Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-08
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

/ Hon. Aaron v Brown, Postmaster General, ];
| which occurred at twenty minutes paste O'Clock
this morning, after a painful Illness of some
| ten DAVIS duration. at his residence, corner of
G and Nineteenth streets. Although this mel
ancholy event has been expected for several
days. its announcement has had the effect of
casting gloom over the minds Of our citizens
and the public functionaries residing here. to
many Of whom Mr.. Brown was known person
ally, and by whom he was held in highest es-
| teen. During his illness he has had all the
| advantages of the best medical skill, and he
has borne his sufferings with composure and
calm resignation. His death was an easy trar =
sition from the present to future stage of ex-
! istence, and almost up to the moment of its
occurrence he retained possession of his facul-
| ties.
The President and members of the Cabinet
were informed Of the sad event as soon as pos
sible, and for the time being all public bust
ness will be suspended, except such as is essen
tial to the welfare of the public interests. The
Post Office Department was closed as soon rs
| convenient, in respect to the memory of the
deceased, and will so remain until his funeral
except in cases of urgent necessity.
The deceased cminently deserves to be classed
among the eminent men of the present age, for
| in every position he has been called to occupy
during pubic life of more than ordinary
length, he has acquitted himself of the duties
pertipent thereto with marked ability.
Mr. Brown was born on the 18th of August,
1895, and was, therefore, aged sixty three
years, six months, and twenty -three days. His
birthplace was Brunswick county, Virginia,
and his father was the Rev. Aaron Brown,
minister of the Gospel of high repute in the
Methodist Episcopal denomination.
Mr.. Brown was educated at the University
Of North Carolina, and during his absence at
school his father removed from Virginia to
Tennessee. After he had graduated. he also
went to Tennessee, and studied law in the o.
fee of Judge Trimble at Nashville, to whom
he attributed much of those habits of industry
and thorough research into the merits of what
ever business came into his hands which so
eminently qualified him in after life for filling
public stations.
lie practised law in Tennessee n number of
years, and for several years was in partnership
with the late ex-President James X. Polk lie
was several times member of the Tennessee
houses, and always acquitting himself with
such credit as to satisfy political opponents as
! well as to crafty his friends In 1889 he was
elected to Congress, where he served continu-
OuSly until 1915, when he was elected Governor
Of Tennessee. In 1917 he was defeated in an
other contest for Governor, as the State was
politically Wing and his opponent was very
popular man.
From that period until called by President
Buchanan to fill the position of Postmaster
General, he was not engaged in public life
having refused, through delcacy of feeling. to
accept any position under President Polk, by
whom he was rendered various Offices. The
long personal friendship which had existed be-
tween them, however, remained undated up
till the time of Mr.. Folks decease.
Since he assumed control of the Post Office
/ Department the whole country is aware of the
efficient manner in which he has administered
its affairs, though his usefulness has been great
ly restricted at times by the adverse action of
/ Congress. He has added vastly to the mail
facilities of the entire country and to his cf-
forts mainly must be attributed that vast and
noble undertaking of establishing mail routes
through the hitherto unknown interior and
connecting thus the eastern with the extreme
western States of the Union. The advantages
to arise from this service arc not yet com
menced TO be felt, but it may be plainly per-
ceived that these routes will become in a few
years the trail, as it were, for line of settle
ments across the continent, and lead to the
rapid filling up Of those expansive territories
which would otherwise have lain unoccupied
/ for years.
/ Politically, Mr.. Brown belonged to the Ma
/ tiOnal school. Always an unfinching Demo
! crat fanaticism had no charms to attract him
| from the path Of duty, and he steadily and un-
compromisingly resisted all her approaches
whether they came from North or the South.
In losing him, the nation has lost another of
its leading minds, and his State has suffered a
misfortune. In social life, his uniform affa-
bility and sincere good-heartedness won for
him the respect and affection of all his acauain-
tances, and many will deeply mourn his de-
mise. Within the sacred precincts of his
own family, where he was enshrined as the
object of most fcrvent affection, we will not
intrude.
Rumors are rife as to who will succeed Mr..
Brown in the Post Office Department, and we
hear quite a number named in this conncc ton.
Among these are Hon. Cave johnson and Hon.
HOratio King The former has hitherto filled
the position, and the latter is now the First
Assistant in the Department. The exigences
of the time require the services of an officer ac-
quainted with the Department affairs
RESPECT 70 THE MEMORY oF THE LATE
POSTMASTER GESERAL.--On the announcement
being made Of the death of Postmaster General
Brown, a meeting of the officers of the several
Bureaus of the Post Office Department, together
with those of the Auditors Office attached. was
called at twelve o'clock for the purpose of Civ
ing an expression Of their grief at the sad in
telligence.
On motion Of Hon. lIoratio King, the Hon.
W. III. Dundas was called on to preside, and
Henry St George Ofutt, Esq, was chosen
Secretary.
The following resolutions we're then submit
ted by Thomas p. Trott, ESD:
Rssoirei, That although We have during sew
I rN aln