The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-09-23
Mr.. BUCHAEANs DEPoSIrIoS-CoL. FREM0NTs
FINANCIAL RECORD.

candidate of one Of the numerous charges of official NAL
fasance connected with his gopanorsp in California The
document is deposition Of Mr. Buchanan given in 1852
in case pending in London in which COL Fremont wa'
sued on four drafts, amounting to $s6Oo, drawn by him
in March ls47 as governor Of California the ecre
tary Of State mr. Buchanan and by him protested for
want of authority in Governor" Fremont to make th'
drafts The Tribune is especially abiant upon the dis
coyery of this deposition and goes OH with characteristic
vulgarity and mendacy, into TRADE Of abuse OF Mr. Blu
chanan The ground Of the Tribunes denunciaon OF Mr
Buchanan as ahoary- libeer" is that "Senato
Bgle of Pennsylvania has recently given extensive cir
cua,ion to low and groveng ISLANDERS about the forage
and other necessares furnished his troops in California
by Col Fremont and because the Tribune chooses to as
sume that Senator Bger has been prompted to do 90 by
Mr. Buchanan its editor assails him as slanderer and IL
beiler No one knows better than the editor OF the
Tribune that Senator Bger has given no currency to
ISLANDERS against Col Fremont the charge is false and
malignant in all its length and breadth Senator Big
,er without the knowledge Of Mr. Buchanan as he de-
clare the tims introduced resolution into the Sen
ate calling r the publication Of COL Fr6monts official
accounts as they existed in the Treasury Department He
made no charges but sought official evidence that charges
which Others had made might be either dspro'ed or estate
lshed as the records might decide This is what the Tr
.
bune calls giving extensive currency low and groveng
FLANDERS If COL Fremonts official transactions in Caor-
mia were honest Senator Bger resored to the only I'M
errng mode Of establishing the lsehood of the charges
but If the charges were true the official records would es
tabsh his guilt and the Of the violent abuse heaped
upon Senator Biger u.s. that the editor of the Tribune
finds that his candidate stands convicted by the records
Senator Bger has brought out the proof and therefore he
ia assa;led he is the known friend of Mr. Buchanan, and
therefore g Buchanan assumed to be responsible and
the Tribune exhsusts its store of vituperaon and vca
tion But fortunately for Messrs. Buchanan and Bigler
the abuse of the Fremont organs is harmless.
The specific charge against Col Fremont in connexion
with the transaction referred in Mr. Buchanans deposit
tion is in no respect affected by his proof The Tribune
either ignorany mistakes the charge it wfuy seeks
to escape from the force of ,he official evidence We will
state the case briefly the official records present it and
then show that Mr. Buchanans deposition has reference
to the charge and furnishes ground for the exultaton
OF the Tribune.
In March, ls47 four drafts drawn By Colonel FIRE.
mont "A overnor on the Secretary Of State amounting
to slsboo These drafts 'ere understood to be drawn
to raise means for sGppes to the troops under Colonel
Fremonts command in California But he had no author
lily draw the State Department and for that reason
Mr. Buchanan Secretary of State declined to accept the
drafts The drafts payable to Mr. Hutton, from
whom Colonel Fremont had borrowed $4,000, and for
which sum had given Mr. Hutton drafts for Sls5oo In
ls4s Colonel Fremont furnished his account TO the gov
ernmen in which he gave himself credit for the amount
Of the das disbursement for the public service but
inasmsch the drafts had not been accepted be did not
charge hmf with their amount He treated them as bis
individual liabilities but got credit for their amount as
disbursements The result that the government be
came his debtor the aount Of the drafts and the Seere
tary Of the Treasury paid Li' amount 70 Col fH6nont
gaising no question as to phshs the supplies had been far
nshed or not The charge against Col Fremont Is, pot
that the supplies were not furnished bu that he failed 10
apply The MONEY received from The government 10 TIE payment
Of The drafts he bound 10 do He Pocksed the money
and allowed the drafts remain unpaid until 1852 when
he visited London whilstn England the then holders
Of the drafts Gibbs and others, bad Colonel Fremon
arrested II was in the suit thus brought In LOndor
on the four drafts drawn by Colonel Fremont as gov
ernorD that Mr.. Bucbansn's deposition taken Col
onel Fremont resisted recovery The grvS.d that be
drew the drafts government officer and therefore, thai
he individually responsible and yet Colonel Ere
mont In his settlement with his government bad admitted
these drafts to be his Individual liabilities and had received
from the government the money with which to pay them
He failed to apply the money TO their payment and when
sued on them in London sought to avoid Judgment on
the ground that they the liabilities OF his government
There question TO whether he bad expended the
money borrowed Of Hutton for supplies whether these
supplies were necessary His government bad settled with
him. admitting that the supplies furnished and that
they were necessary and hid furnished him the money TO
take up the drafts which he bad borrowed the money
The question then arises whether Mr.. Buchanans depos
lion furnishes the slightest relief Colonel Fremont on tn
charge that he failed apply the money the payment
Of the dra1 His deposition, quoted and relied on by
the Tribune, is a. follows;
do know that srSh supplies necessary for the
forces the command Of the defendant and that
had been made by Congress pay for these
p,iss Congress could not have anticipated that Colonel
yremopt would raise California battalion BY hs own per-
sonsl erertions, and without previous instructions.
aF.r,bermore such was his confidence In Colonel FIRE.
, and 90 thorough his knowledge Of the transaction,
hd ~ had an, funds, notwithstanding they might
nroosr,y have been drawn upon the Secretary Of War
These are his own words
a should have accepted nod paid these bills from my
..r.l knowledge OF the transactions In California, had
EEL ~hoh could be applied 10 their payment, though Il
would have correct . have drawn these bills on
ths Secretary OF War
This Is the proof over which the Tribune eruis. We
innate n AZ Il stands In that paper but IL proper to
mark that the first paragraph is garbed and muilated
,he entre Question and to show how lit