Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-11-02

not 20 Of" he also was informed that Mr..
SelOver, who was with Fremont in England, /
had written home that his share Ia the profits
Of those purchases was $4,000. We have
no apologies to make for Mr.. Seloveri on the |
contrary, we should not like TO vouch that he |
would refuse an advantageous contract be-
cause It REQUIRED slight stretch of his con-
science, but 80 far as Fremont is concerned,
a letter in the N. Y. Tribune OF Thursday
from zone Who Knows" gives the history OF
his purchases, and entirely exonerates him
from any fraud or carelessness. That letter
saws that the arms which General Fremont
bought In Europe were: 2,oOO rifles, 500 re-
volvers, rifed cannon, with shot and shell,
and 100000 percussion caps, The rifles
were new and of the precise pattern Of the
best standard rife in use in the French army,
and were made at Liege in Belgium. After
Gen. Fremont's return TO the United States,
the Secretary Of War, Mr.. Cameron, sent an
order to Mr.. Adams and Mr., Dayton to pur-
chase q, ,Oo0 more rifles Of the same kind as
those purchased by Gen. Fremont. Still
later, Mr.. Schuyler, sent to Europe as q Epe-
cisl agent to procure arms, offered to buy
rifles Of the sams pattern to the number of
leo, 900. And a contract was made by him
for 10000 rifles absolutely, and for 5000
Eore Il they could be furnished. And the
rifle is the same in every respect as the 1000
purchased by Gen. Fremont, save that Gen.
FremOnfs were made in Belgium, and the
others in France.
The 500 revOlVers purchased by Gen. Ere
mont were SO highly approved that Mr..
Sehuy er sought to buy 10000 more Of the
same kind.
The riaed cannon, eight in number, were
l2pounders, and were made TO order, and
there is no better rifed cannon of Its size in
the service.
Gen. Fremont paid for these new rifles $l6
each. He could have had so, 900 or 100, 600
at the same price, and one lot of 10000
French rides was offered at Sls 80, which
have since been sold by other parties to the
War Department in Washington for s27.
We have made these comments, thus far,
solely with a view to show that there are al
ways two sides to story. It must be con-
stantly borne in mind that to all the thou
sand charges which have been made against
him, Gen. Fremont has not uttered word
in his own defence. He has devoted himself
simply to the work before him in his Depart
ment and hence, we should not be too ready
to Judge him, until we know whether be has
any defsncee to make. When the proper
time come, doubtless he will speak in his OWL
behalf While, therefore, we are free to say
that there are charges and specifications il
this report of AdJutsnt-Genersl Thomas
which should be thoroughly investigated
and which, if true, would show Fremont tt
be incompetent f1r the management of the
details of the Western Department we wisl
to give him the benefit of whatever doubt
we may possess, until he either refutes thu
charges or shows himself incapable of doing
so. A few of these charges we have no
ticed; the most OF them, touching his con
duct of the campaign in Missouri, we art
not at this distance from the scene of action
qualified to discuss. The report processes
to show that Lyon could have been rein
forced, and Mulligan saved.
The effect of the publication of this repOr
cannot but be bad upon Fremonts army. L
directly states that Gen. Hunter, the second
in command, has no confidence in his supe
riOr officer, and says that be lis more fond o
pomp and show than of the stern realities o
war" How can discipline or efficiency bC
promoted, if such things are permitted to &c
broadcast among the rank and file Of bis
army2 The removal of Fremont may now
bs considered almost ''military necessity
We cannot think the publication of the re-
port, just at this time, was either contem.
plated or desired by the War Department