Year: 1862

OF POLITICAL can De Charged against III.
Let see then how so fair, so able report deals
with the idol to which great party has linked
Its sinking fortunes. / can quote but enough to
show the general license and corruption which
prevailed NV time forbids more than this


In July, 1861, General Fremont, surrounded
by his personal and political favorites, gathering
from the Atlantic sea-board and the coast of the
Pacific, like vultures to their prey, assumed the
command of the Western Department, with the
rank of Major General, and established his head
quarters in the city of St. Louis. He at once
proceeded to inaugurate systemin the purchase
of military supplies, of which the committee
speak as follows:'


This system alike fatal to the pecunary interests of
the Government and the morality of the service
confined to tents, but xended to every portion Of the
field of army supplies which sufficiently fruitful
attract the avarce Of this class of men, Honest mechan
les who had for SALE merchants who had supplies
which the Government needed and men from the country
offering horses and mules turned the Quarter
masters Office without a conference and driven down
into the meshes of the ''middle men, to become in
common with the Government prey TO their rapacty


Starting with such system, each days prac-
tice under it was new page of corruption.
Whether in fortifying ST. Louis, at dead loss to
the Government of $3.50, ,OOO or in the infinite
folly of building worthless pontoon bridge at
Paducah at another loss of Sl20,OOO, whether
in ordering the construction of railroad cars, at
a loss of $4,000, or in the purchase of forage,
by which SlOOOG was plundered from the peo-
ple whether in the purchase of arms, of cloth
ing, the building of boats, the purchase ofhorses,
mules, and their equipments, the rent of houses,
of barracks, of steamboats,, the use of railroads
and the telegraph lines, in ALL in everything,
everywhere all pervading and omnipresent fraud
of the boldest and most audaciOus character is
discovered and dragged to light by the labors of
this committee. 1t is not, sir, poor, pitiful,
sneaking fraud, but fraudof gigantic dimensions,
and of a daring satanic aspect. 1t is fraud such
as a corrupt and aspiring consul of Rome might
commit in some distant and opulent province,
when he cast his ambitious and longing gaze
upon the imperial purple. 1t is fraud such as
has marked the career in all ages of those who
entertained the usurpers designs against the lib
critics of their country. That do not state this
case too strongly, LET the following extracts from
the report before me bear witness:


The stupendous contracts, involving almost
precedented waste OF the public money, given out
by him Gen. Fremont in person to favOres, the
heads of the honest and competent officers appointed by
law 1t seemed to be his purpose present himself
the embodiment of political and military power, and to
show alike by his words and his conduct how little he
depended upon the Government of his country and how
utterly he dSregarded its laws, its regulations, and its
policy. OF such example could be other
wise than contagious The whole framework of the
political and military systems, organized by law,
embraced, and disorder and criminal insubordnation
everywhere prevailed There could be obedience when
the General of the Department openly taught and prac
q
could be economy where the General expoed himself
continually imputaons of laboring great office
feed the greed Of his followers for gain He occupied
with his family and several members of his staff mar
BILE palace, and lived, amid its luxurious furniture and
glitterng stipulated expense of SC, 900 per
annum TO the Government, at time when the homes of
millions Of people darkened by the horrors of
civil Could it be expected that his subordinates
would display any special sympathy with our national
suerngS, any marked solicitude guard the public
Treasury from punder! Instead of going Cairo ne
could have done for few dollars Of the vessels
transporting the troops which accompanied him, he char
tered magnificent steamer, at cost OF 81 500 to the
Government convey himself and cortege alone This
steamer anchored out in the instead of lying
at the wharf all others did and do and when the Cen
era drove in his carriage and four the waters edge
yet another steamer still further the Govern
ment, we learn from claim presented for il,
plOyed to put himself and suit board foreign
prince potentae, in of national mourning,
might thus live and thus his pleasure Yacht or his
barge of state, but nsensiby amid the calamites of
civil war; and wastefuness when the public debt is being
increased at the rate of from TO millions daily,
when exhibited by General of the American army
spectacle from which the patriot may well turn away
grief and humiliation.


