, 1861-11-06

TRUE CONDITION OF THE DEPART
MEhT OF Tire WEST.
Facts Proved Before the iAves-
tigat!ng Committee.
THE CALIFORNIA GANG.
CHANGE DEMAN DED.

HE CALtf ORNtA 0AN0,
CHANGE DENAV DED.
The readers Of the TRIBUNE who have pinned
their faith to FREMONT are only guilty Of the
common error that lately afflicted the Cabinet
AID the whole people. The ep;ce Of carly ro-
nance in the history Of the General; his en-
counters With the discouragements which
n,oet poor ard ambitious youths at every turn
il the upward agent of the steep ladder Of
LIE; his marriage with the daughter OF dis
:.:euished Senator against the will of the
lroud fathe7; his California explorations made
crder HI. Bcnton's patronage when he Wis
chairman Of the Military Committee OF th9
Strate; the ha!r-h7sadth 'scapes BY Hood Dd
l.l6, Of which his admirers tell ; his candhAcj
flr the Proficiency, a1d the in6iscreet and al
sud praise OF partisan supporters; his reput-
Cd requirement Ct riches that make him in th7
btlief Of tie mssees modern C1es sus,-all
these things gave Fremont a certain prestige
which nen were sure, would, when op2ortu.
rity offered, ripen into splendid and enduring
SUCCESS. This was the state Of popular feel
irg whca he IVES called to the Department Of
tie Wtst. His early acts there's his aRpafent
but unreal actlV1ty' ms Willingness 10 assume
responsibility bis promptncss ana energy;
ard, to certain degree, his 1naccessloi1:t5,
Gel irmId tie popular Judgment IN all those
Hlo did rot, ptfare creating an idol, choose
10 wait for lie evidences Of results. Thca
came his Proclamation, which struck quick
snd dep into The masses, whose instructive
Insight into the causes, nature aad cure Of the
Great Rebellion lave net yet been al fault.
Fremont tLas heraldcd, was, six weeks ago,
Tie fayo1ite Of tie West,
Hisa pity that all our men were untrie3.
The &blest leader Of our armies is without
,1eat experience III TEE. In all teat relates to
the pIacE=ce Of the science, Scott stands i'm
measn1ably ahead Of al others. His com.
man6s, neasa1ed hs tie mer 1o# II the fed,
have been c1ly militia parades or holiday
stamfghts. Ihe nation looks to Mcclellan
Eith b1ea,hleEs solcisade, nos utmlx5d with
t1eu u,ous apprehension. Mcdowell Was tried
ard failed, ho~ needlessly AID how inglori'
ope]y we all E-o#- Butltr hangs in suspense;
men know Itt whether to praise OF hlam5;
Ranks Ias Rad email chance for SELF
ssst1ticp, ard the yintieation Of the
:-nst rcoc5.t in his hands. Sherman in
Ks,+ncsv pozs braye1v to his work. INIT 90
,,.ve ,o resn1is Net ene of them has evar
ct ,unxnded twenty. i've thonsand men, They
,oanize w.r a,,6 -rono7sa 1srp.1v Init ara vat
ioha +es+.d N,t sow;th Fremont f,othaa
nth ,op,r a;mos. a=znot;c which ha has m.
e,-,,;,s5 tn str.nothea tv the nn7,S and r;,r:3
d:zt.;n,;ne If Msr5fal Law. entruzta ID win a
u.6s ard nsr,,ens = nec=saa,r discratson j.,
,ts ,,isnn,1 nznt of 1be rnoneT of ~, p=r1,h.
~ h. sas E7,ent; via, a 1sviEh band Assnr.
;n1 t1,e ,ight n lew fonin and orz.n;zs
.1eons in kali a dozen States. eacb trv;,o to
ontstr5n the others I, rzrde,;np him a;d he
fas pafhered body Of Is brave. lova1 and
willing men ss ever pressed cur coun.ty's soil,
Csnrping lhe rigl: 10 commission aad dis
charge officers fer the army that was
entrusted to his guidance and care, he has not
teen a iaaeara in his work, Is more thar
Two hundred Of his commissions attest. We
knsH row he hae used the poBer that he has
Welded. Init ne Duh;:c f3oes moi thouph @
dhnnerirg OF The facts are stealing into the
nnnu;sr mind. Fairly in tbe eamn,,g, NJ
Bross. of our editorial corns w+nt ia q
1ar7a Trcrton cana c;r,-3aor t7s;-o ~
pa5ucah. Ee returned with q renort ~ th-
po3nea-or that Was Doubtful and rnsat5st.-,
tc,y. Latsr, and about the time the ar;ny
moved West, after The needless sacrifice oj
Mu3ligan asd his command, Nj. Medln wen1
from St. Louis to Jefferson City, and alone
the read to Sedalia and GEORGETOWN. lie 1ef
home an ardent aduircr Of Gen Fremont
and diebelieyer In the reports preiudicia1 t.
his fitness for his place. His letters, whic]
e2clted no little commotion among our reas
c1s, testify the sincerity Of his conversion t
the opposite opinion When the Coogres
sional Committee charged with the duty c
examining into army aud usyv coatrsct,
vent to st. Lc11is. Or, Raw went down tn er
dsa7cr to ret s. sone OF the facts deyelonci
a:e p1iyste letters contained matters If snc
Moment aud so rrefudic5,l to 1ha m a,,o
ment Ct the Deuart1nent. that Mr. scr;rn
fearing that be had been misled by interests
parties, deemed it his duty to see for himse
what foundation there was for the charpc
and he went down. Thus the editorial Or
rretors Of the TRIBUNE, who are to sutT.a
a mistake in this grave matter, have O.
after another, been en- the group
personal observers Of the state
the Department. All had been the "a
Tr$r L. -r ~