, 1862-12-08
Gbita9o Qribn1te.

Gbifa9d Qtibnne,: |
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1862.
TIE PORTER CoURT.M
The1charges preferred against Gen. Fitz
John Forter, and upon which he is now
being tried by court martial, embrace Sc
Tics Of crimes the most fragrant in the whole
category Of military odenscs, and thc.most
dangerous to the public safety Of which we
have any record. Disobedience Of orders
in the face Of the enemy, while decisive
battles were raging all around him, and
abandonment Of the field without strikinga
blow to aid his comrades who were strug-
Cling and falling within ear shot of lis Own
tent, certainly make as outrageous an in
dictment against soldier as can be well
conceived. When We reflect upon the
actual and possible consequences OF such
acts-thc extreme peril to the capital Of the
nation, and the loyal States threatened by
the advancing enen,y-tle suffering Of the
troops actually engaged, who must Of nc
cessity lose more in lives and wounds in
defeat than in victory-thc danger to the
great cause for which The nation was strug-
ling, rendered more Imminent than ever
before by the disaster Of Manassas n1ust
be admitted that more unfortunate time
for such experiments as Porter essaycd
could not have been chosen.
We shall not anticipate the finding Of
tile count martial in this case. Gen
Hal1cck afhr1ns without qualification, in
Ills report, that Pope ordered Porter to be
at Bristow Station by daylight on the
morning Of the asth Of August, and that
Porter, for some unexplained reason, did
mot comply with this order, and his corps
"was not in the battles Of the 2Sth and
"e0th." This would seem to establish the
strongest presumption that the charges
preferred by Gen. Roberts are correct, and
that they Will be substantiated in the trial
now progressing. If they should be prov
cn-I the enormous crimes alleged in
those specifications be brought 10 his door,
by the finding Of the cou1t-we trust ne
will suffer death without moments hesi-
tation or compunction. The interests Of
the service would be vastly promoted By a
r-cmpt and full execution Of tho law in his
case, and it would probably be the last
instance in the annals Of tie American
amy where an officer refused to bring his
. command into action, and deserted his
comrades IN the field Of battle, carrying
off q whe3c corps Of $4,000 efficient
soldiers. without firing shot.
ROCKFORD S0ksEEaCM CGzS EN-
T2GN.
the recent Sorghum Convention at Rock
fort1 ?'rescn1s many points Of interest which
our readers viii rot overlook Our letters
from special correspondent, detailed to
report proceedings, one Of which appeared
On Friday and another Of which: is pre-
sented herewith, will afford the FAT rmer an
insight into al that WAS said and done;
witch we state, in general terms, for the
Informal; y Of srcn as have not q direct
conccrn in Sorghum culture summary Of
results:
First, then, Sorghum III all parts
Of tie Northwest, where the lar
ger varieties Of 1nlian corn perfect;
mature, is an acknowledged Success.
Its adaptation to the soil and the climate,
the case with which it can be cultivated,
and the certainty If {: renluneTatiy5 crop
are acknowledged proved .;y experienced
which has been long enough and broad
enough to satisfy Ill. Second, though the
yield If syrup is large, (herc the account:
nay vary with The variations Of soil ant
temperature, the perfection Of machinery
nscd, tie knowledge, care and skill Of ma
nipu1ators,) and profitable at any 1gars
that syrup is likely to reach, the question
Ean crystslizca sugar lie proftsbly pro
duced from tie sorgiiHE3 is yet an opc1
one that the Convention WAS unable to set
tie. a large number Of samples Of suga
have tccu produced, but mostly the re
suit of experiments made on G small scale
and without regard to cost. But the,
prove the possibility of making sugar from
sorghum It's profitable production, il
competition with the csne, is anothc
matter for the solution OF which, 1ongc
trial, more capital and additional expert
1nents arc required. Third. The amour
of syrup made in Illinois alone, this yea,
is estimated Mt te1o millions Of g1ll2n!
cf which Winnebago county alon
gave fifty thousand gallous. Fourtl
in most Of the rural districts, wler
1le attention Of tie farmers has bee
turned to sorghum, the domestic syru
has nearly Or iui;c driven cane molassE
tut Of the market. The former is The clea
est the most tooiliso1nc, and now-a-la,
much the cheapest Fifth, the consum]
lion of saccLaTinc food among the ruE
populs1ion, where sorghum is grown, h
largely increased-families that former
Eontented themselves with four to six 8;
ions Of molasses per annum each, now fiji
q barrel Of syrup none too much for t
years consumption fact Of great i,
portanee to dentists and manufacturers
artificial teeth, and not without its val
to the political economist. This, we I
l;eyc, is a fair summary Of the corelusio
arrived at, saying nothing Of the disc,
sions which the manner OF planting, ciil
waiting, gathering and manufacturing p1
yokcd- TIE showing is eminently sat
factory.
For three years past the TRIBUNE b
been industrious and l,aias:alzing in Il
matter Of sorghum culture in the We
We have sent Il reporter to every conyt
lion Of sorghum growers Of which ;
could hear, within the range Of our cir
laion. We bave sent d competent man
as many at least as ten different estab!i
ments in which the manufacture Of sgt
was going on; and the result Of all the
scryations that have been made at
cost we have laid before OUT readers in
attractive form; and altogether VIC b;
probably devoted more space in
columns and spent more money out Of
pockets. to disseminate correct intcllise
on this subject, than all the other jour
in the West. And we are glad to Sc,
- 4lo S,,-1,n+, <,f T11,,, - 1,o,-1 cao