Sir there was but one thing more needed to
complete this wretched picture of public de-
bauchery and crime, and that unhappily, was
furnished The following extract from the re-
port of the committee shows that Major General
John &. Fremont conspired to overthrow the
Constitution of his country, and trample under
foot the liberties of his Government:


o WltneSSeS-OtlcerS
peachable integrity and intelligence-w sure,
be heard by the Government with equal astOnshment
and sorrow. Gen. Fremont prOclaims, assuming his
command, that There longer any civil rights;
that there Government except that outside of the
Constitution which had been suspended that il was his
determination administer his department without ref
law regulations; that the people the Uni
ted States were in the field, and that he their
head and that he meant to carry out such
they, he people, expected him carry out without
gard to the red tape of the Washington people-hat
is the President and Congress 1t singular how per-
fecty these sentiments hamonize with those held by the
usurpers who in this and other of the world have
sought and established absolute power upon the
pubic liberty Some of these usnrpers taking yet higher
ground than that assumed in the interview with Colonel
Andrews have claimed for themselves amssion to scar
~ OUT the will of God, but of them have sunk
their pretensions below special mission TO ''cary out


the will of the people. Cesar when he stood upon the
banks of the Rubcon and waved to his veterans adj
vance, not make boder declaration against his
try than this. words earnestly and often spoken,
announced revolution conceived but which, happily
most happily for tine country, the parent had not the
strength bring forth. No has lived in the tide of
times wise and pure enough TO he intrusted with such
power is here claimed Military cheftans who cut
red tape" always do it with their swords, and history
proves that the throat of their country suffers quite
much as does the tape" in the operation As free ns


tutionS have their foundations in law and in the obedience
OF the people and their representatives civil and military,
to it, this expression of purpose to cast aside all pO


cal and constitutional restraints, made in the halls of leg
sation even would ALARM but when made in the field by


chieftain at the head of great army chils and
the patriots heart by its parcidal spirit, reveals
unscrupuous ambition, which awaits but the prestige and
power OF victory TO sweep the Government ITSELF as a
cobweb, from its path.


This page in the history of the late commander of
this department gathers deep shadow from the circum
under which these declarations made Gen.
Fremont had few weeks before taken and subscribed
the following military OATH a. John C. Fremont do SOL
emnly that will bear true faith and allegiance
the United States, and that will them honestly
and faithfully against their enemies oppOSers whomso
ever; and that will observe and obey the orders the
President of the United States and the orders of Off
according to the rules and articles of war;


He thus. in sight of God and his country had plghted
faith sith his Government that he would bear it rue
allegiance, and he stood pledged by the solemn
human sanctions to support that Constitution which, When
"he people in the field, places Fat their head" tine
President of the United States and any General hold
ing commission under him. With coniding fondness
he had been summoned from the obscury of private e
and preferred above the and whole army of
patriots, he made Major General Scarcely has he
grded sword whose honor the best interests
the nation had been committed when lie says his sub
ordnates and followers that he draws it, not in thu name
of law of the Government, but in defiance of both to
enforce such measures in his judgment, he people
expected him carry out" These words spoken,
were the very sick chamber of the Republic, and
had the of the undertaken while the patient
yet struggling for life. They uttered against the
Government of country. then tranquil and strong
and able to battle with all asSaiants, but of country
distracted and humbed and bleeding under the stab' OF
traitors They from flush of excitement spring
ing from triumph of arms but the solemn and Oft
repeated enuncations of General Just entering the field
of his future operations and surveying for the first time
the strength of his gathering They addressed
officers of high rank i'm the service and intended
to impress them with obedience his revolutionary pro-
gramme Gen. Fremont already held the sword and il
most important for his purposes that Col Andrews
the head of the pay department here, and Maj Johnson


paymaser under him. should interfere with his free
use Of the national purse.


Sir. in what age do we live2 Is this the age
of republican simplicity and integrity, or are we
transported to the days of fraudulent usurpers,
to the unhallowed scenes of the Roman Cesarsa
Are we in republican America, or have we, by