Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-09-24
The Administrations and Gen.
Fremont.

The Administrations and Gen.
Fremont.
The quarrel between the President and
Major General Fremont is becoming quite
interesting.
As this quarrel is the principal topic of
conversation and discussion, at least thrO'-
out the West, VIC give, in to-day's paper,
the correspondence between the President
ano the Hon. Joseph Holt, relating to the
o igin of the dispute.
tbs evident from the correspondence
between the parties and the facts in ire
case. that Major General Fremont has as
sumed authority and exercised powers. if
right and demanded by the times, at least
not authorized by the constitution or the
laws Of Congress. Indeed, bis proclama-
tion is direct reputation of the legisla-
tive branch Of the Government. and. had il
not been modified by the President, would
have driven the Union men of the border
States to the fearful alternative of uniting
with the secessionists in their efforts to de
stroy the Government. A large majority
of the people of Missouri, Kentucky,
Maryland, ard Delaware, are loyal TO the
Government and ir favor of the Union. but
if the President had endorsed the extraor
/ binary proclamation Of Major General
Fremont, We doubt if we could claim a
Thousand Union men south of Mason and
Dixon's line.
Fortunately for the country, the Presi.
dent had the courage to remind Major
General Fremont that this war is not waged
tor the purpose Of emancipating the slaves.
and to inform him that be must keep with
in the laws of Congress. By this timely
action OF the Executive. our country is pre.
/ served from the horrors of a relentless war
between the free and slavehoIdinr States of
the Union, and the rebels of the seeded
States will be deprived of one of their
most powerful arguments. We candidly
believe that the Presidents noble and pa-
triotic stand on this question, as eviuced
by his instructions on the subject of eman-
eipating slaves. will be worth to the Gov
ernment full three hundred thousand men
in arms.
But while we rejoice that the President
will listen to the counsel of such ma
trIots as Crittenden and Holt of Kentucky,
rather than to that of the Summers the
Greeleys. the Lovejoys, and politicians of
the Abolition school, we feel that we cans
not too severely condemn the action of M
Jor Gen. Fremont. lie issued his urocla-
nation without consulting the Government.
Ia an hours time he might have asc ertaiued
the views of the President on the most i'm
port question, but for reasons, probably
best known to himself, he took the resnon-
slbility of proclaiming to the world the
doctrine so obnoxious to the conservative
portion of the American people, assuming
to authorize by proclamation what Con,
gress after lengthy discussion of the
whole subject, in all its bearings, refused
by most decided vote, to endorse. To saw
the least of it, MaiOr General Fremont's
action in this matter was certainly in bad
faith to the confidence that had been repos
ed in him by the President.
The object Of Major General Fremont in
-oroelaiming emancipation in Missouri, in
violation of law, is difficult to divine. 1t
is true he is full Of bitterness to all slave
holders, on account of has defeat fer the
Presidency in 1856, but he would hardly
permit his feelings in this respect to get
the better Of his prudence and judgment
Many declare that the most obvious reason
Tor his emancipation movement, is the fact
that he aSpireS for presidential honors in
the future, and is seeking to promote his
chances by catering to the Abolition senti-
meut. Whatever may have been his OBJ
Ject or design, it was most hazardous un-
dertaking, but fortunately was counter
manded before much damage was done.
We regarded the appointment of Fre-
mont as most unfortunate when it was first
announced, aad expressed ourselves to this
effect. His effort to take matters into his
own hands IN Missouri and his evident de
sire for the favors of Abolitionism, proves
that hia appointment was not fit to be made
His conduct will prove the source of much
annoyance to the Government and will
greatly dlsarrange military matters for a
time. How much better would it have
been for the West and the country at
large, if Gen. Harvey had been retained in
Command of the Western division of the
army, or if Geu. Wool, or Ger. Butler had
been selected for the responsible position
instead Of Gen. Fremont