Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-08-19
LETTER EsoM c. c. wAsHauRN.

six hundred head of cattle for his own benefit
with government money; and that he had in
sundry ways dishonored the position which he
occupied in California. The documents to which
were alluded in that article not being in town,
letter was addressed to Hon. C. c. WAsHBuRx,
our Representative in Congress, TO furnish us
with the facts and documents relating to the
case. The following is Mr.. WAsHBURN's answer
to the letter sent him. We ask the particular
attention of the slanderers of Col FREMoxr in
this place to the extract from speeches CT DEM
ocrats In Congress when this matter was before
that body for investigations
WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 7, 1856.
DEAR SIR: | received this morning, your favor
of the 3lst ult.. If I can procure n copy of Col
Fremont's correspondence to which you allude
| will forward it to you. I am not surprised
that some of the most unscr.pulous of the sla-
very extensionists should feel inclined to keep
out of sight the true issue now before the coun-
try, by a resort to personal detracton of the
Republican candidate for the Presidency. But
this dodge cannot avail them / hope that none
of our friends viii be disturbed by any of the
false allegations to which YOU alIude, or waste
their time in dIsproying them, for as fast as one
lie is nailed, you may be sure that bigger one
viii be invented to take the place of it. Let
them revel in their dirty work Honorable
Southern disdain TO use such weapons of
warfare, but they are fifty seized upon by the
Northern doughiace, and party scavengers, who
| am sorry to say iufest to a gre2:er or less de-
greece all parts of the North The life and char
acter of Col. Fremont, Wee both familiar to the
American people long before he was nominated
for the Presidency, and it is noteworthy fact,
that the highest compliments ever paid to any
living man, were those bestowed upon him by
the late President Polk, and Gov. Marcy. the
present Secretary of State An appeal to the
records and history of the country is the best
response that be made to his detractors.-
BY that record his friends are willing that he
should be judged.
/ The particular charge of dishonesty to which
! you allude, suppose grows out of certain let
! tiers of Col. r. b. Mason, written in California
l think in 1917, which were published not long
since, in the {" Union ofthis city, accompanied
| by an anonymous communication signed a
Californian" and which has been re-published
in some of the pro-slavery papers of the North.
II vi NouI sdtISilStt Win the
entire falsity OF the charge contained In said
anonymous communication, beg to refer you
and them to the Congressional Globe, sd Con-
gress, Vol. %, pages 592 to 603 inclusive where
you will see that this whole matter was discuss
ed, and acted upon by democratic Congress.
As you may not have access TO the Globe, I
viii here state that in the 32d Congress bill
was introduced to pay Col. Fremont for certain
sums of money which he had disbursed in Cali
fornia for the Government which money he had
raised upon drafts drawn on the Secretary of
State. Those drafts protested, and the
holder called upon Col. Fremont for payment,
Col F. insisted that the money was raised and
used for the exclusive benefit OF the Govern
ment, and brought the matter before Congress.
The principle management of The bill in It's pas
sage through the house. vas taken by the Hon.
Mr. Phelps, then, now. leading democratic
member of the House of Representatives from
Missouri, and Hon. W A. German, leading
pro-Slayery democratic member from Indiana,
and at present Governor of Minnesota appoint
ed by Frank Pierce.
Gov. German was chairman of the Military
Committee, and reported the bill. In the course
"a
House, on the 18th day of February, 1853, he
made use of the following language:
q have now answered all the objections that
l know of; and allow me TO say that in the set
Element of these accounts, another item was
thrown into it, and embarrassed it. 1t was said
that Col. Fremont got this $l9,500 and bought
the Alariposa land with it; and distingu. -hed
gentlemen of this House told me that lie had
heard that he had purchased large amount of
cattle with it, upon which he had made large
profits. Now the Mariposa land only cost $4,000
though it turned out to be exceedingly valuable
and worth forty OF fifty times what he paid for
1t. But The date Of that purchase was anterior
to this transaction. As to the alleged purchase
of a large amount of cattle, and the grand spec
ulation out OF the operation, How did we act
as to that charge? Did we believe it blndly?
No sir, We went into an investigation of it, and
what was the result? We found that he had
/ purchased certain amount of cattle for the use
| of the army, but because he had not the means
of paying for them he left the cattle in the pos
session of the vender, who had finally to take
them back tor non payment. So that transact
ton ended in smoke, does the charge.
W
into the investigation of this transactiou had
4 some prejudIces, which thought perhaps might
! be unfounded, and which I am now satisfied
were unfocnded. The preudices which had
/ neen upon my mind have been dispelled by the
investigation of all his conduct in California
and L am prepared to bear testimony on this &C.
! caslon, to the correctness of his whole line of
conduct as an officer, and Disturbing agent.
Not one dollar can be traced to his hands 10
property can be traced to his hands, for which h.
cannot give to the Government satisfactory you-
cheers, that 1t has been appropriately and prop
erly applied"
Speaking of the achievements of Col. Ere
mont, Gov. German, himself distinguished and
gallant officer in the war with Mexico, said:
Upon our whole Pacific border no battalion
behaved with more distinguished bravery, than
dld that bat .alon under Fremont. No battles