The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-06 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN PRESS.

(From the Notion.)
FITZ JOHN PORTER'S CASE.

An old controversy has been revived in a new
form by the attempt of Fitz Johu Porter to be re-
lieved from the disabilities imposed on him by
sentence of a general court-I:nada'. People re-
gard the effort with various degrces of fa' our, ac-
cording to their old impressions, if these have not
been changed by new political bias. In a day of
amnesty and conciliation, an l of hushing up of past
discordanccs, it appears to be thought by some
that it is not worth while to withhold pardon from
one offender among many. It is argued, again,
that Porter's offence was rank only to the sense of
those who opposed the administration of M'Clellan;
that politcal hostility discovered in Porter's con-
duct a baseness not to be found in it by the im-
partial. The disgrace of Porter, it is claimed, was
a thing procured by the Government for effect, as
well as for a sop to Pope, whom the Government
had hoped might supersede M'Clellan, but who
had to be relieved from command, so loud was the
clamour against him. On the other hand, there
are plenty of people, like the author of the pamphlet
named below,* who assert angrily that Pope's was
in plan a very fine campaign, wholly marred in
execution by Porter who, stirred up by hatred for
Pope and friendship for M'Clellan, committed
open treason on the field. it is asserted that the
court-martial on Porter would have sentenced him
to death had it not been for an intimation they
somehow received that President Lincoln would
not approve. It seems to us that the reader's
opinion of Fitz John Porter's guilt depends on the
feelings with which he reads the report of Pope or
the report of M4Clellan. It is M'Clellan versus
Pope, an old controversy, as we said, and it cannot
be expected that, from either side, the case of Porter
should be presented sslely on its own merits.
Naturally, it is put in a light reflected from parti-
sanship. On one side his conduct is condemned, and
on the other, excused, on the supposed condition of
his mind while under Pope's command. Porter
should, undoubtedly, now be judged wholly on his
military record. But even in those who look at
his conduct from a military point of view there is
a great confusion of what he did with what influ-
enced him. It is useless to bring into the discus-
sion of Porter's guilt or innocence all the opera-
tions of Pope's campaign. Much that is hotly dis-
puted has nothing to do with the matter. Pope's
plan of campaign may have been brilliant; Porter
may have been bitterly hostile to Pope ; a great
force of the enemy may, or may not, have been in
Porter's front when. he withdrew his troops—all
this but needlessly burdens the simple questions—
Did he wilfully disobey the orders of his superior
officer? did he shamefully cast aside his duty as a
soldier, and permit comrades in arms to struggle
in a doubtful battle while he looked on and took
no part in it, though positively ordered to attack
the enemy ? It may be that Porter had it in his
Lead not to support Pope, but to ruin his campaign
if he could ; but there is nothing to prove it. There
is ample evidence of the position of Pope's and the
enemy's forces,.and of Porter's orders for the part
he was to play ; and this proof ought to be ex-
amined if a just verdict is to be given. The time
and the general features of the field are well known
and do not need to be recounted. It is enough for
our purposes to remember that Stonewall Jackson,
with a large force, had recklessly thrown himself in
Pope's rear by a flank movement through Thoroug-
hfare Gap, while Pope held the country further
south towards the Rapp thannock. Learning of this
movement of Jackson, and knowing him to be
isolated from Lee's main army, Pope attempted to
destroy his detachment before any aid could reach
him. Fitz John Porter,in command of the sth corps of
111.1C'ellau's army, had reinforced Pope, and it is
not disputed that he was subject to Pope's orders.
About d irk of the 27th of Angus', 1862, Pope sent
ihatructioas to Yoder, who was at Warrenton
Junction, to mos e his corps forward at one o'clock
in the night towards Bristow Station, on the Orange
and Alexandria Railroad, which point he was di-
rected to gain by daylight of the 28th. Porter did
not obey this order, did not march in the night, and
did not reach Bristow Station until several hours
after the time set for his arrival there. Later in
the day he was ordered to move to Manassas Junc-
tion without delay ; and he did not obey this order.
His command lay id camp at Bristow Station all
that. night. Soon after five o'clock in the morning
of the 29th inst. he received orders to move upon
CentreviLe at the first dawn of day. The order
added : 4' It is very impOrtant that you should be
here at a very early hour in the morning ; a severe
engagement is likely to take place, and your pre-
Fence is necessary." This despatch found Porter
still at Bristow Station. When he had gained Mau-
:,ssss Junction he was instructed to turn towards
Gainesville. Moving on in pursuance of this order
he came in sight and sound of a heavy engagement
between some of Pope's forces and Stonewall Jack-
son's command. Ile went quite near to the battle-
field with his corps, but did not allow his men to
engage the enemy. On the contrary, after a short
ha't, he began to retrace his steps towards Man-
assas. At 4.30 p.m. an order was sent to him :
" Push forward in•o action at once on the en:any's
flank, and, if posible, on his rear." Ile did not
obey this order, and did not attack or move
upon the enemy that afternoon or night. There
is much more in evidence to mark the spirit of
insubordination that seemed to govern Por-
ter ' • but it is enough that these facts were
established before the court-martial by which he
was tried and sentenced. It was for the court to
consider what motive he had in his flagrant dis-
obedience of orders. and, perhaps, thus to estimate
the gravity of his offence. Whatever influence they
may have thought at. work with him, and however
tine it may be that they wished to condemn him to
death, it seems to us fair that Porter's appeal should
now be considered as if the sentence passed on him
ha 1 been the heaviest that could be imposed. Ile
has the right .to assume everything in his favour
that the sentence of the court implies. But as a
servant of the Government, charged with an im-
portant command; we have seen how he kept his
trust. It has been proved that when he had positive
orders, and no discretion, he disobeyed his superior
officer in the-face of the enemy; de'ayed his march
on trivial pretexts, and showed neither zeal nor
willingness to keep pace with the army of which his
corps was a part. When a sanguinary battle was
raging immediately in front, he drew back from it
without orders, lending no aid to his hard pressed
fellow-soldiers on • the field. And further, wheh
positively ordered to attack the enemy at once, he
failed to do, so, and made no movement for than
The consequences of these acts it is not
necessary to trace or estitnate. They are in them-
selves an overwhelming condemnation. No military
tribUn'sl could pass them by ; all soldiers, sitting
on a court or not, must pronounce them worthy of
prompt and heavy punishment. By a new and
thorough examination of the testimony, we are
led to the conviction that Porter shamefully and dis-
honorably violated his trust, and we hope that
he will not be reinstated in the army, that his
disabilities will not be removed, and that he will
not_ be recognised as a person having any claim
whatever to. the clemency of the Government.

"General Pope's Virginia Campaign of 1862. By
Lewis EsteMills." Cincinnati: Robert Clarke and. Co.
1870.

RAILWAY NEWS.—A Boston despatch says Morri-
son and Co., contractors, have attached the Hartford and
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dividend of last year. -In the House the bill to establish a
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discussed.—The correspoLdence of Minister Washburne
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menced at this end as soon as the Denver- Pacific track is
completed. It is expected the Denver-Pacific track will
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