The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-10-09
READ! READ! READ!
BUCHANAN TESTIFIES TO FIRE.
MONT'S HONESTY |!
The Cattle Story Exploded

i
The Cattle Story Exploded! +
The Buchanan stumpers and presses
have industriously circulated the false
hood that Fremont was a defaulter, that
he had swindled the Government, that
he had purchased cattle for the use of the
troops under his command, and that he
had appropriated them to bis own uses.
These falsehoods have been kept before
the people SO long. and insisted upon SO
pertinaciously, that many begin to be-
lieve that there might be some truth in
them. But alas the story is spoiled,
Buchanan himself has testified to the
honesty of Fremont We copy the fol
lowing from the Pittsburg Dispatch. of
the 24th ult., a
AS a matter of news, necessary to a
full understanding of this subject, which
will doubtless be hereafter frequently al
luded to in stump speeches, we give be-
low statement OF the origin Of this af-
idavit, and few of the extracts upon
which Fremont's friends will rely as a
sworn contradiction Of not few attacks
upon their candidate-coming, too, from
a source which his opponents must admit
perfectly reliable.
| AS Governor Of California, Col. Fre-
mont drew upon the State Department at
Washington City for considerable sums
to pay debts contracted for expenses of
the war in that country. There being no
appropriation at that time to meet them,
these drafts were protested for non pay
ment-and on visiting England in 1859.
he was arrested at the suit of some hold
ers Of the drafts, who sought to recover
from him as an individual some twenty
thousand dollars-which Congress subse
quently ordered to be paid from the
Treasury. While these suits were pend
ling COL Fremont took out a commission
to take the testimony of Witnesses in this
country, before Henry D. Gilpin, ex
mayor of Philadelphia before whom, on
the 18th of December, 1852, (as appears
from the certified copy of the deposition,
received from England by the last steam
err, came James Buchanan, to whom
was administered the following oath
"You are to make true answer to all
such questions as shall be asked you,
/ touching the matters in question in this
cause, without fear or affection to either
party, and therein you shall speak the
truth. So help you God"
| Being thus solemnly adjured, Mr.. Bu-
chanan gives testimoney which would FIJI
several columns Of our paper, and which
however relevant to the question of Ere
mont's individual liability for the drafts
alluded to, has little to do with the issue
before the people today. The following
questions, and answers of the witness, are
the principal points in the testimony o!
Mr.. Buchanan
/ 8. Do you know who was the person
in actual command of the land forces oil
the Government of the United States in
California, in the year one thousand eight
hundred and forty-seven, and in the
month Of March in that year
A. Col. Fremont, the defendant, was in
California at the commencement Of hos
tilities between the United States and the
Republic Of Mexico there raised and
commanded battalion OF California vol
unteers, consisting of about four hundred
men; his services we're very valuable
he bore conspicuous part in the con
quest Of California, and in my opinion il
} better entitled to be called the "Conquerol
: OF California than any other man he
: continued in the actual command of thi:
e battalion throughout the month of March
1847, but there were other troops in Cal
5 ifornia - other troops of the United
, States-under the command of Genera
F., Kearney, who was afterward the Military
2 Commandant and Governor of Calfor
5 MIA, as I have already stated in my an
swer to the eighth interrogatory l can
not undertake to decide the dispute t,
which | have already referred between
Col. Fremont and General Kearney, bu
as long as the California battalion exist
ed they were under the separate and in
dependent command of Col. Fremont
while Gen. Kearney commanded the 9th
er troops of the U. States.
Is. Do you know whether any, and i
any, what forage or other necessarie
were supplied to or for the said forces o
the said United States so engagnd in hos
tilities with the said Republic of Mexico
And, particularly, do you know whethe
any such supplies were necessary for tE'
. forces under command of the defendant
A. | know not whether any, and
> any what, forage or othernecessares wer
supplied to or for the said forces of tn
said United States SO engaged in hostli
!. ties with said Republic of Mexico, but
do know that such supplies were neces
sary for the forces under the command O
the defendant, and that no appropriation