The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-03-17
The late Postmaster General.

We cut from the columns Of the Wash
ington Star the following sketch of Aaron
v. Brown, the late Postmaster General:
The deceased eminently deserves to be
clsssed among the eminent men of the pres.
ent age, for in every position he has been
called TO occupy during public life OF more
than ordinary length, he has acquitted him
self of the duties pertinent thereto with
marked ability.
Mr.. Brown was born on the 18th Of Au'
gust, 1895, and was, therefore, aged sixty.
three years, six months, and twen'y'three
day. His birthplace was Brunswick county,
Virginia, and his father was the Rev. Aaron
Brown, minister of the Gospel Of high re-
pute in the Methodist Episcopal denomina'
ton.
Mr.. Brown was educated at the Univer-
sity OF North Carolina, and during his ABB
sence at school his father removed from
Virginia to Tennessee. After he bad grad.
uated, he also went to Tennessee, and stud.
led in the office of Judge Trimble, at Nash
Vile, 10 whom he attributed much Of those
habits of industry and thorough research into
the merits of whatever business came into
his hands which so eminently qualified him
in after life for filling public stations.
He practiced law in Tennessee number
E of wears, and for several years was in part
nership with the late ex President james X
Polk. He was several times a member o.
= the Tennessee Legislature, serving at differ
D ent periods in both Houses, and always &C.
| quitting himself with such credit as 10 salts
fy political opponents as well as to crafty
his friends. In 1899 he was elected to Con
: gress, where he served continuously unit
i lS45, when he was elected Governor 0
O Tennessee. In lS47 he was defeated in an
other contest for Governor, as the State wa
politically Wing and his opponent was
very popular man.
e From that period until called by Prcsi
e dent Buchanan to fill the position of Post
j. master General, he was not engaged in pub
A lie life, having refused, through delicacy Q
feeling, to accept any position under Presi
> dent Polk, by whom he was rendered Variou
D o1ices. The long personal friendship whic
had existed between them, however, remain
% ed uuabated up till the time of Mr.. Polk
decease.
Since he assumed control Of the Post-O O
i fee Department the whole country is awar
r of the efficient manner in which he has aC
IS ninistered its affairs, though his usefunes
70 has been greatly restricted at times by th
adverse action of Congress. He has udde
ie vastly to the mail facilities of the entr
n country, and to his efforts mainly must
Of attributed that vast and noble undertaken
IN of establishing mail routes through the hitt
erto unknown interior, and connecting thu
," the eastern with the extreme western State
Of the Union. The advantages to arise froI
this service are not yet commenced to b
felt, but it may be plainly perceived tht
n these routes will become in few years th
j trail, as it were, for a line of settlement
- across the continent, and lead to the rapi
" filling up OF those expansive territories whc
would otherwise have lain unoccupied ft
ID years.
e. Politically, Mr.. Brown belonged to th
- National school. Always On unfinehin
- Democrat, fanaticism had no charms to a
J. tract him from the path of duty, and
If steadily and uncompromisingI resisted a
g her approaches, whether they came from tn
II North or the South. In losing him, the n,
ton has lost another of its leading mind
e and his State has suffered misfortune. |
social life his uniform affabIity and SINGER
J. good.heartedness, won for him the respet
in and affection of all his acquantances, an
many will deeply mourn his demise. Witt
! in the sacred precincts of his own tamil,
le where he was enshrined as the object {
is most teryent affection, we will not intrude.