The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-07
FREMoNTs CiLIFORNIi CiMPAIGM.
His Liberation OF that Country before the
Arrival OF Kcarns'. Regulars.

To TIE EDITOR OF THE SuN-lSiy: Gen.
Cookies work on New Mexico and California,
reviewed in Sundays Sun. may have histori-
cal value. but only eXtrinsicaly. by directing
public attention to n matter having some pcr-
sonal bearings and ut least one important ma
tional one.
Gen. Cooke was too active minor partisan in
the rivalry Of Gen. Kcarny and Commodore
Stockton to make the second Governor Of Cali
fornia TO be moro impartial about what trans
pircd thirty years ago than ho WIS either IA
subordinate. an amateur correspondent. or u
witness for the prosecution In tho Fremont
court martial. lie said and says much on
y" hcarsay founded on report for one not an
eyewitness" Of the primitive incidents of tho
issue Of military seniority and civic power boz
tween n Brigader and a Commodore which re-
suited indecisivey in court martial OF Free
mont. chiefly because an army court could not
arraign Commodore Stockton whose offence
created Fremonts; and besides, Stockton being
2 soldier hy profession" i was tolcrablc IN
him a. assume power. but not In AN irregular"
Fremont great crime WAS being in the way
Oh regular army Interests. In capturing mil
iiary nonors by frceing California long before
the =" regulars" approached the Pncnc. This
was trensun. mutny. everything base. For his
awful contempt tmutinyN OF tho majesty and
was charged with nntiny aud tried before n
:, regular court martial, and was declared. by
tnOSr VINO considered even technical Isro- uNtt
70 their rank a treason. deserving not Of death.
tho proper penalty ~ mutiny, hut ot the light
est at military punishmenis. simple dismissal
from the service" Even this HIGHT sentence for
So grave n crime" WIS promptly disnpprovcd
hy the President. who ordered Fremont a. re-
sumo his sword. which Fremont refused stat
ing he would not accept mercy before commit
ting the crime
Despite your critics ntimation. no grave rc-
suits cnmc from this terrible issue between the
regulars and irrcgulnr-. But there might have
been, The REGULARS prepared 10 create civil
war II not allowed Ia suppress tho brave men
VIII" had been guilty Of anticipating work MS
sgncd-attrr being done-to the army. The
danger OF ctvll war was Hverted-not 10y such ~
Cooke, but by Fremont aud his volunteers pru-
IDENTIFY submitting; under protest. To- " regular"
ttrnn4y II = absurd e. say there was any
thing PZarro-li like in tho liberation of Califor-
MIA. The only disturbance that clouded the
conquest Of California was the nntGgonlsm of
regulars To- volunteers wearing any laurels
thht only soldiers should bear. which profess
sional habit would have hnd disastrous ronsc-
qu"nc"S during the Union war hut for the over
whclming number and services Of "yolun-
Cookies will not dcpreciaic Frcmonts ser
vices IN IN" liberation Of California; II will
make tho forgotten facts known both ms To his
services and - regular usurpatun. and II Is
very lIk"iy TO positively shape growing mill
and safety of this nation would not have been
stronger purcr. and less expensive had there
never been West Point or q standing army II
regular soldiers, with officers chiefly non
denorrais aud soldiers chiefly non-citlens.
Gen. kearny MAS sent overland t. Cali.
II Governor" Months before his
band reached there. tho Pnciilr squadron and
Fremont taliigrna volunteers had wrested
California from Mexico. Commodore Stockton
WIS Governor OF the freed district when Kcar-
ny arrived with Z few troops. suffering ON his
him from reaching his Objective point but for
Gov St9rkion's aid. kenrny tailed to execute
his ordors-tp conquer taliforniH-heruiise II
WIS conquered. Your critic errs ia saying only
4 few cnast towns recognized Stocklon's and
frcmonts authority when kcarny appeared
All upper California was then loyal to the new
authorities. In southern California "A small in
sdrrrrion. ineltc, from Mexico. spasmodiraly
existed little hcfor" and for u year after kcar-
ny : arrival The country is not a small one
and at the tme California had not over 1000
inhabitants: there were not a thousand COM
hHtnnts ON either side ~ any time. The only
mud decisive victory won 10y kcarny in putting
down this insnrrertnn was under Sto,kton's
authority, and with United States sailors and
marines forming live siNths nf his force.
Fremont ppolntmcni hy Stockton us Gov
COL. Mason 10y Gen. Krarny. and each Of tho
1--WE Hnvrrnol- were duly chnmploncd in their
technical rights, out Of which came tho charge
against Fremont Of muiuy.
Gem Cooke was very oiliciou but subordi-
nate figure in the dispute. who wrote passiOn-
ate letters against Fremont and his volunteers
10 krarny, and 10 ncwspaprrs on "hcarsay
founded on report" and whose testimony ns "A
witness in the Fremont court martial shows
how incapable even II willing. he Is to bo an
impartial rhroniclrr Of matters wherein he
Inquired. In this California dispute be- cNcr-
'l7'llt IhlllfI'u 10 anu NtlnNlntrl regular
arrogance Ia attract the regard of Interested
supcrpr-, and thus win promotion and con-
slierntlun.
Others besides Fremont have reputc at stake
on the volunteer side ~ tho slIghtcl "BDur"
revolution viii III careless Judgment or " resli-
lar ~ rtisunship will not be- allowed 10 snrrr
away, nor can he whose condut lacked dignity
aud prudence toward the liherntors Of CHlifnr-
uln and the rising national interests ON the
iaHilf bc accepted as an impartial historian
thereon. W.JN
PYBLIC uONEl. NuJr,ynEprn