was quite addicted to naval reading, but was
wayward, and if not indolent, was inefficient in the tasks
undertaken at the instance of other people, and up to the time
of his entrance upon his duties as instructor in the naval
school, had hardly made up his mind whether he would be a man
of character or a blackguard. He was fond of dress, however,
and the records of the court still show that he wore a suit of
clothes which he was afterwards compelled to declare on oath
his inability to pay for, in order to avoid inconvenient
restrictions upon his personal liberty; but chance gave a
proper direction to his abilities; he had the latent energy of
character to act up to his opportunities, and he has really
presented a career which any one might regard with
satisfaction. It is certainly to be regretted that he should
lend himself to the uses of a party so reckless and subversive,
not only of the Union but of the rights of that section to
which, if capable of sentiments of patriotism, he might be
supposed to feel attachment; but the prospect of the Presidency
would be a sore trial to the probity of most men, and we find
nothing in the antecedents of Mr. Fremont to cause a feeling of
disappointment that he should yield to the allurements of
power.

"He is commended for his attentions to his mother, and they
were certainly exemplary. She was poor, and after he determined
to behave himself and work like a man, he made her as entirely
comfortable as there was the reason to believe his
circumstances permitted."

POSTSCRIPT.--Mr. Fremont turns out to be a Roman Catholic, and to have
been raised one, and this explains the readiness of Bishop Hughes to
abandon Buchanan, and go over to Fremont. It also explains why it is
that so many _German Catholic papers_ are coming out for Fremont, in the
large cities, and in the North-Western States.

In 1850, Fremont held a seat in the United States Senate, for the space
of about three months, and during that time sought to introduce a
Catholic Priest to open their services with prayers, and was successful
to some extent. He also attended service at the Catholic Church. The
_Washington Star_, of the 19th June, 1856, gives the following
exposition of facts, in reference to Fremont and his religion:

"A SORT OF A CATHOLIC.--We take it for granted that among the