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the protection of St. Louis-the construction of gun-boats, built upon his own suggestion, and the organization of his army, were pushed vigorously forward, under his own immediate supervision. He infused the utmost life and energy into every department. It is said that he allowed himself only four or five hours for sleep, out of the twenty-four.

One of the unexpected difficulties which Gen. Fremont had to encounter, was the refusal of Gov. Gamble to commission officers for the service, appointed by Gen. Fremont.* The difficulty being represented to the Government at Washington, Gen. Fremont received a telegram from President Lincoln, promising to commission the officers whom Fremont should appoint.t

On the 19th of August, the Confederate Congress voted to receive Missouri into the Southern Confederacy, upon condition that she should ratify the Confederate Constitution, not by the people, but by the rebel Governor and his coadjutors, whom the people had already, by a large majority, repudiated. Sustained thus by the sanction of the Congress of rebels, disorders continued to increase, rather than diminish. The breaking up of one party of marauders, was at once followed by the organization of others. The State government had no militia, and was almost wholly powerless. Nothing but the most stringent measures could afford any hope of peace. On the 31st day of August, Gen. Fremont issued the following important proclamation :

"HEADQUARTERS OF THE WESTERN DEPARTMENT,
"ST. LOUIS, Aug. 31, 1861.

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"Circumstances, in my judgment of sufficient urgency, render it necessary that the Commanding General of this Department should assume the administrative powers of the State. Its disorganized condition, the help-. lessness of the civil authority, the total insecurity of life, and the devastation of property by bands of murderers and marauders, who infest nearly every county in the State, and avail themselves of the public misfortunes and the vicinity of a hostile force, to gratify private and neighborhood vengeance, and who find an enemy wherever they find plunder,-finally de

* Gov. Gamble, while in favor of the Union, was perhaps still more devoted to the interests of slavery. Guarding the despotic institution with a watchful eye, he could not sympathize with Gen. Fremont, who not only considered slavery as the cause of all our troubles, but who, from all the dictates of his humanity, policy and religion, was the advocate of equal rights for all men. The following is the correspondence:

TO HON. M. BLAIR, Washington, D. C.

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 19, 1861.

It is necessary, in order to facilitate the organization here, that Maj. Gen. Fremont have power to commission officers, as Gov. Gamble has neglected to accede to a request to do it, much to the detriment of the public service. If the President telegraphs that he will appoint the officers Gen. Fremont commissions, it will remove a great stumbling-block from our path.

FRANK P. BLAIR, JR.

In answer to this, Mr. M. Blair telegraphed that if Gov. Gamble would not commission officers, the President would. But some mistake rendering the despatch incomprehensible, the President repeated it himself, as follows:

TO COL. BLAIR:

I repeat, I will commission the officers of Missouri volunteers.

WASHINGTON, D. C., Aug. 21, 1861.

A. LINCOLN.

mand the severest measures to repress the daily increasing crimes and outrages, which are driving off the inhabitants and ruining the State. In this condition, the public safety and the success of our arms requires unity of purpose, without let or hindrance, to the prompt administration of affairs. "In order, therefore, to suppress disorders, to maintain as far as now practicable the public peace, and to give security and protection to the persons and property of loyal citizens, I do hereby extend, and declare established, martial law throughout the State of Missouri. The lines of the army of occupation in this State are for the present declared to extend from Leavenworth, by way of the posts of Jefferson City, Rolla, and Ironton, to Cape Girardeau, on the Mississippi River.*

"All persons who shall be taken with arms in their hands within these lines shall be tried by court-martial, and if found guilty, will be shot. The property, real and personal, of all persons in the State of Missouri who shall take up arms against the United States, and who shall be directly proven to have taken active part with their enemies in the field, is declared to be confiscated to the public use; and their slaves, if any they have, are hereby declared free men.

"All persons who shall be proven to have destroyed, after the publication of this order, railroad tracks, bridges or telegraphs, shall suffer the extreme penalty of this law.

"All persons engaged in treasonable correspondence, in giving or procuring aid to the enemies of the United States, in fomenting tumult, in disturbing the public tranquillity, by creating and circulating false reports or incendiary documents, are in their own interest warned that they are exposing themselves to sudden and severe punishment.

"All persons who have been led away from their allegiance are required to return to their homes forthwith; any such absence without sufficient cause will be held to be presumptive evidence against them.

