Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-10-02
Fremont's Religious and Political
Opinions

OpiulOuSs
The following correspondence has re.
Gently taken place, which we fad in tAs
New York Eosning Post:
LETTER FROM JoHH 4 WHICH, Esq.
HuDsos, August 80. 1850.
r. F. Livingston, Esq:
Dear Sir: Knowing that you. sone years
since, had a personal acquaintance with
John c. Fremont, and that you were a CON-
panion of his in several Exploring and En-
gineering Expeditions, write you q few
lines for the purpose of obtaining your az
Outstanding of Mr.. Fremont's views with
reference to slavery extension; and also to
ascertain from you whether he was. at the
time you were with him, Pro-sisvery man
ani Roman Catholic. Ii you will hays
the kindness TO give me the Information |
ask for, you will confer great iaVor.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN M. WE.cz
LETTER From ROBERT P. LIri,ssToa, Eso.
LIVINGSTON, Columbia county,l
September 2. 1856.
.Mr. job. VI. Welch:
gust, addressed to me, Soliciting my under
standing of Col. John c. Fremont's religi-
GUS teI.els and views of human s,sYery,I
am pleased to comply with. lh.vs been
personally acquainted with him for nearly
twenty years. In the year 1887 We sers
for several months associated in the Same
corps OF engineers, serving in North Carr
lima. We camfed together, eat and slept
together in the deep rayines 0! the Blus
Ridge, far removed from any babi,ation.-
From our daily Intercourse and intimacy it
might very naturally b. inferred. cas- the
fact is" that we became pretty conversanI
with each others opinions and characters.
| have no he,itarion in declaring, frorn the
know ledge then obtained OF him, and have
since obtained from NY associations with
him, that his religious opinions were and
still are those of the Protestant Ep .seops.
lisns.
Independent Of th;s, | Viii state that the
only PRAYER b ok N our tent at the Blue
Ridge was owupu BIZ Jehn c. Fremont, with
his name inscribed on the cover, which was
the Common Prayer Book used BY all Fps.
copalians, and the same k nd that had from
my boyhood been accustomed 10 use This
circumstance is strong ly impressed upon my
mind from the fact that there was ameng
our number u son of the Episcopal Bishop
OF BaItilur.,~ s.-i<t CTscrPrHlfiaii, who, m
the hurry Of preparation feteim2 sneglected
to b'ing his Book of Prayers, which pro-
duced in our company no slight degree of
at his expense. If Nr. Fremont
is now a Roman Catholic he must certainly
have become so since his nomination.
In reply to your question Of slavery, will
introduce sfort extract from the journal
kept BY NE at the time spoken Of, in 1887:
81 am mysti6edssiih regard to the char.
acter of my xmpanion, Fremont. The
most taciturn, modest nan eve, met, re-
mindng me Of Wilsam G.. and, like him, is
not readily drawn into ssrssrsatisn, looking
at times as if he were sol11>g some difficult
problem in Eucid.r 2
"One weck psssea.
am greatly fuiigued by the iast bays
laborious hu,ifs. Buncome is truly InlRt
county. That young man, Fremonts -
genius-a diamond Of the frs, wster-aper-
son of no ordinary capacity. Such ap2Ii-
Cation coupled vi h such indomitab's per-
Z determination to sur
mount every obs.Gc!e-a patient inses;iga-
ton unsurpasSed-'
"a month has elapsed
We are camping in the most primitive Of
forests. Our Caterer brings in deer; our
taciturn man is more communicative lately.
He is loved, respected and admired By us all.
First impressions ot persons are generally
the best. 1t is mine, that Fremont will, at
some future day, be distinguished; such en-
ergy, sgeh perseverance, such application
and talent, canuol escape notice, and will
not go unrewsrded. am, in measure,
his con6dant, con, er>ins with him freely on
all subjects, lncluiing tist 0t slavery He
dues no. conceai his opinions ol the insti-
tuition He c"n.en.ns i much, even in the
presence o. our compdn uRs. l an more
cautious "
This IS from NY j"u-na. nesrly twenty
wears ago. ] bcli-v.. rom whIt / have
heared Nr. Flemunl say of the demorilli-
zing effects oi sl1:sry, that he hates it, but
would not adyi { interference with il in the
states where 1t is established. lHe is oP-
posed 10 it's ex en>iOn. have been in Col.
Fremont 5 COMPANY in Kentucky, Cuba and
California. and IN the Isihuus Of p mana.
His views this question o, human sla-
very, are hat al. good tneu drs e. OF his
Pruestant'Sn IA. = AN je 80 4 ubi. Be-
lieying Iha; this viii SATISFY ,ou upon the
several points alluded TO. and trusting that
you will, las certainly SHALL cast your
vote :or F emon, AnJ FreedoR,
remain V WIS. &c.,
RoBr. F. LIvfsosros.
pEnrEsrAsTs MARKrEp BY CsrEoIJc