Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-08-11

that the Hon. A aron v. Brown. the pres
ent governor, and Gen. Nell S. Brown,
are addressing the citizens of Tennessee on
the subject of the relative claims of the
two political parties to the public support
and confidence. Among the able and elo.
quent addresses which the gubernatorial
canvass has produced the following extract
of speech from Gov. Brown at Clarksville,
is among the most prominent and power
full Washington Union.
And now (said Gov. Brown) I come to
ask the question. Who advised the march
of our arny to the RIO Grande? GENERAL
Taylor HIMSELF! In his letter of the 4th
October, 1845 he says:
s'For these reasons our position thus far
has, think been the best possible. But
now that the entire force will soon be con-
secrated, it may we'll be questioned whether
the views Of government will be best carried
out by our remaining at this point 1t is
with great Difference that | make any
suggestions on topics that may become
matter of delicate negotiation; bot if our
government in settling the question of
boundary makes the line of the Rio Grande
an ultimaturn, cannot doubt that the settle
ment will be greatly facilitated and hasten
ed bv our taking possession at once of one
Or two suitable points on or quite near that
river. Our strength and state Of prepara-
ton should be displayed in manner not to
be mistaken. However salutary may be
the effect produced upon the border people
by our presence here fGoFpas Christi,,11 we
are too far from the frontier to impress the
government of Mexico with our readiness
to vindicate by force Of arms, if necessary
our title to the Rio Grande. n Our
advance to the Rio Grande will itself pro-
duce powerful effect and it may be that
the common navigation of the river will
not be disputed.'' s @@7s'
Here you see (said Gov. Brown) he ad-
vised the march aswell calculated not to
provoke war but to preserve peace. lie
advised it as necessary and proper to vindi-
cate our title to that river and to secure Its
joint navigation. He advised it as an able
general and a wise statesman. The Presi-
dent followed and now the strange spectacle
is presented that Taylor who gave the ad-
vice is to be exalted to the presidency, whilst
the President, who followed it is to be pull
ed down with dishonor from it. 1t is no
answer to say that Taylor only advised it
in the event that the government in setting
the boundary should make the Rio Grande
an uItimatum, for have shown that the
government had so settled and negotiated
the boundary-in other words that Congress
had SO settled it;-settled it by receiving a
member residing in the disputed territory
settled it by having been notified for more
than year that the American army had
been located in the disputed territory
| Such information had been reported to
|, Congress and was lying upon the table of
every member of that body from day to day
| for months together without complaint and
without objection. lfthen the government
and not the President had the settlement OF
that question, the government had settled it
repeatedly and conclusively settled it.
, In the face of these recorded an undenl-
able facts, my competitor still insists that
) the march to the Rio Grande was the cause
, Of the war and cites Mr.. Calhoun as his
authority. Mr.. Calhoun did say so in one
: of his speeches, but have shown my COM
petitor several times that he was corrected
the very next morning by the publication
, of Marks letter. Marks was not authorized
by Gen. Arista to communicate anything to
Gen. Taylor. He was acting on his own
individual opinions and responsibility.
So much for MIR. Calhoun's authority.
], What are the opinions Of Mr.. Benton
> my competitors fayorite witness as to
5 boundary--as to the march of the army to
] that river?
3 SIN saying this do not consider the
t march to the Rio Grande to have been the
cause of the war any more than consider
the British march on Concord and Lexing-
: ton to nave been the cause of the American
9 revolution or the crossing of the Rubicon
e by Caesar to have been the cause Of the
: civil war in Rome. The march to the
Rio Grande brought on the collision oi
arms, but so far from being the cause oHthe
; war, it was itself the effect ofthese causes. y
This authority of his favorite witness
: throws my competitor back on the position
S that after all, the annexation OF Texas was
r the true cause of this Mexican war In
assuming this position his competitor differ
- ed with all his friends from Tennessee ane
+ with Messrs. Ewing, Crozier and Milton
n Brown in particular. Gov. Brown reno
from the speech of the latter gentleman
declaring that he took issue with any one
!, who. assumed that position. How his com
= Epetitor would settle that issue so boldly
rendered by Mr., M. Brown when he reach