The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1861-10-03
TI,e rremonf trouble.

respecting the slavery clause OF his procIa-
nation of martial law in Missouri, the OPP
ponents Of that gentleman now rest their
hostility against him solely upon the charge
: of extravaganza. Therefore it is no longer
point between he and tho President, but
between he aud his prosecutors. We fud
in the Cincinnati Gazette Of Saturday, the
following article bearing upon this question,
which 80 nearly Expresses our vcws in the
premises. that We adopt it;
Tho telegraph from Washington blasons
abroad the announcement that Cen Fremont
has made rcoulstiou upon the Government
for half million dollars to pay for ordnance,
an | that the Chief Of Ordnance has report
upon il: LIST. That there was no author
ity given to Gen. Fremont TO make tie
purchase; ID. That the vouchers show that
TIC arms were bought at high prices 3D..
That there is no evidence that the arms
have been inspected hy an U. s. Army in
spcctor; 4th That unless such purchases
are regulated and restricted by the Depart
mcnt the appropriations viii lie insufficient.
We are disposri 10 let Gen. Fremont
stand on his own merits. We have not ta-
| ken any hand in manufacturing great and
unparalleled Generals by wind work and
we propose to wait until their qualities are
shown 10y action before we recognize the
genius OF Wellington or Nonaparte. But
it wou he equally foolish to break down n
! General by uuipun1cI clamor. We shall
moi PREJUDICE Gen. fromoats Cn7c, either
for or againsi him hu. HuCh statements as
these, uttered day alter day. do PREJUDICE it
! or prejudice IL in the minds of the people (;
and they do this without any foundation;
for there is no reason for supposing that
this announcement has any better foundation
than there was for the daily reports about
the Cabinet deliberations and determinations
upon Con. Frcmont's removal. II is of that
convenient kinl that can nswcr a present
purpose, and then bc dsclaimcl at convent
cnCc.
Suppose that Gem Fremont has made a
requisiiion on the Government for money,
aud il has been refused or suspended why
should the Government blazon il ubroad.--
Why not settle this matter according to its
rules, if it is going to, and either refuse it,,
slspenl it for further examination, or pay
it? Why should not the Government cleanse
its foul linen ut home instead of sending it
abroad and stirring up an offensive smell in
public is it customary for the Department
to telegraph over the coahtry the state of
| their unsettled or disputed accounts with
| suhorduates? II looks very much as if
some member Of the Government was anx-
ous to get before the people as soon as
possible anything that would prejudice Gen.
Fremont i'll the popular estimation, while he
tho lcaky member of the Government
lodges behind the irrcsponsibility of a tel
cgrnphic news report.
No matter what the mcritB of tho case
here il n violation of departmental etiquette
4 T..
which shows that the annus is hostility tc
General Fremont
1t is probably true that Cen Grcmont had
no specific authority to purchase arms OF
anything else but was the Mississippi cX-
petition or the defense OF Missouri TO lie
cnrricd ON without arms, or abandoned for
the want of them II might be supposed
that when the Administration appointed a
General To such a command, il relied some
what on his energy 10 secure the means for
carrying out the purpose. The Government
had not the arms All iithad were required
for the defense of Washington. it might
have procured thcm from abroad during the
summer, but it seems to have regarded its
requirements MS limited t. the delonsc OF
Washington and did not get them.
Now there is n sudden demand for arms
for the West. The Government dont I'M
NclHldu'l ll' ~ IliS tlbNGn W II. III All wv
: troops that are defending Washmgton and
\ il thcrc is any lack, it draws the boat armed
regiments from the West, But if the sol
diers in the Western Department are to he
armed, the arms have to be bought, and o
= course ON tho spur of the great demand
! which the western necessity has now Great
ed they cannot be purchased at government
prices, nor ut the prices of one or tive
months ago. Gen. Fremont is not the only
3 commander who has been compelled to buy
| arms in the west. Gen. Anderson has don,
, the s1mc thing, and we suspect withou
- formal warrant. Cen Mitchell is anxious tC
J. buy arm,, and these purchases arc not made
e nor can they he, at Government prices, or a
V ordinary prices. An advance has takcl
!, place within Il short time owing to tn,
Western necessity; but the Government
u sccs no military necessity in the West, anC
= it cannot see the propricty Of buying arms
i especially at extra prices, when Washington
4 is safe. or hopefully safe.
As To the absence of United States in
y, spcction, which the Government telegraph
n or causes to be tclcgraphcd as an aggrava
Il ton of this case, the public can Judge bette
a about that when they know what is mean
=, 10y United States inspection 1t is not sup
y posed that the purchases were Unite
+ States arms or of the Same pattern. Ii tn
c United States standard was to he the stan
dard of inspection, none of them woul
pass. Il il was not it would merely be ii
spccton without any standard and hoy
n would that diner tr1iGu iuilrious purchas
p by officers who were competent Judges &
arms? In the absence of evidence 10 tn
contrary we are bound to SunXosc that tn
e purchase was So made and 90 prcmatr
q telcgraphic charge that the arms were nc
20 inspected by mn United States Army lnspc,
! tor, looks very much like setting UP tccl
" nical standard against these arms which
T. was impossible to comply with.
n The remark of the Chief of the Burca
,c Of Ordnance, that unless such purchase
-, are regulated and restricted 10y the D2par
~ mcut, the appropriations will be insuticicn
50 is travelling entirely outside of his provinc
rs Ills duy was To report upon the requs
L. tions and vouchers, not to set up staudar
of expenditure. What does he mean h
= "such purchases p Does half Il million q,
pended in the west exhaust the appropr,
ton any more than when expended for III
dct,nSo of Washington? Surely, half
''' million is hut a drop in n bucket compare
to with the draft which the defense of ii
he Capital makes ON the appropriations n
c army in the mrouchmcnts at Washmgt,
q must cost the Government half million
~ dlN; and what we ret for il is thp nltrrnn