Daily national Republican., 1863-04-10

btnte, was Obliged TO fall back before th5 forces
Of tho enemy advancing against him under
Gen, Price. Col. Mnlligan mado stand at
Lexington, and prepared 70 rsht them, send
ling for relDforcements. Cen Fremont, upon
hearing Of Col. Mullgan's sltnhtlon, made ar
rangoments TO sond troops 70 his assistanco;
but from various causes they were unable 70
reach him, and the onemy succeeding In cutting
of his supply Of water, he was compelled 20
surrender.
Shortly after this, Gen. Fremont determined
10 take the field In person, with all the forces
be could collect together. He was deficient In
transportation-so much SO that the adjutant
geperal Of the army reported 70 the Secretary
Of War that Gen. Fremont would be unable 10
move. He did move, however, and, by the LIST
OF November, succeeded in reaching Spring
field. The enemy, some 1000 strong, had been
driven from that place by Maj. Zagoni, who,
with barely 100 cavalry, made the most brill
liant charge Of the war.
Preparations were made TO engage the enemy,
who were understood TO be In force in the i'm
mediate neghborhood Of Springfield. The day
was fixed, and the order of the attack determ
| lnod upon. just then Gen. Fremont was ro-
moved from the command, aud Gen. Hunter
| appointed as his successor.
Gen. Hunter testihes that he became satisfied
| that the enemy were not 80 near as Gen. Ere
mont had supposed. Hedetermlned, therefore,
| TO withdraw 10 st. Louis, which was done, and
active operations in the State were suspended
| for some time.
In relation to the administration of Gen.
| Fremont, much has been said about the high
| prices paid by him for arms and other Supplies;
the unnecessary fertilization Of st. Louisj do
lay In reinforcing points threatened by the
| enemy; undue assumption OF authority, &c.
| Your committee can but briefly notice those
| different points, on account Of their inability
| to obtain full evidence in relation TO them. .
This much, at least, appears to bo ostab-
| lighRls Gen. EFpmOnl taking the
mand, was clothed with the most ample author
| ity, and the exlgencies of the department were
such that much should be pardonodin in one com
PEELED TO act so promptly, and with so little at
his command Whether that authority was ex-
| ercised, In all respects, as II should have been
whether General Fremont was justified in all
that he did by the circumstances under which
| he was called upon to act-your committee do
not undertake TO express positive opinion.
In relation 10 the purchase OF arms, &C., II
| appears that the department was very destitute
of supplies Of all kinds; the demand was most
pressing, and the Government was unable to.
supply It. Some Of the arms engaged by Gen.
| eral Fremont for the soldiers In his department
were diverted TO the Army of the Potomac, the
primary object of the Government then being
to collect and equip an army at Washington,
as soon as could possibly be done. This rem
dered 1t moro Important that other arms should
be obtainedj yet, with all that General Fremont
deemed it proper to do, his departmentlong felt
the want Of adequate supplies. I.
In reference 20 the fortifcations about St.
| Louis, Gen. Fremont but carried out what Gen.
Lyon, before him, had deemed necessary. In
reference TO the manner In which II was done
as the government has had It's agents TO ex-
anime the contracts for that work, as well as
other cOntracts-your committee forbeaT ex-
| pressing an opinion.
In regard to reinforcing promptly those
points threatened by tho enemy, so far as your
believe that Gen. Frement acted with energy
and promptness. He was peculiarly situated.
The first call--that Of Gen, Lyon-was pressed
| upon him so soon after he took command Of
the department, and he was compelled TO act
so hastily, without time for fully surveying
the field before him, and ascertaining the ex-
tent OF the resources at his command, that even
If he failed to do all that one under other cir
cumstanccs might have done, StIl your commit
tee can discover no cause of censuro against
him. But In regard 70 both Gen. Lyon and
Col. Mulllgan, your committee have discovered
no evidence Of any disregard for the public in
terest, or want Of energy or inclination upon
the part Of Gen. Fremont. Troops were col
lected by him as soon as could be done, and
they were promptly sent whero the exigencies
of the service demanded. Some of them were
diverted TO other purposes than those for which
Gen. Fremont designed them. The Govern
ment called upon him for troops TO be sent TO
-aoNg
engaged in procuring forces for the assistance
of Col. Mulllgan. Those that were LEFT were
| sent promptly, and only failed TO render the
assistance needed from causes over which Gen.
Fremont had no control. u
Gen. Fremont early turned his attention to
the building of gunboats for our Western rivers.
Whoever is entitled 10 the credit Of originating
the idea OF employing such means Of warfare
in that section of country, II Is not TO be denied
that Gen. Fremont perceived the advantage to
result from them. Our brilliant victories In
the West will bear enduring testimony 10 the
| correctness of his Judgment in that respect
But that feature Of Gen. Fremont's admins
tration which attracted the most attention at
the time, and which will ever be most promi-
| nent among the many points of interest con-
nected with the history OF that department, is
| his proclamation of emancipation. Whatever
| opinion may be entertained In reference to the
time when the policy of emancipation should
have been inaugurated, or by whose authority
1t should have been promulgated, there can be
no doubt that Gen. Fremont at that early day
brightly Judged in regard to the most effective
means of subdulng this rebellion. In proof of
that 1t Is only necessary to refer to the fact that
his successor, when transferred to another de-
partmont, issued a proclamation embodying
the same principle. And the President, as
commander-in-chief of the army and navy, has
applied the same principle 10 all the rebeliious
States, and few will deny that 1t must be ad-
heTeu 10 until the last Yestlge OF treason and
rebellion is destroyed.
| The administration of General Fremont was
emlnently characterized by earnestness, ability,
and the most unquestionable loyalty, In the
exercise of the almost unlimited power delega-
ted to him, there was no evidence of any ten
derness towards treason, or any failure 10 fully
assert the dignity and power Of the Government
of which he was the representative. The man
ner In which that power was exercised was to
be Judged by the results, and the policy of con
tlnuing him In command was a matter for tho
authorities above him to determine.
In order to pronounce final Judgment upon
all the affairs In the Western Department
much more information is necessary than is in
the possession Of your committee. They have
undertaken merely to state what seems to be
borne out by such testimony as they have been
abe TO obtain.
B. +. WADE, Chairman.
z. CHANDLER,
JOHN COVODE,
GEO. W. JULIAN.
Aa ha laatin,onv xnht,b tho .,.I