"The object of this declaration is to place in the hands of the military authorities the power to give instantaneous effect to existing laws, and to supply such deficiencies as the conditions of war demand. But it is not intended to suspend the ordinary tribunals of the country, where the law will be administered by the civil officers in the usual manner, and with their customary authority, while the same can be peaceably exercised.

"The Commanding General will labor vigilantly for the public welfare, and in his efforts for their safety, hopes to obtain not only the acquiescence, but the active support of the loyal people of the country.

"J. C. FREMONT, Major-General Commanding."

In issuing this proclamation, Gen. Fremont was ten months in advance of the nation's representatives. He realized that the country was involved in real war. He realized that the rebels were in earnest. He realized that all attempts at pacification by timidity, and concessions to traitors were unavailing, and would but add fuel to the flame. He realized that the only way to stop rebellion was to chastise rebels with the rod of justice.

* This proclamation was not a brutum fulmen. The territory thus bounded was in the military occupation, and under the control, of Gen. Fremont.

Ten months later the Government at Washington began to see what Fremont then saw. In July, 1862, Congress incorporated, in a confiscation bill, the substantial principles of Gen. Fremont's proclamation. The world has, however, never suffered men to teach it with impunity. An outery from all pro-slavery partisans, in all parts of the country, went up against the man who had first dared to proclaim liberty to the slaves of rebels. The Border States, supported by some conservative coadjutors in the North, demanded his removal. Fair means were not alone used for this end. The most strenuous efforts were secretly made to undermine him in the confidence of the Administration, and by bitter public attacks through the press to rob him of the confidence of the people. The most heinous charges were heaped upon him, both in private, before the Government, and in public before the country at large. Political rivals assisted in the work of partisan antagonists. And bitter enemies made common cause in their attacks upon one whose position, while he was defending his country from her enemies in the field, should have secured for him the coöperation of all who wished to see the integrity of their country maintained. But Fremont had friends as warm as his enemies were bitter. They rallied to his support. The masses of the people were his enthusiastic admirers. The journals were filled with discussions concerning his habits and all the details of his administrative career.

Gen. Fremont paid no attention to either the secret designs of the politicians, or the public calumnies of the press. He continued to devote all his energies to the task of overpowering and punishing the enemies of his country. President Lincoln wrote requesting him to modify his proclamation. He replied requesting the President himself to make such modification.

"If," said he, "your better judgment decides that I was wrong in the article respecting the liberation of slaves, I have to ask that you will openly direct me to make the correction. The implied censure will be received as a soldier always should receive the reprimand of his chief. If I were to retract of my own accord it would imply that I myself thought it wrong, and that I had acted without the reflection which the gravity of the point demanded. But I did not. I acted with full deliberation, and with the certain conviction that it was a measure right and necessary, and I think so still."

The President accordingly issued an order modifying that of Gen. Fremont. The effect of this modification, which the still controlling influence of slavery constrained the President to make, was to confine the confiscation and liberation of slaves to such as had been actually employed by the rebels in military service. If they worked the guns, they were to be free. If they only raised the cotton which enabled the rebels to buy the guns, they were not to be free. Gen. Fremont submitted to the modification. But this did not suit those who were even more anxious to protect slavery from harm, than to strike the rebellion heavy blows. The Cabinet at Washington, greatly embarrassed by these pro-slavery demands, which were continually pressing upon them from the Border States, could furnish Gen. Fremont with but very little sympathy or support, and were

finally forced to the humiliation of withdrawing the officer who, as this narrative proves, had developed, during his brief campaign, the highest qualities of the statesman and the general.*

The following is a copy of one of the deeds of Manumission, given by Gen. Fremont, and which the Government forbade him any longer to issue. "Deed of Manumission.-Whereas, T. L. S., of the city and county of St. Louis, Mo., has been taking active part with the enemies of the United States in the present insurrectionary movement against the Government of the United States, Now, therefore, I, John Charles Fremont, Major-General, commanding the Western Department of the army of the United States, by authority of law, and the power vested in me, as such Commanding General, declare Frank Lewis, heretofore held to service' or labor, by said T. L. S. to be Free, and forever discharged from the bonds of servitude; giving him full right and authority to have, use and control his own labor or service as to him may seem proper, without any accountability whatever to said T. L. S., or any one to claim by, through or under him. And this Deed of Manumission, shall be respected and treated, by all persons and in all courts of justice, as the full and complete evidence of the freedom of said Frank Lewis.

"In testimony whereof this act is done at St. Louis, Mo., this 1st day of September, 1861, as is evidenced by the departmental Seal hereto affixed by my order.

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