Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-08-26
The Attacks Upon Col Framont's Char
acter

1t IS an encouraging fact that the ad-
versarles of Fremont virtually admit their
inability to defeat him unless they shall
be able to blast his reput 2tion as a man
Though no personal war is made on their
respective candidates, they realize in-
stinctIyely that they must change the opin@
ion which the American people have hith-
erte entertained of Col. FreGon.'s char
acter and services, or they must get out OF
the way and let him hang up his hat in
the White House. Accordingly, they as
SAIL hlm on every point with untiring ma
levoience-not, we trust, that they delight
In such a mode of warfare, but because
they have no hope in any other. Accord
lngly, we find in Saturdays proceedings
IN the Senate the following:
Mr.. Blgler, Dem of Pa, submitted
a resolution, which lies over, calling .on
the President for copies of the vouchers
on which Mr.. Fremonts accounts, as an
officer of the Government, from his first
expedition to California were settled, SO
that the nature of the disbursements may
appear; also. inquiring whether there is
any public money in his hands unaccoun-
ted for, or whether there are any papers
sources, charging him with malfeasance
In office, sc.
Mr.. Bigler is the new Senator from
Pennsylvania and the confidential friend
and partisan of Mr.. Buchanan. To all
Intents and purposes, this is a move of Mr..
Buchanan to impeach the personal honor
OF hls only real competitor for the Presi-
dency. 1t has not, OF course, been made
without consultation and study, and we
apprehend that the game is to put in a
Report at the close OF the Session, too late
to be scrutiniZed and answered by the Re-
publlcans III Congress, but not too late 10
be spread over the country by the Fill
more and Buchanan presses, and speak
ers prior to the election And, as the ac-
counts are in the hands of Col. Fremont's
bitter enemies, il would be strange if they
could not cook up Report that would, un-
explained and unanswered, be calculated
to prejudice him with the undiscerning.
Go ahead, gentlemen! You have had
all these accounts in your hands for years;
and, If there be anything wrong in them,
you should have long since exposed and
reprobated it. 1t was only last session
that strongly Democratic Congress, by
vote nearly or quite unanimous In both
Houses, admitted that the Government
honestly owed Col. Fremont a large sum
for advances made and debts incurred by
him for the public service in California
several years ago That money was ac-
cordingly paid over TO him. If 1t was not
his Just due. the Committees that scrutin-
ized the accounts and reported in his fa-
vor We're most culpabie; If there was "any
public money in his hands unaccounted
for, that money should have been deduc-
ted by the Treasury accountants from the
amount found due him by Congress. If
there were any 8 charges of malfeasance
IN ofhcS then pending, they should have
been brought to the knowledge of Com
gress. and duly considered by it in ma
king It's award In his behalf.
But nobody can honestly doubt that this
is political game. Nobody believes that
Mr.. Bigler would have made this motion
If Col. Fremont were not now candl-
date for the Presidency; nay, he would
not have made 1t If Pierce or Douglas.
instead of Buchanan, had been nominated
at Cincinnati We bid him reiconle
to all the capital he will make out of 1t,
and only regret that he did not make IL in
season to be fully scrutinized by Col. Free
mont's friends IN Congress prior to the
Documents may be sent In,
which render ether documents essential to
their due explanation. Let all the facts
come ont!--N. Y Tribune.