The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-11-24

HUN 1d.fttan 4 AClliflN dt-lutiIHS AZ t'SAFN
Of these days but Sic want of such a let
ter is well supplied by the official coiRmu-
nicalions from the American Consul al
Monterey 10 our Secretary OF State, n
by Captain Fremont's brief note To me
Consul. written in pencil while expect
ing The attack of Governor Castro, anu
which has been heretofore pu5iisaed IN
a papers. Mr.. Buchanan furnished US,
as soon as they were received, with cop
les OF these dispatches, which are here
wi;h laid before you, and from which il
viii he seen that Governor Castro's &C
cusaIioas against Captain Fremont are en-
,irely uHfounded that, SO far from having
excited the Americans 10 revolt, he abso-
iulelv refused 10 receive those who offered
10 Join hun. And more, that. after leav-
ing this position, add granting discharges
10 FIVE or SIN OF his mcn. he reiased TO Gil
Il cir places from the mel in the country.
So determined was le 10 avoid, as well ~
Appearance as in fact, the smallest act OF
fcnsire or Injurious 10 the Mexican an
tborities. The same correspondence
shows The entire falsehood OF all the SUI
pcrlalirc ~gasconade which Governor Cas-
tro put into his official report abou; the
spells ofthe camp-ihe dispersion Of fire
mont and his mcn--their flight into the bil-
rushes and through the dcsert--h;s safJ-
caiign in the cradle Of dangerous con
spiracy. dc; with iii which imaginary
exploits his official despatch was filed,
while Fremont, with sixty-two men and
two hundred horses, were slowly retiring
in a body, almost in his view. and utterly
sbsiaining from any act % offence 10 the
province or It's authorities. IL was no
doubt this false report 10 his Government
and the ridicuic he incurred By 1t III Cali
forni1 that lelto his sGbseqnea operations
in Nav 20 extcrminaie FremonI's party
and all The American settlers on the S2-
cramcnto.
On return from The evacuated camp Oh
the SIERRA, the Governor also put forth a
proclamation, in the vein Of his report,
and even worse, Swing Fremont and his
men a band of highway robbers. ~plander-
ing the pcopIe, DC, which accusation Of
p~lnndering the Consul took HE troub!e to
Investigate, aad found 10 be ! very trivial
offence ofNhSNERs, {~notoflaw or morals
which the injured party valued al five dol
lars, and for which Capt. Fremont gave
For Inc rest, the Consul, after ak
this, declares the inhabitants Of the coun-
try to be well pleased with Capt. Fremon.
and rha; hcm!gh. walk the streets Of Mon
te9ey the mex: d3y alone, If he chose
The only truth in Governor Castro's des-
patch is, that Captain Fremonttook a mil
itary position, eu!renchcd it, ana raised
the American flag BIZ. these events were
the consequences, and not the CAUSE Of
Gov. CGslro's movement against him !:
and this is fully shown in that brief, hero
ic noie, written in pencil, iii answer 10 The
Consul's warning, in which Capt.. FIRE.
mont, after refusing the aid Of the Ameri-
can settlers, declared for himself and his
sixty-two men that they had done nothing
wrong 10 the authorities or the people of
the country-lhat if attacked they would
defend themselves, ana die to the las; man |
under the flag Of their coanirv, and leave
lit 10 their country TO avenge their deaths.
All they did was in self-deience. The
flag was raised, not as a standard of insur-
Or as a sign Of contempt TO the
Mexican Government, bat as the Ameri-
cansymboi o fhonor and patriotism, which
was entitled to respect from oihers-to de- {
fence from them-and which they had
in that hour ofdangcr as a warn
to the approaching a~ssailants-as a
bond OF union and devotion among them
Selyes-and as an appeal and invocation
III they should be d~eslroved) TO the a.
spirit OF their far distant country.
To my mind, this entrenching on the
mountain, ami raising tue national flag was
entirely iusiihabie under the ciccunslan-
res of the case and the noble resolution
they took {refusing the aid of their
,ountrymen) to die il attacked under the
lag OF their country, four thousand miles
distant from their homes. was an act OF
highest herolsm, worthy to be record
ed by Aenophou, and rejecting equal
hohor upon inc brave young officer who
commanded and the heroic sIxTY-Two Ly
whom he was supported.
The first letter that we received from
Fremont after his Withdrawal from
SIERRA, and from the val!cy Of the
SAN JuAN, is dated the first DAY of April.
in latitude 40, on the Sacramento river:
and, though written merely "a inform Mrs
Fremont of his persona! concerns, be-
comes important in a public point of view
Oh account of subsequent events in June
and July, by showing that on the first Of
April he was on his way 10 Oregon-that
he had abandoned all intention of return
through any part OF Caiiiornia-would
cross the Rocky Mountains through the
Northern. Pass on the line between the
or Kettle Falls of he Columbia.
and the Great Falls Of the Missouri-and
be lrthc United States IN Cant,.,Lo-