Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-10-14
yAHEs BUCHANAN ron IREKoHT-Ms TIES
TI4ONY,

SAA63 0OVk2A0AlL 3 W e 4AkARO0V-AX8 LEY
Until his nomination to the Presidency,
the universal public opinion in regard to
JoHS C. Fremont was that he was q man
of tried and incompatible integrity, true
courage and excellent discretion: an in
trepid, intelligent, patriotic and faithful
public officer, whose adventures and pub
lie services were known throughout the
land, to whom, more than TO any other
man, the United States were indebted for
the possession of California and its rich
treasures. None named him but to
praise" and his past career had been such
as fitted him for and made him worthy of
the highest honors the nation could be-
stow
1t is we'll known that in 1852, Col. Ere.
mont was arrested in London for debts
contracted in his official capacity as Gov
ernor of California. The defence was
that these debts were contracted on ae-
count of the United States Government.
The English Court of Exchequer appoint
ed a commission to ia Ike depssitions in the
United States. The first witness examin-
ed was James Buchanan, who was Secre-
tary of State when Fremont was Cover
nor of California, and who was therefore
an important witness the more so as Ere
mont was acting under the authority OF
Mr.. Buchanan, as head of the Cabinet of
MIR. Polk, he having sent secret orders to
Fremont, and as was alleged by several
Senators, directing and secretly authoriz-
ing the movements, which he subsequent
ly made In California without public au-
thority. Much of the testimony is imma-
terial but all favorable to Fremont. we
therefore give only some of the most i'm
portant answers made (under oath) to the
Commissioners.
He frs; says "Col. Fremont, the de-
PENDENT, was in California at the COM
mencement of hostilities between the Uni
ted States and the Republic of Mexico
he there raised and commanded batral-
hon of California Volunteers, consisting
OF about four hundred men; his services
were very valuable; he bore a conspicu-
Gus part IN the conquest of California, and
In my opinion is better entitled to be call
ed the CONQUERER OF CALIFOR-
MIA THAN ANY OTHER MAN.
In regard to g the supplies" about
which SO much noise has been made James
Il do know that such supplies were nee
essary for the force under the command
of the defendant and that no appropria-
ton had been made by Congress to paw
for the supplies. Congress could not have
anticipated that Col. Fremont would raise
California battalion by his own person
al exertions, and without previous instruc-
lions"
Was there any "steal'' in these trans.
actions, as constantly charged by the
opposition. The question and answer of
James Buchanan is as follows:
q. Do you know whether or not the
defendant himself individually, and for
his own private use or benefit, ever re-
cclyed any consideration for the said bills
or any of then, or was there any consid-
Grafton whatever for the drawing or the
accepting of the same bills or any or Ell
Their of them, other than the said supplies
to or for the said forces of the said Gov
eminent of the United States!
A. | neither know nor believe that the
defendant individually, or for his own
private use or benefit, ever received any
consideration for said bills, or any of
them, and do not believe there was any
consideration whatever for the drawing
or accepting of the same bills, or any or
either of them, other than to procure SUM-
plies for the forces under his command
in California.
Mr.. Buchanan goes farther and saws:
. should have accepted and paid these
bills, from my general knowledge of the
transactions In California had Congress
appropriated money, and placed ii at nv
disposal, which could be applied to their
payment, though it would have been more
correct to have drawn these bills on the
Secretasy of War
A Democratic Congress has since ex-
amlned and settled all his accounts
How does Mr.. Buchanan know whereof
he affirlns Hear him answer still un.
der his oath:
q have answered heterogeneous re-
spect'ng Col. Fremont from my own
personal knowledge and obversation, from
my own close observation of the events of
the Mexican War as they occurred, and
from information dirived from official doc
uments, as member of the Cabinet of
President Polk, who was President of the
United States, during the whole of the
Mexican War"
How IL rLxe in Nax