The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-21

In announcer column we reprint curious letter,
published in the National InteRigencer, touching
the career of General Fremont in Missouri. The
communication is vouched for by the editor as
proceeding from "a citizen of Missouri, well
known to him for his intelligence and his proved
loyalty to the government" The accusations
in this letter are in the form of queries, but
with an affirmative Specification, and embodying
the charges formally made to the President and
his Cabinet against General Fremont in con-
nection with his military command in the De-
partlnent of the West.
These charges are: that Fremont having at
his disposal sixty thousand troops in and around
St. Louis, lost time and labor in fortifying that
city, which needed no defence, and at the same
time kept this splendidly equipped body Of men
idle about him, while brave Lyon was sacrificed
for want Of a reinforcement of 5000 men; and
his noble little army, after great loss, COM
PEELED to retreat from the field on which it was
victorious And this disaster was sustained
while there were two regiments at Rolla, with
no enemy to check or subdue, and while feet
of boats left St. Louis for Cairo, one of them
being only burthened with the General and his
suite, though it has been alleged in his excuse
that there was no means Of transporting troops
to the aid of Gen. Lyon. Owing to the failure
of Gen. Fremont to send him reinforcements,
the grand object of his expedition to the
Southwest-the possession Of the CRANKY lead
mines-was lost, and the rebels, who were
greatly in want of lead, were permitted to Sc
cure as much of that mineral as will enable
them to carry on the war for years. Further,
it appears that thirty thousand Confederate
troops held half of the State, and ravaged the
great and fertile valley of the Usage, while
sixty thousand Union troops were unemployed
at the very elbow Of General Fremont, and
only wanted his order to sweep on the foe
swift as the eagle to his prey. When General
whipped out of the State, and the railroads and
rivers we're in the control Of the Union troops.
How is all this changed now!
It Is further charged that General Fremont is
inaccessible to the most important men in the
State who seek interviews with him on Off
cial and military business, such as colonies of
regiments, members of Congress and influential
citizens, who, after waiting for three days, and
sometimes for week, are compelled to leave
without an audience. 1t appears that the Gene
raj is surrounded by band of officials who will
permit only such men to approach him as they
think proper. e
These charges, which resolve themselves
either into incompetency or treachery, or some
ambitious scheme apart from the service which
Fremont undertook to render and is bound by
every obligation to perform, are sufficient if
true, to authorize the removal of better gene
raj. For our own part we regard Mr.. Fremont
as brave, we'll meaning man. But if the
charges are established they are fatal to the
idea Of his capacity for generalship, and the
sooner he is removed the better, and a man of
greater calibre placed in his important post
1t is reported that Lexington has been cap
tured by superior force of rebels, while Union
reinforcements were on the way which might
have been sent forward long before, as 1t was
announced for several days that General Price
was on his way to Lexington, and it was known
that he had invested it two or three days before
he made the assault. Now, Lexington is on the
bank of the Missouri, and is easily accessible
from St. Louis, either by that river or by the
Hannibal and st. Joseph Railroad. Why rein
forcements were not sent in time we leave
General Fremont to explain, together with the
other charges against him.
If these accusations should be proved to the
satisfaction of the Cabinet, the fact would 20
far to explain Mr.. Fremont's unauthorized and
i'll cd clouo &c hot Go
is surrounded by set Of scamps and adven-
turers from CALIFORNIA; circumstance which
in itself, certainly does not argue much for his
wisdom or strength of mind. Assuming that
the charges are well founded, it is highly pro-
bable that they counselled him to issue his abo-
lition proclamation in order to divert public
attention by raising new issue, and to gain
popularity with TIE radical republicans at the
expense of the government Their object is
to make him the next President of the whole
United States, if possible; or, if the war should
fail to restore the Union, to make him Presi-
dent Of the Northern half of it; and if that
cannot be accomplished to make him President
of the West, for we have the authority of Mr..
Vallandigham for saying that if the South
should finally be separated from the North
the West shall be separated from the East;
and it is animated that the friends of Fremont
have already carved out for him Western
military republic, similar to the design of Sam
Houston in the South. But if they rely upon
his proclamation they will find themselves wo-
fully mistaken. The President has already
taken the wind out of his sails by his short and
plain letter, and has rallied around him the
conservative elements of the South and the
North, including the whole democracy and the
moderate republicans AS for the abolitionists,
the best thing that could befall the President is
to get rid of them forever. They are only a
nuisance, which must be abated, and dead
weight like milestone round the neck of the
Union cause, dragging it down to perdition.
If Mr.. Fremont should not be fully exonerated
from the charges against him let him 60 by the
board No element of distraction can be tole-
rated. The cause must have unity, and cannot