Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-09-11


actually employed, make it proper to refe.
the subject 20 Congress for such further leg
islatioh ss may be deemed expedient."
| The opposition. regarding this as very
important, have caused it to be printed in
glaring capitals. The extract was read in
the House on the 18th of February, 1853,
when Mr.. Campbell, of Illinois, asked,
"Were these claims for articles fraudulent
ly charged several times, presented by FIRE.
mont, or were they presented by o.her per-
sons pretending to hold them against the
Government"
"Mr. Gorman-Those claims were not
presented by Col. Fremont, but by other in
dividuals.
"Mr. Fuller-These claims of which |
speak are called the Vallejo Claims, and
they are recorded as being certified to BY
J. e. Fremont
"Mr. Price, (Democral) of New Jersey
He certifes that certain property belonging
TO those individuals was taken by the mill
tary officers of the United States, for the
purpose OF carrying on the war. He does
not state the valuation, but he states as his
belief that those articles were taker. There
is no reference whatever to valuation.
.Mr. Disney understand that all these
matters which have been discussed here to-
day, are not matters of claim upon the part
of Col. Fremont, but upon the part of
various individuals now in the State OF Cali
lornia, for materials and property furnished
to him, the evidence of which is his ac.
1 acknowledgement, in the form OF certificates,
before you.
"Mr. McLanahaD. of Penn. in some re-
marks on the subject, said: "Upwards OF
$780, 900 OF claims were presented to the
| Commissioners. They allowed and passed
| favorably on some $4,000, the ba.ance,
at out $4,000, were sustained h-eevidence
rand was consequently rejected. Of the
| S3l 900 allowed the claim of $Ia5oe. ,sin
| which Col. Fremont, was Imprisoned IN
London, was unanimously allowed, and
placed first on the list submitted to us BY
the Commissioners. This is the only de-
mand against the Government in which Col.
Fremont appears to have the slightest per-
sonal interest"
The debate from which we have made ex-
tracts, shows that Fremont had no interest
in any other claim thar that for $I9, 500,
which the Board of Commissioners unani-
mously allowed. The conflicting accounts,
irreconcilable differences" etc., were not
chargeabls to Fremont. We wodd like to
publish the debate on this point, but we
have not room at this time for npre than
the following extract from the remarks of
Mr.. German:
e.The claims which are there stred, ori.
ginated in this wise, Col. Fremont when |
there, when necessary, sent gusri .: men
to take the property of the citizensmules,
horses and cattle-for the public use. The
owners came and made claim to OIL Ere. |
mont, as cwil and military GovHnor of
California, for compensation for their pro.
perty. Col. Fremont laid all the claims
presented to him befure the Beard The
case was precisely similar to that of the
4rmy OF the United States in Mexico. IL
have done the same thing mysel on a
march. huye forced men to give memules
whe n those on which the soldiers rode gave
out. have seen the same thing Often done
by other officers of the army. The owner.
of the property taken would follow 70 the
next Gown, and there would receive certi-
hcate that such and such property hsd been
taken for public service, which they pre-
sented to the QuarIer-master, who some
times paid for il. If these charges were
made 0y Mexicans would not be amazed i'll
the same articles had been char yed for one
hundred times"
One thing more is WORTHY of notce. Not
one member of Congress who spoke on these
claims, either directly or by insinuation,
made any charge of dishonorable conduct
against Fremont. Mr.. Toon bs, who op.
posed the passage of the bill, aad who OF
one occasion made a remark which might be-
construed into charge against Fremonts
integrity had his attention called to the Fact
when he promptly disauo,Oed any such inten.l
tton. Here then were all these accountsl
which arc low paraded before the countryI
with view to damage the reputation oil
Fremont, before Congress. Tney were dis
cussed freely and fully, and yet there was
not, IN the House or in the Senate, one man
% cast doubt upon the integrity of Fre-
mont-not one!
Should not this fact of itself cause every
man who makes such charges at this day,
10 blush and hide himself from the gaze of
all honorable men! ,
Notwithstanding the great length of this
article, We cannot close without furnishing ,
another extract from tie debates on this
occasion. Mr.. Carter, {DemocraD of Ohio
made brief but eloquent speech in favor
If the bill, from which we copy the follow i
ng: If
i was in hopes this House would not ;
leadlong disgrace and dishonor this man by
Iuibbing over an account of his which has
'assed all the ordeals to which it has been t
unlimited. Personallyi
know Col. Fremont but very slightly. /
ave had the honor Of an introduction to
i'm. He is a small man, put he is as gal
ant as any mass of stuff of the same size
hat ever was wrapped in Goa, that would '
i him. And sir, he met e combination of {
nemies such as very few of the public ser
anti of this Republic have ever met. Both
nemes that man presents and enel.,ies that o
rod preeents-mou0tain enemies, ravine -
nemies, enemies Of frost and of heat and y
fastirg. Now do not think that a man
rho has marched for week feeding on
reen hides and on the skeletons of worn 7
ut and diseased mules, would cheat his gov 4
oul of twenty or forty thousand Il
pillars. My own opinion is, that when a d
ian has garnered up a reputation by deeds :,
almost unparalleled peril, he would want
} transmit it undefieid to his prosterity: and q
lat twenty thousand dollars would have no a
ore influence upon him than twenty cents. b.
hat is my appreciation of such service as t,
1t is not like sitting c#ess-feg- =,
I'd up here in one Of those bureaus. There :.
as no "soup" about it. He was not afraid 81
"a fire in the rear" 1t was enough for tf
m TO know II at part Of this continent be-. N
Dped to the United States: that thew puf