Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-07-16
Col Fremont,s senatOrial Record.


The editor Of the v. Y. Tribune has
searched the Congressional records and
finds that they afford, for Col Fremont,
the following legislative exhibit
AT the sessions of the Peoples Ma
tional Convention at Philadelphia, Incl
dental illusions were made to a vote cast
bv Col. Fremont during the twenty-one
days he occupied a seat in the Senate,
which was not regarded as Anti Slavery
in its character. and which some who
doubted the propriety of his nomination
feared might embarrass Lin during the
canvass. Since then, we have taken
some pains TO examine the official jour
nal Of the Senate for 1859, and find that
these objections vanish into thin air,
when all The attendant circumstances are
considered.
The Objectionable vote was one where
his name was found recorded against a
proposition 10 abolish slavery in The Dis
lrict Of Columbia, subject to a popular
vote upon the question. But an cxami-
nation of the official journal shows that
only five Senators voted in lis favor, and
that it was evidently not a test vote
The circumstances are as follows: On
the 1ejh of September, the bill to sup
press the slave trade in the District of
Columbia WIS pending. when Gov. Sew
ard, to show by his record that he pre-
ferred TO strike the institution GU! Ct ex
~istence altogether in the District, moved
to strike out the whole bill from lis en-
acting clause. and insert the proposition
above referred to. II was rejected, as
it was expected it would be. the vote
standing Yeas 5. Nays 25. Among the
Nays with Col. Fremont were such
Northern meD as Roger S Baldwin Ct
Connecticut John Davis Of MaSSachu-
sets, Thomas Ewing of Ohio II Ham
lin Of Maine, Truman Smith of Connec
ticut. r. c. Winthrop of Massachusetts
They all preferred, doubtless, TO bend
their energies toward attaining what vas
attainable-the breaking up of the slave
pens and the slave auctions in the IA
tional capi,al-and on the 10Th of Sep
TENDER the bill passed, Fremont and
Dayton voting with all the Northern
Senator's in its favor-Alchison, jeff.
Davis, Butler, and the rest of that kid
ney, in the negative. Fremont voted
against another proposition for an abSo-
Lutte, unconditional abolition of slavery in
the District, which was Overwhelmingly
rejected, and the success Of which was
expected by no ne. But during the
tendency Of the bill supprsssing the
District slave trade, several votes were
taken which proved plainly enough
where the young Californian's heart was.
and 10 which side Of The Senate Cham
Der his principles led him. On the 18th
of September an amendment was pend
ing providing that if a free person should
en,ice or induce a slave 10 run away, or
harbor any such, he should be immured
in the District Penitentiary FIVE years.
The vote was a close one-Yeas 90,
Nays &c. But our standard bearers.
Fremont and DAYTON, voted No, and
turned the scale against it. Among the
Yeas we're Barnwell and Butler of 5. c.,
Dawson and Berrien of Ga., 1.-THE State
in which Fremont was born, Jeff. Da
Wis, Soule, Foote, Hunter and Mason of
Va, w. R. King, RuSk and others
Among the Noes were Fremont and
Dayton, Baldwin, Chase, John Davis,
E Sing, Hale, Hamlin, Seward, Winthrop
and others. On another amendment to
authorize The corporation of the District
10 prohibit free negroes within their lin
IFS, under penalty of imprisonment and
fine, which also failed by Ayes %, 10
Noes 90 +; Atchison, Butler, Soule. JEFF. !
Davis and others in the affirmative /;
Fremont and Dayton, Hale, Chase and
Seward were in the negative. The
record is a significant one. Avoiding
votes for hopeless propositions,
he was found On all real test questions
with the friends of Freedom.
We were not at all surprised ION page
691, Sept g. to find that when Mason
D, Va, moved 10 strike out the clause in
the Navy bill which abolished flogging
in the navy, Col. Fremont was found
an emphatic No, with Hale, Sow
ard, Chase and other Northern men,
who believed that sailors could be better
disciplined in some other way than by
he cat o. nine-tails administered in
plantation style, at the whim of their su