1st. Because I like the man. He was born and educated at the South. He has lived at the North and the West, and therefore has had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with our whole people,—an advantage not possessed by his competitors. He is known and honored both at home and abroad. He has shown his love of his country by unwavering devotion to its interests. –“Professor Hedrick’s Defence,”
October 4, 1856

Why did Hedrick want Fremont to become the US president?

He thought that Fremont understood the different regions of the nation better than his opponents.
He liked that Fremont had lived in the South all of his life.
He believed that Fremont promoted the interests of the Northern states.
He knew that Fremont disagreed with the beliefs of people in the Western territories.