Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-06-24
JOHN C. FREMONT.

ard bearer of the frIe .dS OF Freedom IL received
not onlv with lively satisfaction, bat with en-
thusiasm Col Fremont is emphatioally one o.
TIE neoDle. His sympa hies, his interests, his
feelings are with them Untrammeled by
life of political tricking-ree from any charge
that would render his success otherwise than
gratifying to the masses VIII, have become DIS
eusted with the official corr upton of the pres
ent condemned and expirir Administration
he cannot fail to receive the united support OF
all who desire to see cheek placed upon the
ruling motives Of the self-st lied Democracy
The spread Of Slavery into free territory, and III
timately into free States. We congratulate our
friends upon the result of the Philadelphia Con-
vention, and say to all, let us now go to work,
and prepare fora general ratification meeting IN
November.
The following notice of Col. Fremont was pub
Hshed several years ago--long before Col. f.
was thought of as a candidate for the Presiden-
cy-in the " Gallery of Illustrious Americans,
written as matter of fact and history:
The feet of three men have passed the slopes
of the Rocky Mountains, whose names are asso-
ciated forever with those vast ranges hum
boldt the Nestor Of scientific travellers; Audi
bon the Interpreter of Nature, and Fremont
the Pathfinder of the Empire. Each has done
much to illustrate the Natural History OF \ orth
America and to deyelope its iilimitable resour-
ces. The Youngest of all IS likely TO become as
ilIustrious as either, for fortune has linked his
name with a scene in the history of the Repub-
lie, as startling TO the world rs the hrst an
nouncement of its existence. To his hands was
committed the magnificent task Of opening the
gates OF our Pacific Empire. His father was an
emigrant gentleman from France, and his mother
a lady of Virginia. Although his fathers death
left him an orphan IN his fourth year, he was
educated and when at the age OF
seventeen, he graduated at Charleston College,
lie contributed to the support of his mother and
her younger children. From teaching mathe-
mates he turned his attention to civil engineer
ing, in which he displayed much talent, he
was recommended by Mr.. Poinsett, Secretary
of War TO Nicoliet an assistant IN the survey of
the basin of tie Upper Mississippi Two years
he was with that learned man III his held OF la
bors, and he won his applause and friendship
On his return to Washington, he continued his
services to the geographic for two years longer
IN drawing up his field book, the great map
which unfolded to science the vast tract they
had explored. Thirsting for adventure, he now
planned the first of those distant and perIlous
expeditions which have given lustre to his name.
Having received a lieutenant's commission in
the corpse of Typographical Engineers, he pro-
posed to tie Secretary of War to penetrate the
Rocky Mountains. His plan was approved, and
in 1912, with a handful OF men, gathered on the
Il, =; 10
South Pass He achieved more than his in
structions required. He not only fixed the To-
calirv and character Of that great Pass, through
which myriads are now pressing to California
he defined the astronomy, geography, botany,
geology and me;erology of the country. and
designated the route since followed. and the
points from which the flag of the Union is
flying from a chain of wilderness fortresses.
HIS report was printed by the Senate. trans
lated into foreign languages, and the scientific
world looked on Fremont as one Of its benefac-
tors. Impatient, however, for broader and more
hazardous fields, he planned a expedition
TO the distant territory of Oregon. His first had
carried him to the SUBMITS of the Rocky Noun
taus. Wilkes bad surveyor the Underwater
gions OF the Columbia river. between the two
explorers lay a tract of a thousand miles, which
was blank in geography.
In May 1913, lie left the frontier of Missouri,
and in November he stood on Fort Vancouver,
with the calm waters of the Pacific at has feet
he had approached the noun tains by a new
line. scaled their SUBMITS south OF the South
Pass. detected to the Great Salt Lake, and push
ed examinations right and left along his entire
course He Joined his survey to Wilkes Ex-
pioring Expedition and his orders were fulfill
ed. But he had opened one route to the Co
lumbia, and he wished to find another There
was vast region south OF his line, invested
with n fabulous interest and he longed to APP
ply to 1t the test of science. 1t was the begin
ming of winter. Without resources, adequate
supplies or even guide and with only twenty
I'VE companions, be turned his face once more
towards the Rocky Mountains. Then began
that wonderful Expedition. filed with romance,
, achievement, daring and suffering, in which ne
was lost from the world nine months, travers-
ing $500 miles in sight of eternal SHOWS; IN
which he explored and revealed the grand fea
lures Of Alta California, its great basin the
Sierra Neyada, the valleys of San Joaquin and
tura. revealed the real FL Dorado, and establish
ed the geography of the Western part of our
continent In August, 1871, he again in
Washington, after an absence of sixteen months.
His report put the seal to the fe-ae of the
young explorer.
." He was planning third Expedition while
writing history of the second; and before its
publication, in lS45 he was again on his way
to the Pacific, collecting his mountain comrades
TO examine in detail the Asiatic slope of the
North American Continent, which resulted in
giving new volume of science TO the world
and California TO the United States. We can
not trace his achievements during the war with
Mexico. nor viii future times inquire how many
and how great battles he fought. After the con-
quest Of California, Fremont was made the VIC
tim of a quarrel between two American COM
manders. Like Columbus, he was brought home
prisoner over the vast territory he had ex-
plored stripped by court-martial OF his CON-