Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-06-26
Fremont and Buchanan.
j. C. FREMONT.


of age, but his mother a Virginia indy, gave
him every advantage for education, 80 that at
the age of seventeen years he graduated at
Charleston College. First asa teacher of math-
entities and then as civil. engineer, he con-
tributed to the support of his mother and her
Younger children. and in the latter capacity was
assistant to Nicollet in the survey Of the Upper
Mississippi.
Thirsting for adventure, says Lester, he now
planned the first of those distant and perilous
expeditions which have given lustre to his name.
Having received u Lieutenant's commission in
the corps of Typographical Engineers, he pro-
posed to the Secretary of War the penetration
of The Rocky Mountains His plan wasapp"ov-
ed ; and in l842, with handful of men gath
cred on the Missouri frontier, he reached, and
explored the South Pass, achieving more than
his instructions required He not only fixed
the locality and character OF that great pass,
through which myriads are now pressing to Cal
itornia, but defined the astronomy, geography,
botany, geology, meteorology Of the country,
and designed the route since followed, and the
points from which the FLAG of the Union is now
flying fiom a chain Of wilderness fortresses.-
His report was printed by the Senate, translated
into foreign languages, and the scientific world
looked on Fremont as one of its benefactors.
Impatient, however, for broader and more
hazardous fields, he planned new expedition
to the distant territory of Oregon His first
had carried him to the Rocky Mountains;
Wilkes ad surveyed the tide water regions of
the Columbia river between the two explor-
ers lay IL tract of a thousand miles which was "a
blank in geography.
In May, 1913, he left the frontier of Missou-
ri, and in November he stood on Fort Vancou-
YER, with the calm waters Of the Pacific at his
feet. He had approached the mountains by
new line, scaled their SUBMITS south OF the
South Pass, detected to the Great Salt Lake,
and pushed examinations right and left along
his entire course. lie joined his survey to
Wilkes exploring expedition, and his orders
were fulfilled. But he had opened one route to
the Columbia, and be wished to find another, $50
There was IL vast region south Of his line in
vested with fabulous interest, and he longed
to apply to it the test Of exact science
1t was the beginning of winter. Without
resources, adequate supplies, or even guide,
and with only twenty-five companions, he turn
ed his face once more towards the Rocky Noun
tains. Then began that wonderful expedition,
in which he explored and revealed the grand
features Of Ata-California, revealed the real
Ell Dorado, and established the geography of
the western part of this continent.
| In August, 1874, he was again in iSling-
ton, after an absence Of sixteen months. lie
was planning third expedition while writing
history of the second and, in J045 he was
again On his way to the Pacific, collecting his
mountain comrades, to examine in detail the
Asiatic slope of the North American ntineut,
which resulted in giving new volume of sci
ence to the world, and California to the United
States
| His achievements during the war with Next
CO cannot be traced nor will future times in
quirc how many or how great the battles he
fought. After the conquest OF California Ere
mont was made the victim Of Il quarrel between
two American commanders. Like Columbus,
he was brought home prisoner over the vast
territory he had explored; stripped by court
martial Of his commissiln Of Lieutenant Colo
mel of Mounted Rtlemon, and reinstutcd by
President Polk Fremont needed justice, not
mercy, and he returned his commission. His
defence was worthy of man Of honor, genius
and learning During the ninety days Of his
trial, his nights were given to science. Thus
ended his services to the government of the
United States but not to mankind.
He WAS now private citizen, and IL poor
man. He had been brought criminal from
California, where he had been explorer con-
qneror, peace-maker and Governor. He deter
mined to retrieve his honor on the spot where
be mad been robbed of it One line more wonld
complete his surveys-the route for great road
from Mississippi to San francisco. Again he
appeared i'll the far West, His old mountain
GERS Cooked around him, and with thirty three
men and one hundred and thirty mules, perfect
ly equipped, he started for the Pacific.
81 ,,Io,.,, GOD
third of his men persisted in more than II Rus
sian cold, and Fremont arrived at Santa Fo,
I stripped Of everything but life. 1t was Il mo-
mont for the last pang Of despair which breaks
the heart, or the moral herosm which conquers
fate itself
The men of the wilderness knew Fremont
they rettted his expedition; he started again ;
: pierced the country of the fierce and remorseess
Apaohes met, awcd, or defeated savage tribes ;
. and in Il hundred days from Santa Fe he stood
Oh the glittering banks of the Sacramento. The
men of California reversed the Judgment OF the
: Court Martial, and Fremont was made the first
Senator of tina Golden State. 1t was u noble
6 tribute to science and herosm.
When upon his being candidate for re ecc,
ton he was defeated by the Pro-Slaveay inter-
, est which looked to division of the State, and
g bilc lOliuluS vi ID IOW saw CthJc
such happily has not been the case, and COL
, Fremont, although defeated in that, is now
left to the highest honor in the gift of the peo-
e pie of the nation.
I'VE have more extended notice of Col.
Fremont life which will be published as soon
completely
. JAMES BUCHANAN
james Buchanan was born in Franklin Co..
e Pa, April ID, 1871, and is therefore Is years
S of age lie studied the profession of the law,
and was elected to the Assembly in 1914, as il
Federaist, and July 4th following, while a can
didate for reelection, he delivered an Grafton
abusing the Democratic Administration OF Mad
ison, as follows:
= "Time will not allow me to enumerate all
Il the other wild and wicked projects of this Adj
= ministration Suffice it to say, that after they
r had deprived US of the means of defense, by
destroying our navy and disbanding our army ;
after they had taken away from us the power of
recruiting them, by running commerce, the great
n source of our national and individual wealth
= after they had, by refusing the Bank Of the
United States Il continuance OF its charter, EN-,
d barrassed the financial concerns of the Govern.
& ment, and withdrawn the only universal paper
e medium OF the country from circulation alter
n the people had become unaccostomed 10, and OF
course, unwilling to bear taxation, and without
~ money in the Treasury, they rashly plunged u:
u into IL war with nation more able to do us
is injury than any other in the world. W hat was
), the dreadful necessity for this desperate meas
/. urea Was our country invaded! No. Wa.
it to protect our little remaining commerce from
" the injuries it sustained by the orders in coun
i. Gil No. Commerce was no such layorite
=. and the merchants wished for no war on tina,
account" 20
'S 1--WE ought to use every honest exertion tt
st turn out of power those weak aud wicked mcr
n whose wild and visionary theories have beer
ID tested and found wanting. Above ALL W,
:, ought to drive from our shores foreign influence
'' and cherish American feeling. Foreign inau
or ence has been in every age the curse of Repub
81. inrinAinnd onnn L.. z