, 1862-04-08

IL H4Iht 4liE9AL1 as ~ l!at&Iid4 prosperity
than when Capt. John Smith found her two
centuries ago. Now contending. armies. are
fastening her decay with redoubled speed.
MI. Mason's desolate home is . fair picture Of
the whole State east Of the mountains, as it is
now OF soon will be-. 4 new race Of men and
q new system Of civilization must rise up and
possess the soil Of the ancient and afflicted
Commonwealth
The report Of Messrs Holt, Davis and Camp
bell, Commissioners to audit and settle the ae-
counts Of the late Western Department was
presented to the House yesterday, and is now
in the hands Of the Government printer. The
disclosures OF the Commission are so start
ling ia many respects that cannot trust my
self to prepare an abstract. have therefore
copied several Of The concluding pnges entire,
which are as follows:
Chauncey G. r. johnson, called by J.R.
shepley, associate counselor, testified IS fol-
lows:
ii AM paymaster In the United States army;
was appointed last June, and stationed ln
the Department Of the West"
Question. >'Did the late commanding gene
ral III this department ever in your presence
countenance any disregard Of law, or the reg
uiatlons governing the army?"
A.ssuer stGenefh Fremont countenanced
1t frequently in INF presence, and to me, by
saying that be did not intend, in the adminis-
tratieh Of this department, to be governed By
the rules and regulations that we're laid down,
and that he Woald3be guided BY the circum-
stances which surrounded him entirely. The
reason that this conversation occurred so fre-
qucntly was that was thrown much In his
privately. When he i1st came here / went to
see him, having known him before, and was
invited By him TO come and see him frequent;
If, as I vas well acquainted. in the West and,
bad been connected with The organization Of
the home guard in this city, from the begin
ming. In regard to the official business which
had to Transact with him, several instances
occurred in which orders for payments had
been issued to Col Andrews, Paymaster Gen.,
and these orders transferred TO me, and notbe,
ing considered by me legal, called On him in re-
gard to them, and he told me that he intended
TO do what he considered best for the service,
without reference to law or regulations; that
he intended to cut red tape and arrive at the
end without reference to order or system, aud
directed me to pay these ORDERS
The statements Of these witnesses-oficers
OF unlmpeachah1e integrity and inteIligence-
with equal establishment and sorro#. Gen.
Fremont proclaims, on assuming bis com
mand, wide Col. Andrews's testimony that
there 7cere no longer any ciuiz rights; that there
toasno Government ezcept that outside Of the Con-
stitutson tc'tich had been suspended that It aods
his determination to administer his department
1r7thoat reference to zaoor Teg7Gkations that the
people OF the United States Were in the field,
and that be Was at their head, and that be
meant to carry ont such measures rs they, the
people, expected him to carry out, without
regard to the rcd tape Of the Washington
pcoplc'-that is the President and Congress.
Il Is singular how perfectly these sentiments
ha1lndnke with those held by the usurpers, =
Who 1q this and other ages OF the world. have
soughtand established absolute power upon
the ruins Of public liberty: Some of these
nsurpers, taking. Jet higher ground than that
assumed In the Interview With Colonel An
dreW6, have claimed tor themselves mission
to " carry out" the will Of God, but none Of
them have sunk their pretensions be1ow 4
special mission to "carry out'' the will Of the
people. Caesar, when be. stood upon the
banks Of the Rubicon and waved his veterans
to advance, did not make bolder declaration
against his country than this Tie words, SO
| earnestly and SO often spoken, announced a
revolution conceived. but, which, happily,
| most happily t2r the country, the parent bad
lived ID the tide Of time, wise and pure
| enough to be entrusted with such poFer as Is
| here claimed. Military chieftains who cut
"red tape" always do it With their swords,
and history proves that the throat of: their
sountfy {a9' suffers @ gniss Is much q does tue
1
have their foundations in Law, and in the obe-
dience Of the people and their representa-
! stiVes, civil and military, to 1t, this expression
Of purpose to cast aside all political and con-
stitu1ional restraints, made ii the balls Of leg
islation even, would alarm, but when made u
the field bJ a chiefia!n, at the head OF a great
| army, It chil1s aud aWe5 the patriots heart BY
| its parFiclda1 spirit. It reveals an unscrupu-
1ou6 ambition, which awaits but the prestige
and power Of victory to sweep the Govern.
