The Portland daily press., 1892-02-26
down upon John c. Fremont of califor-

down upon JOnn Y. FREMONT VI C''iiA
MIA.
Col Fremont was then only 43 years OF
age, just in the prime of life. AS gov
eminent engineerand explorer ne :
had scaled the dizzy heights Oh
the Rocky Mountains, forced ms
way through mountain passes
where only the savage had roamed IN
solitude, in which he discovered and re-
vealed the grand features of Alta Can
fornia it's great basin, the Sierra NeVa,,
da, the valleys of the San JOAQUIN ana
Sacramento, and established the geoSr@-
ply OF the western portion OF the conGi-
nent-in q word, examined in detail the
Asiatic slope of the continent, when re,
suited in giving California to the united
States. And his explorations did not
cease until he pierced the wilderness
country of the Apaches, met, aWed,, OF
defeated savage tribes, and in q hundred
days from Sante Fe stood on the banks OF
the Sacramento making the survey OF a
great road from the Mississippi to San
Francisco. The people of California had
made him their first senator to the Uni
ted States and, last though not least, ne
had married Jessie Benton, the beautlful
and accomplished daughter of old Iom
Benton, for thirty consecutive years q
Senator of the United States in Congress
from Missouri.
The nomination of the heroic Fremont
created the widest enthusiasm in the
ranks of the new party throughout the
country The new organization was
largely composed of young men, the
flower Of the country, who threw up
their hats and shouted themselves hoarse
in laudations of their gallant chief.
rTbo noyooopo4io candidate OpDOSnd TO
Col. Fremont, was James Buchanan OF
Pennsylvania an old time politician,
whose main hope of an election lay south
of Mason and Dixon's line. His canvass
was devoid of spirit OF enthusiasm and
many of the public gatherings OF his fol-
lowers were more like funeral process
ions than political assemblies. On the
other hand Fremont's campaign was one
of unbounded enthusiasm from begin
ming to the end His ticket swept over
New England like a tornado. FIRE.
mont S majority over Buchanan in Name
was Is, 300; New Hampshire, 1862; Rhode
Island, Also; Connecticut 1920; Yer
mont, 28, 992 and Massachusetts,, $3.50.
His total majority over Buchanan in the
New England states, IA, 294.
Five states outside Of New England
gave the following majorities for Ere
mont over Buchanan. Iowa, 7,7o4; Wis
consin, 1857; Michigan, 1926; Ohio, Is,
612 and New York, so, 129. In ten OF the
slave states Fremont had no ticket in the
field and in four others where he had
tickets, he received the total vote OF
l194.
It should be remembered that Willard
Fillmore in that canvass was run as the
American or Know Nothing candidate.
II, ,+o+ ho 101
ops votes, in the Buchanan states 6S2, 600
votes. Buchanan received at the polls
], 1888, 1863 votes which gave him TIA cleo
toral votes. Fremont received at the
polls 1,341 ,264 votes and ia electoral
votes and Fillmore at the polls had 974,-
534 votes with electoral votes from
Maryland.
Taking iu1to the account all the facts
and circumstances of the case, it must be
conceded that the Republican party in
it's first Presidential campaign, under its
gallant leader made glorious fight. 1t
was the first grand rally of the friends of
freedom in the country which four years
after led to the election of Lincoln and
Hamlin.
1t is said that republics are sometimes
ungrateful and l may add that the same
remark may be applied to political
parties. John G. Fremont first mar
Shaded into line the anti-slavery forces in
this country and led them in one of the
greatest fights that, history records. His
failure of an election was one OF those
temporary defeats which leads to final
victory; it was but a repetition OF Bun
ker Hill and Yorktown.
That this great political party subse-
quently failed to fully appreciate and
recognize the eminent services Of its first
distinguished leader is the candid opin-
ion of many of it's best friends.
When the jealousies, the likes and dis
likes, the unkind criticisms and mistaken
opinions of the present age shall have
passed away, then shall appear upon the
pages of the future historian, in impair
tial lines, the long list of statesmen and
warriors who have guided our national
councils and led our armies and con-
spicuous upon the rolls will appear the
name of John G. Fremont.
JOHN J. PERRY.