Litchfield enquirer., 1836-08-25


 gentlemens there is no knowing how should nave turned out I'a---Pk1. GGz.A &&-
 AEericos Tenes, and the. EEMited Gsates: aa
 The following letter from the President elicited rom nm m consequence of the requistion upon the oOVetnoF ot Tennessee from Gen. Gaines for body or 'roops to join him upon the borders of Texas.
 .,5,sl q HERHllrAeE, August 6, 1eS6.iT' -,r.s nave received your letters of the 2Sth utt,, and the 4th inst acconpanied,b ,by the copies of communications which were sd dressed 70 me on the 4th of May, and the 25tli ofJuly, by the Secretary of War. and also ac. coppanied by your Proclamation of inc SSfb founded on the requisition made by General Gaines, bearing date of the 2Oth of June last. The documents referred to in the comnnuni. cation to you of the 25th ut. from the War Department, have not yet been received.-- The obligations of our treaty with Mexico, as well as the general principles which govern our intercourse with foreign powers, require us'to maintain strict neutrality in the con- test which now agitates g portion of that Re- public. So long as Mexico fulfils her duties to us as they are defined by the treaty, and violates none of the rights which are secured to 1t by our citizens, any act on the part of the Government of the United States, which would tend to foster a spirit of resistance to the government and laws, whatever may be their character or form, when administered within her own limits and jurisdiction, would beunautho orised and highly improper. "A scru- pulous sense ofthese obligations has prevent- ed me thus far from doing any thing which can authorlse the suspicion that our govern ment is unmindful of them, and hope to be equally cautious and circumspect in all my future conduct. It is in reference to these obligations that the requisition of General Gaines, m the present instance, must be con- sidered, and unless there is strong neces- sity for 1t itshould not be sanctioned. Should this. necessity not be manifested, when it is we'll known that the disposition to befriend the TexiaIis is a common feeling with the citizens ofthe United States, it is obvious that requisition may furnish reason to Mexico, for supposing that the Government of the U. States may be induced by inadequate causes, to overstep the lines the neutrality whichit professes to maintain. .6lag'
 Before I left Washington, Gen. Gaines in- timated to the Department of War, that some indications of hostilities from the Indians on our Western frontier had been made, and that if it became necessary, he would make a call for the militia. He had also informed the Department of his ill health, and asked for furlough to enable him to visitthe White Sulphur Springs. directed the Secretary of .Warto granthin the furlough, and to in- form him ofthe appointment which had been made of the 10000 militia under the recent volunteer act and if the emergency should arise which would make it necessary to in- crease the force under his command, that a thousand volunteers in Arkansas, and anoth- CT in Missouri, raised agreeably to this act, would be enrolled and held ready for the ser vice. ft&l9 Sti Mc'8 &sI"
 This force,. aided by the portions of the Dragoon regiments that would be stationed in that quarter, and those of the regular army already there, were deemed amply sufficient for the protection of the frontier near to the Indians referred to. There are no reasons set forth in the requisition which the General has since made upon you, to justify the belief thet the force above enunnerated will he in. sufficient, andI cannot, therefore, sanction it at the present time. To sanction that requi- sition for the reasons, which accompany it, would warrant the belief that it was done to aid Texas, and not from desire to prevent an infringement of our territorial Tor national rights. sjs e.:i,s si,l s....r gs ag,,d x
 I deeply regret that the Tennessee volun- teers, whose prowess and patriotism are dis played so promptly on all occasions that threaten the peace or safety of their beloved country, have been called out on this occasion without proper consideration they can for the present only be mustered into the service
 
 priated out of which they can be paid, an or der to this effect will be given sT ' 76,5y'fa>
 The ten thousand volunteers authorised un- der the late act of Congress are intended for one years service, and must be employed to meet all necessary calls for the defence of, our frontier borders. Should there be occa- sion for a greater number on the western from tier the call would be made in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. There is, however, no information to justify the apprehension ofhos- tilities, to any serious extent, from the western Indians. Should a necessity Srise, the vol- unteer Brigade from East Tennessee will be ordered to the Western frontier as soon as their service can be dispensed with, where they now are employed. ~1sa As5 rs ssa<- E II would barely add further, that the au- thority given you by the order of the 4th of May having been satisfied by yielding to the acquisition of Gen. Gaines, new authority from the Department of War was necessary to authorise you to comply with that of the 18th June. The Government of the United States having adopted in regard to Mexico and Texas the same rule of neutrality which had been observed in all similar cases before, it was not to have been expected that Gen. Gaines should have based this requisition for additional military force on reasons plainly inconsistent with the obligations of that rule.
 Should Mexico insult our national flag, in wade our territory, or interrupt our citizens, in the lawful pursuits which are guaranteed to them by the treaty. then the government will promptly repel the insult, and take speedy repaTation for the injury. But it does not seem that offences of this character have been