nent % itself. as cohweb, from its path:
This sad page in the history Of the late com-
mander of this department gathers deep
shadow from the circumstances under which
these declarations were made General Ere
mont had, few weeks before, taken and sub.
senbed the following military oath:. az
vii besr tvze 5asth and allegiance to the United
States, and utat / 4ci|I se4av them honestly aad
faithfully against their enemies or opposers
Ehomsoeger; and that will observe and obey
the orders Of the President Of the United
States, and the orders Of the officers over me
according to the rules and articles Of war. y
He TINS, IN sight Of God and his country, had
p1ighted faith With his Government that he
would bear to it "true allegiance" and he
stood pledged BY the most solemn Of human
sanctions to support that Constitution which
| "their head The President of the UniteG
sion under him. With q con6ding fondness
he had been summoned from tue obscurity o1
pirate life, and, preferred above the veterans
and . whole army Of patriots, he was made {
Major General. Scarcely has he girded on his
sword, to whose honor tho best interests O
the nation has been committed, when he saYE
to his subordinates and followers that ht
draws It, not IN the name d
sanes a1 or Of q bot ths e ess aa5 but !!
to carry oat." These words g' wers Ds;t spoSen M q
it were, in the very sick chambat Of the Re-
public, and had the tone Of the undertake.
while the patient Tas yet struggling for life
They we're uttered against the Government
Of country, not then tranquil aud strong ant
able to battle with ali assailants, bnt Of
+ country distracted aud huInbled, and bleedint
under The stabs Of traitors: TheE came from
| no flush Of excitement spfingingt from a tri
t umph Of arms, but Mere the solemn, and oft
Ing the field Of his; future operations, and an1
| Teying Tor the f1st time tie: strength, tf hi
gathering army. They. were add essed to7ota
cers Of high rank u ne serElces aud were IN
tended TO hnpress them with obedience to bi
4 already held the sword, ,and it was most i'm
! porant for his purposes that Colonel Andrew1
the bead Of the pay depsr rtment hare. md Ma
jor johnson, paymaster. under;him, shou1
NOT interfere with BIZ flee use Of the 11atioaa
purse. In respecting his Own official cath M,
the law, by resisting -nnTarIantabIe transfer
| Of public money, TIC Colonel had already civ
en- ofsnse, and be. was therefore; visited ant
Il thus startlingly @ained that be might not ol
tend again His: nchla and patriotic reply
though suhdued BY the presence Of his SUPER
or officer, proved him to be worthy Of th
sword he wore, and that his courage aud 10y
atty had nothing to fear from the me1aces D.
+ which he vas assailed.
, :. The line Of policy thus resolved On va
openly pursued as bis apparent consciousness
that he Was 1.-THE State'' grew more vigorous
He created large number OF Offices and file
| them with friends and frurites, to whom b
| assigned full salaries, power which he ha
no more right to exercise than had any sci
| dier in his ranks. About two hundred of thes
| appointments wen made, aud OF which SON
forty-two were allotted to a body of but th1e
I hundred men, which be had RECRUITED and OF
ganiked nnder the some what resal desIenatio
. Of f"T The Fremont Body guard Initiating
| | jet further Imperial rule: he sought {
.. bestow: upon many-possibly ali hi
; appDinteae eae-whatever: their: duties, :.
military prestige. Thus, Castle, his "supe,
hfendent Of railroad: transportation" wa
!: honored+ by his letter OF appointment, Wit
tthe pay Of a co1onel".---and the title, Q
course, followed while the Office Of f'snnsics
director" a creation of bis own, h11ed BY
muhician from one Of the thesters; to wlor
: /, WIS given the rank and pay Of captain Of In
| giseeTs tn the regular army. .;;.-~ - :".:s;
: When The Secretary Of War visited this de
partment insperson: aad ;insperted the- fort
: which Gtnes1l FreanoahKaa then bu11diug IA
3AE. ~