Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 08.pdf/94

 The Supreme Court of Maine. ture, the question was lifted from the deathlike tor por in which it had so long rested; a new impulse was given to the cause; for the first time the whole subject was made the formation of a Con gressional report, and enlisted in investigation and debate the talents and eloquence of some of our iblest statesmen. . . It was assumed and treated as a national matter, which involved the vital interests of one member of the confed eracy, and the plighted faith and constitutional obligations of the Union to make the con troversy its own. . . A commission was also ap pointed by the governor, under the authority of the Legislature, to ascertain and run the boundary line, by whose report the entire practicability of the line is claimed by the State of Maine, and its consistency with the terms of the Treaty of 1783 were established beyond question. ' I confess,' said the governor in one of his messages, ' that my convictions are strong that Maine has been wronged by a foreign government and neglected by her own, and I do not understand the diplo matic art of softening the expression of unpalata ble truths.'" The year of 1840, the memorable music campaign in which General Harrison and Mr. Van Buren were the opposing candi dates, Mr. Kent figures in a piece of dog gerel which is still sung in Maine : — "Now, who shall we have for our Governor, Governor? Who, tell me, who? Let's have Edward Kent, for he's a team For Tippecanoe and Tyler, too; Tippecanoe and Tyler, too. And with them we'll beat little Van, Van, Van is a used up man; And with them we'll beat little Van." Maine was at that time the State toward which all eyes were turned. Edward Kent was the Whig candidate for governor, and he came in with such a grand majority that it was easy to know which way the wind was blowing, and the Whigs throughout the country were highly jubilant. It was one of the incidents of a time of great political excitement, that, in the early fall of 1840, his name passed at once from a State to a national use. It was repeated

75

and republished in every corner and nook of our broad land. Mr. Kent had been most active in fur thering the nomination of General Taylor, and had indeed nominated him at the con vention. General Taylor was so far sensible of the service Judge Kent had rendered him that he offered him the mission to Russia, which, however, Mr. Kent declined, as he could not afford it, and took in preference the consulate at Rio Janeiro, because it would give him a good income. Among the papers of the Judge was found a letter from General Taylor, which I take pleasure in here transcribing:

My Dear Sir:-

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, July 27, 1848.

Your much esteemed favor of the tenth inst. has been received and read with much attention and interest. Permit me to express the obligations I owe to you for the prominent and active part you have taken in my nomination, and in advocating my elevation to the Presidency both in convention and in your State. I assure you, sir, I feel deeply sensible of the great confidence which your acts and those of your co-operators in the convention have demonstrated for me; in the presentation of my name so prominently to the people of the country with the usual party pledges unasked. I am fully aware of the efforts that will be made by the party in power to defeat my election, and of course it is to be expected, that I shall in every way be violently and improperly assailed, but I deem it the most prudent and safe course not to notice such assaults. During the canvass I shall govern myself strictly by this principle. Efforts have been made and no doubt will continue to be made to induce the belief that I am opposed to the interests of our adopted citizens, while dis torted and erroneous opinions in regard to the "Wilmot Proviso" and the subject of slavery gen erally will be attributed to me. Without entering farther into these subjects, I am confident that you and the people of Maine understand through my published letters the general and just policy to all sections and interests which would govern me in the event of my election. Most sincerely do I hope that the committee appointed in the Senate,