Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1836-08-26
War Department, July 18th, 1886.


War Department, July 25th, 1886.
Sir,-Major General Gaines has apprsed
this Department that he made a requistion
upon your Excellency for regiment Of
mounted gun-men for the service of the U. S,
Copies of the dispatches received from
Gen. Gaines have been transmitted to the
President of the u States, who will issue
such orders upon them as he may think the
circumstances require. Meantime have
the honor to inform you that, in order 10
prevent any Inconvenience or delay in the
event Of the confirmation of Gen Gaines re.
QUESTION by the President discussing off
Ger will be ordered to proceed to the State
of Tennessee with the necessary funds.
Very respectfully your obed't serv't,
G. A. HARRIS, Actg Sec'y of War
His Excellency, N. Cannon, Gov. of Tenn
essee, Nashville, Tenn.
The above letters from the War Depart
ment having been enclosed to the President
by the Governor, the following was received
in answer.
HERMITAGE, Aug. 6, 1886
Sir-I have received your letter Of the
Goth ult. and the 4th inst accompanied by
the copies of communications which were
addressed 10 you on the 4ih of May. and
25th of July. by the Secretary Of War, and
also accompanied by your Proclamation Of
the 26th, founded on the requislion made
by Gen. Gaines, bearing date OF the Goth
Of June last The documents referred to in
the communication to you Of the 25th ut
from the War Department, have not vet
pieen received. The obligations of our trea
ty with Mexico, as well as the general prin-
ciples which govern our intercourse with
foreign powers, require us to maintain
strict neutrality in the contest which now ag-
itates portion of that Republic So long
as Mexico fulfls her duties to us as they are
defined by treaty, and violates none Of the
rights which are secured to it by our citi.
zens, any act on the part of the government
OF the U. 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 be unauthor.
ised and highly improper. A scrupulous
sense of these obligations has prevented me
thus far from doing any thing which can au-
thorise the suspicion that our government is
unmindful ofthem, and hope TO be equally
cautious and circumspect in all my future
conduct. 1t is in reference to these obliga.
tons that the requisition of Gen Gaines in
the present instance must be considered and
unless there is strong necessity for il, it
should not be sanctioned. Should this me-
ccessity not be manifested, when it is well
known that the disposition to befriend the
Texans is common feeling with the cti.
zens of the u. States, it is obvious tina, the
Iequisltion may furnish reason to Mexico
Tor supposing that the government of the u.
States may be induced, by inadequate eau
ses, to overstep the lines of the neutrality
which it Processes to maintain.
Before left Washington, Gen. Gaines
'ntlmated to the Department Of War that
some indications of hostilities from the Indi-
ans on our Western frontier had been made,
and that, it il became necessary, he would
make call for the militia. He had also
informed the Department of his i'll health,
and asked for furough to enable him TO
visit the white Sulphur Springs directed
the Secretary of War to grant him the fur
Tough, and TO inform him of the 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 increase the force under his
command, that thousand volunteers in
Arkansas, and another in Missouri, raised
agreeably to this act would be enrolled and
held ready for the service
This force aided by the portions of the
dragon regiments that would be stationed
in that quarter, and those of the regular ar
my already there, were deemed amply sufli-
cient for the protection of the frontier near
to the Indians referred to. There are no
reasons set forth in the requsition which the
General has since made upon you, to justify
the belief that the force above enumerated
will be insufficient, and cannot therefore
sanction il at the present time. To sanction
that requisition for the reasons which ac-
company it, would warrant the belief that it
was done to aid Texas, aud not from de-
sire TO prevent an infringement of our terri
torial or national rights.
deeply regret that the Tennessee Volun.
teers whose proves and patriotism are dis
played so promptly on all occasions tina,
threaten the peace or safety Of their beloved