Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-09-25

times what he paid for it. But the datt
of that purchase was anterior to that tran
saction.
"As to the alleged purchase of large
amount of cattle and the grand speculation
out of the operation! how did he act as tc
that charge? Did we believe it bhndIy
No, sir, we went into an investigation of it
and what was the result? We found that
he had purchased a certain amount of cat
tie for the use of the army, but because b,
had not the means for paying for them, hs
left the cattle in the possession of the ven
der, who had finally to take them back fo
non-payment; SO that transaction ended il
smoke, as does the charge"
Mr.. German then proceeded to yindicatt
Col. Fremont thus:
81 will say for Col. Fremont, that wher
| went into the investigation of this trans
action l had some prejudices which
thought might be unfounded, and which
am now satisfied were unfounded. The
preiudices which had been impressed upon
my mind have been dispelled by the inves-
tigation of all his conduct in California
and now l am prepared to bear testimony
upon this occasion to the correctness Of hi:
whole line of conduct as an officer and as
a discussing agent. Not one dollar can be
traced to his hands; no property can be
traced to his hands for which he canuot
give to the Government satisfactory vouch
ers that it has been appropriately and prop
erly applied. [See Congress Globe, vol
26, p. 500.
Feb. 13, 1853, Mr. Campbell of Illinois
asked-"Were claims for articles fraudu
lently charged several times, presented by
Col. Fremont, or were they presented by
other persons pretending to hold them
against the Government"
Mr.. GoRMAN-Those claims were moi
presented by Col Fremont, but by other
individuals.
Mr.. FULLER-Those claims of which
speak are called the VALLEJO Claims, and
they are recorded as being certified 10 by
J. c. Fremont.
Mr.. PRICE Oemocrat) of New jersey
He certifies that certain property belong
ing to those individuals was taken by the
military 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 taken.
There is no reference whatever to valuation.
Mr.. DIsNEY-I 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 va
rious individuals now in the State of Cali
fornia, for materials and property furnished
to him, the evidence of which is his acknowl-
edgment, in the form of certificates, before
you.
Mr.. McLANAHAN of Penn, in some re-
marks on the subject, said: "Upwards of
100000 of claims were presented to the
Commissioners. They allowed and passed
favorably on some $3l, 900; tie balance,
about $4,000, were not sustained by ev-
idence, and were consequently rejected
Of the 81 900 allowed, the claim of $l9,-
500, Oh which Col. Fremont was imprison-
ed in London, was unanimously allowed,
and placed first on the list submitted to us
by the Commissioners. This is the only
demand against the Government in which
Col. Fremont appears to have the slightest
personal interest"
This debate shows that Col. Fremont
had no interest in any other claim than
that for 81 l9, 500, which the Board of Com
missioners unanimously allowed. AS Mr..
German remarked:
'The claims which are there stated orig
mated in this wise. Col. Fremont when
there, when necessary, sent guard Of men
to take the property of the citizens mules,
horses and cattle-for the public USE
The owners came and made claims to Col.
Fremont, as civil and military Governor of
California, for compensation for their proper
ty. Col. Fremont laid all the claims pre-
sented TO him before the Board. The case
was precisely similar to that of the army
of the United States in Mexico. I have
done the same thing myself on march
| have forced men to give me mules when
those on which the soldiers rode gave out.
l have seen the same thing often done by
the other officers of the army. The own
ers of the property taken would follow to
the next town, and there would receive
certificate that such property had been taken
for the public service, which they presented
to the Quarter-master, who sometimes paid
for it. If these charges were made by
Mexicans would not be amazed if the
same articles had been charged for one
hundred times"
The reader who wishes to pursue this in
vestigation further can doubtless find
Congressional Globe, Vol. XVI, and
trace the debate throughout. The claims
were very properly scrutenized, but no one
questioned the integrity and good conduct
of Col. Fremont. The Hon. David K.
Carter, of Ohio, (then as now prominent
Democrat but then a Pierce Democrat,
now for Fremont said:
personally, l know Col. Fremont but
very slightly. l have had the honor of an
to him.. He is small man,
but he is as gallant as any mass of stuff of
the same size that ever was wrapped in
coat that would fit him. And, Sir, he met
a combination of enemies such as very few
Of the public servants of this Republic
have ever met. Both enemies that man
presents and enemies that God presents
enemies, ravine enemies, enemies
of frost and of heat and of fasting. Now
[ do not think that man who has march
I'd for a week feeding on green hides and
On the skeletons of worn-out and diseased
mules, would cheat his Government out of
twenty or forty thousand dollars. My own
opinion is, that when man has garnered
up reputation by deeds of almost unpar