The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-09-08

SESSION, july, ls4s.
Nomination Of Brigadier General Kearny for the brevet
Of MAJOR General.
SUBSTANCE OF MR.. BENTON'S SPEECH.
CONTINUED

Of MAJOR General
SUBSTANCE OF MR.. BENToN'S SPEECH.
looSTNUED.l
return to California and to the Vaccinations OF Gen.
keamy against Col. Fremont These machinatons All
had for their object that '.unquesfio"dDfe rum win
which Keany threatened Fremont on lne lI.n aaS OF
TO seduce him. he undertook to supeadd the errors OF
ruin to the alluemens of seduction This unquestiona-
Bile ruin as the sequel proved 10 be accomplished BY
false accusation fouly carried out to ITS inQuous
cusonsecret charges sent against HIM TO The United
States anonymous publications made against him in the
United Staes-and by procuring foul conviction against
him. without any chance OF defence-or hanging up in
famous charges against him. not to be tried for the of
witnesses upon his part and thus ruin him by delays
der the poisoning influence of untred charges Besides
these three modes of ruin, each sufficiently dabocal
itself, there fourth one, too helish to be named
upon earth until first proved. proceed with the other
modes and plans of ruin The basis of these were Sc
accusation, the Atlantic side of the continent for
imputed offences the Pacific side, enforced by subsd
iay publications. In the Atlantic States secret intention
to arrest, with secret accumulation of charges and
either sudden trial, the prosecutors own evidence
brought with him from the Pacific coast; or, what was
worse than any conviction, indefinite delay OF trial.
with all these charges and publications hanging over
him. and thus destroying him without trial in the minds
OF the army and the people These are the modes Of
making good his threat OF unquestonable rum which
now proceed to unfold and to establish by evidence al
ready judiciay taken, by other evidence authentic in
itself and ready to become judicial on any trial which the
begin with the first branch of this complicated plot,
the conceament OF the design to arrest Col tremonand
proceed altogether by proofs the being too daboca
10 let anything be advanced assertion AT page
Al OF the trial. this question (beng the first put by FIRE.
mont to kearny) appears on the record, with Its answer
General kearny srapinsd by Lieut. Col Fremont
"Qaeson. At what time did you form the design to
rest Lieut.. Col. Fremont
letter of January H. That word shortly would imply
Immediately. Ii may have been week.
The letter Of the 18th Of January ls47 here mentioned
the inducing cause for the arrest and for all the charges
OF muny dsobedience of ORDERS and dsordery conduct
was that letter in which Lieut. Col Fremoat, recng the
contest for supremacy between Stockton and Keany and
the contradictory orders they had given him. rather
which kearny had given, for Stockton's prior
point Of date and regular in its application to the ssrvceJ
respectfully declined to change his position and TO become
the arbiter between them, promising to obey either when
The contest for supremacy decided and declaring his
determination to remain as he was, obeyng Stockton
until the question decided by those to whom it be-
longed. The order of each given to him the
mander of the California battaon-one commanding him
to reorganze the battalion, (Which necessary and
proper the other Keany) iobddng the reorganization
not knowing what 1t was This the letter which
was made the cause for the arrest and the determination
to arrest was taken within week of the date of that let
ter This, at the outside, would bring that determination
TO the 25lh of january date to be remembered
The next question and answer, same page, is this
Question At what time did you communicate that de-
ANSWER l communicated it to him a. For. Leaven
worth, on the 22d August, when arrested him..
From the 25th of January to the 22d of August is
months; and from Los Angeles to Fort Leaven-
WORTH by the route that Kearny travelled by Monterey
that the design 10 arrest kept from Col
Fremont during months of time, and during three
thousand miles Of travelling, and that in company to-
gether. The record proceeds:
Question Did you write from Monterey, in the month
of My lat, Col Benton inform him of your design
arrest Lieut. Col. Frenontl
'Answer. | did not
From the prompttude of this short and categorical an
swer, one would suppose that kearny had not, at any
lime, or from any place. written to Senator Benton
effect which the question supposesether from Monte
rey or any other pacerin the month OF May or al any
other time. Not bufed by this brief and pointed an
swer, COL Fremont followed up the interrogatory thus
Question Or any time ~
This brief and significant Interpolation drew out the
answer which candid witness would have given upon
the FIRST interrogation. Ii was this
"Answer. wrote to Col. Benton, in the month of Nav
from Los Angeles telling him that the conduct Of Lieut.
those Of the War Becaoy s n%
saying further to Col Benton on the subject Col Benton
must have the letter, presume"
Yes Col Benton had the letter. and also some others
He Col Benton) did not feel the decacy of such CON-
munlcation to himself when the information it impaired
could only give pain, without being of service to any,
body The same information to Col Fremont, at the
same time, would have been of real service TO him! To
tins point them the next lnterrogaory was directed and
the questions and answers stand thus-same page:
Question. Was Lieut.. Colonel Fremont then Los
ANSWER He there about that time.
'Question. Did you, at the tme give Lieut.. Col
Fremont the same information
did not" ~
The letter to Col Benton was written from Los Ange-
les the answer to the first of these questions shows that
Col; Fremont was there at the same time. The answer
to the second shows that Keamy did give the same
information TO Fremont himself as to Colonel Benton
The question required the assignment of reason for
this difference OF conduct towards Senator Benton and
Col Fremont-the one interested the other not-one
present. the other absent Gen Kearny was asked for
but he probably felt that one was
TO HIMSELF and volunteered it, in the declaration that he
did not consider it obligatory him TO inform Col FIRE.
mont! He, them thought it obligatory on him to send
the information three thousand miles to Senator Benton
TO whom 1t was of service, and could only give dis
ress and no obligation either in fairness, sheer
Jshce or military honor, to communicate to the young
ohcer whom 1t 80 nearly commemorative was present
and to whom the information would have been of vital
Importance by enabling him prepare upon the spot for
the trial which was TO come Military honor one would
suppose would have required this notice TO have been
given to officer intended to be arrested instead of being
given to connection 5000 miles of-especiay when the
arrest to come from the commanding general who
himself TO be prosecutor and Witness and to carry
along with him train of witnesses to make good his
ny honor the Fremont martial decided the contra
ry 1t decided in view OF all this, and thousand times
rs much more, that kearny's honor unimpeached!
The fact is established that Keany did not give
notice to Fremont OF his intention to him until he
arrived the frontiers of Missouri the 22d of August
and that he abstained from giving hun information of
his design, because he did not feel obligatory on him TO
do At the same time, it would seem that he did feel
it to be obligatory him to inform others and these
ions Of Fremont. AT page 1Ol of the printed trial
'Question. Did you known your intention to ar
him to Commodore Shubrick and Commodore Bidde
Answer. did to Commodore Biddls, and think to
Commodore Shubrick."
Both of these Commodores stand in the relation of en-