New-York daily tribune., 1861-10-30
CEN. TuomAs,s REPORT.

The reflection will hardly fail to occur
10 every reader, after laying down the
report of Adit. Gen. Thomas on the affairs oil
the Western Department, how entirely IN tne
dark we all are as to the manner IN winch
these serious charges against Gen. Fremont
will be met Ii is several weeks now since
incapacity and neglect of duty were deeiafea
70 characterize his command in Missouri, ana
a public clamor raised against him. whlch he'u
him alope responsible for tie accumulated us
asters which had overwhelmed the STATE anu
which demanded that he should atone ior II D!
come brilliant action that should restore that
reoion to the Union and to peace. All th's,
,norcoyer had come upon us like thunder-
storm in a Summer sky. The latter part OF
July Tie whole of August, and a portion oI
September, had passed away; Lyon had peon
dead for weeks; Price with his re-
endorsements had traversed considerable
norton Of the State on his march northwaId;
the rebels everywhere had grown bolder and
boder with the advances Of the insurgeni
forces from Tennessee aud Arkansas, and
Fremont might still have been pointed out as
tbe most popular General in the country, aud
one in whose diligence, skill, and integrity there
was the most unbounded confidence, notwith-
standing the difficulties by which he was sur
rounded. But there came remarkable change
"a change which, whether there belongs to 1t
the relation of cause and effect, or only that Of
noticeable coincidence, was immediately pre-
ceded by The Presidents modification OF Ere
mont's proclamation. But to oil the charges
and al the clamor to Col. Blairs letter which
was the indictment, and Col. Blair's specitca-
tons. relying for their strength, iu Iome meas
ure, upon acts committed subsequent to the date
Of his original charges; to the mighty englnery
of tclegraphic dispatches, to the artillery oil
special correspondents, TO the fresh hostility OF
all the old enemies of the Republican candidate
of 1856, Gen. Fremont, under every proyoca-
ton and with six weeks for reflection has an
swered-nothing. The fact should tell some
thing in bis favor that, as to the answer that
may be made to these charges in Gen. Thom'
ass report, many of which have been so long
before the public, the public has received not
tie slightest ray of light from Fremont, or
heard from him the first murmur Of complaint,
except in spglc private letter, written, we
suppose, by a secretary, and published by some
iuiuiicous friend. For a digniied reiicence
aud manly disregard Of his own reputation
while he has work before bin for his country
OF which, at least, he thinks he is capabie-let
us give him due credit even though we ap-
plsud next week the sentence Of Court. Mar.
tial that shall lead him out to bc shot by tap
Of drum.
In saying thus much, We think We do Gen.
Fremont no more than the simplest and barest
Justice, and in 30 doing we do not impugn the
entire fairness Of the Secretary Of War, tie
Adiutsnt General, or any other OF the distn-
guished gentlemen who are firmly persuaded
of his incOmpetency, and perhaps Of want OF
integrity. For they doubtless know whereof they
affirm, have the most minute evidence of the
truth Of all their allegations, know how futile
any defense must be that can be offered, and
are quite sure that when all the facts shall be
made public the verdict of the people will sus-
tain and justify them. But We are in
different position. We have heard the indict-
ment and something Of the argument Of the
counsel for the prosecution; but as an impartial
public we may hold our opinion in allegiance
till we know whether the accused has nothing
to urge in his own behalf
And unquestionably there are points in this
report of Gen. Thomas to which Gen. Fremont
will have some reply to make, and on which the
public will ask for light. The visit of the Adfu-
tant-Gencral and the Secretary of War to the
West was necessarily a hurried one, and for
want of time some mistakes may have been
unayoidably committed. Thus, in Gen. Thom-
ass letter to Gen. Fremont Of Oct. ID, the
discontinuauce of feld.works around tho City
of st. Louis is ordered. Now, it so happens
that those feld-wOrks were finished some time
ago, aud the order was therefore altogether
supererogatory. The mistake, Of course, is of
no consequence; but while it may provoke a
good-natured smile, it may suggest the posi-
bility of other errors. 1t is evident, moreover,
that much had to be taken upon hearsay-a
species Of evidence not admissible in the most
trivial cause before country justice of the
peace, but which it might be quite proper to
lay before the Cabinet at Washington, whose
clear insight would enable them at once to
discern the difference between truth and error.
One OF the most serious charges, for instance,
and which has had much influence upon the
public mind, is that Fremont has surrounded
himself with dishonest men. Had Gen. Thomas
deLaled himself 70 suhat anfiafinn the trllth afl