Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-10-02
GFrom the Milwaukee Wisconsin, August 2l.l
Col. Fremont's Cattle Spesulations
Testimony of the Bnchaniers.

| C.. c. Washburne ia well known throughout
the state as an upright man, who scorns to
DO base act. Few men stand higher in
the state for onal'integrity and an hon
or unimpeached, even :by dis political op-
ponents. As a representative from one OF
our Congressional districts, he is naturally
applied to by his constituents for documents
to prove OF disprove statements made in the
press of his district. In answer to the dirty
trash which has been floating about the
Buchanan press, in abuse of Fremont's in
tegrity, Mr.. Washburne thus replies. The
citation of the testimony of Gov German
is one of those clnchers which even a
Pierce Buchanan partizan can appreciate:
WASHINGTON, D. c., August 7, 1856
Dear Sir: received this morning your
favor of the 3lst ult. II | can procure a
copy of Col. Fremont's correspondence, TO
which YOU alude, will forward it to you.
| am not surprised that some Of the most
unscrupulous Of slavery extensionis,s should
feel inclined 10 keep out Of sight the true
issue now before the country, by a :e.ort to
personal detraction of the Repubican can
didate for the Presidency. But this dodge
cannot avail them. l hope that none of
our friends will be disturbed by any OF the
false allegations to which you ullude, or
waste their time in disproving them, for as
fast as one lie is nailed. you may be sure
that bigger one will be invented to :ake
the place of it.
Let them revel in their dirty work. Hon.
orable southern men disdain to use such
weapons of warfare, but they are fifty seized
npon by the northern doughtaces, and party
scavengers, who, am sorry to say, infest to
a greater or les degree all parts of the
Nof Til - and ,huracter Of Ceonl
| Fremont were both familiar 10 Tie American
! poup'e long before he -as nominated to the
Presidency: and it is a noteworthy fact,
that 'hr agnes; compliments ever paid to
any living man, were those bestowed upon
him by the late President Polk, and Gcv.
Marcy, the present Secretary Of State. An
appeal to the trecords and history of the
county is the best response that can be
made to his detractors. By that record, his
friends re willing that he shall be judged.
The particular charge of dishonesty to
which you allude, suppose grew out of
certain letters of Col R. B. Mason, written
in California, think in 1S47, which were
published not long since in the "Union," of
this city, accompanied by an anonymous
communication signed "a Californian" and
which has been republished in some of the
pro-slavery papers OF the North. If you or
your frents are rot satisfied with the entire
falsity Of the charge contained in said an
onymous communication. | beg to refer you
and them to the Congressional Globe, 32d
Congress, VOL %, page 500 to 6o3 incu-
sive, where you will see that the whole mat
ter was discussed and acted upon by demo-
cratic Congress.
AS you may not have access to the Globe,
will here state, that in the SGD Congress Il
bill was introduced to pay Col. Fremont for
certain SUMS of money which he had dis
bnrsed in California for the government,
which money he had raised upon drafts
drawn on the Secretary OF State. These
drafts were protested, and the holder called
upon Col. Fremont for payment. Col. Fre-
mont insisted that the money was raised
and us d for the exclusive benefit of the
government, and brought the matter befure
Congress. TIE principal management o.
| the bill. in its passage through the House,
was taken BY the Hon. Mr.. Phelps, then, as
mar. tending democratic member of thc
iioase of Representatives, from Missouri und
Hon w A German, a leading pro-starsru
democratic men.jer from Indiana, anu a
present Governor OF Minnesota, appointed
BY Frank Pierce.
Cep. c orman Was chairman Of the Mill
tary Committee, and reported the bill. In
the courte OF the discussion upon i, when
il was before he House, on the 18th day Of
February, 1888 lie made use OF the follow
ing languages:
Il have now answered AL the objections
thpt knnw Of am! allow me to say that in
the settlement o, th:s accounts, another
item was thrown into il, and embarrassed it,
II was said that Col. Fremont got this 3d.
500, and bought the Mariposa land with it;
and distinguished gentleman Of the House
told me that he had heard that he had pur-
chased large amount of cattle with it, up
on which he made large profits. Now the
Mariposa land only cost $4,000, though it
turned out to be exceedingly valuable and
worth forty or fifty times what he paid for
it Bu; BE dar'- u ;h:t purchase was an
ttri.f II i'ut tranoa | un
As /" '.-e e.e pu.,hase o. large a.
moun' q. ca'r:r t:te grand speculation
uat q he ,.eft;i IL How DID We act as
to i'rt char DI4 wo believe Il blindly!
No say, - NJ IN . a. Investigation of il,
aus wi.'. '.as th. result! We found tha,
ne Hat; pnr, nased cerlan amount Of cattle
or the ,:sa oi :le army, but because he had
"o' tha means g paylDg for them, he left
the cattle in the possession of the vender,
who had finally to take them back for Nom
payment. So that transaction ended in
smoke, as does the charge.
81 will say for Col. Fremont, that when |
W.. into the investigation of this transac-
ION, had come prejudices, which thought
perhaps III ght be unrounded, and which |
am now satisfied were unfounded. The
prejudices which had been upon my mind
have been dispelled by the investigation of
al his conduct in California, and am pre-
pared to bear testimony on this occasion to
the correctness Of his ,ohole line Of conduct as
an officer and disJurs,ng agent.
'Not one dollar can b. traced to his hands, |
no property can be traced TO his hands, for
aohich he cannot girc TO the government salts
factory rouchers that it has been appropriated
ly and properly applied"
Speaking Of the achievements of Col
Fremont, Gov. German. himself dstins-
uished and gallant officer in the war with
Mexico, says:
"Upon our whole Pacific border no batta-
lion uehas With more distinguished -.brav-
cry, than did that battalion under Fremont
No battles were ever fought against such