on Mr. Fithian's motion, and carried in the affirmative—yeas 20, nays, 12. So this obnoxious provision, DEFENDED BY WM. H. HARRISON, does not now disgrace the statute book of Ohio.

We shall frequently resume the consideration of the question. "W. H. Harrison—who is he?" The Federalite shall have their "triumphant query" "answered" to "their heart's content."