The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-30
Whom the Gods would Destroy Ehey
First make Mad.

Ii there is any truth in this a,lagc. the
/ pail OF an evil destiny must he hanging
near ana dark Owe. the heads of the Presi-
dent and the mllgnants who surround
him. LlTz JOHN PORTER, who has shown
! himself the al,lest and bravest Corps Com
mander in die Federal service, has been
/ sacrificed to crafty the brutal malignity
of Secretary STANTON, and as Il scipe"oat
for the imbecil bl!,nderngs of President
LINCOLN.
Who the President, yielding to the
Radical clement in his Cabinet and Con-
gress, called PORE 10 Washington to sup
plant MCCLELLAN, ne committed tie most
fatal act OF The whole series OF hundcrings
of which he has been guilty since he pros
tituted himself and his high office to Radi-
cal management. The events which fol-
lowed. IN the partial destruction and total
decentralization OF the vast arm under
Pores command, Wa what might have
been anticipated For this slaughter OF
thousands, ana this decentralization OF tens
OF thousands, somebody had to be held
responsible, and be sacrificed.
The man most guilty was EDwIH II.
STANTON But condemnation OF STANTON
was the condemnation OF the President ::
and il was against minan-nature that the
President should 90 III act which would,
il Itself, bc 4 confession Of an extent Of
laundering that was worse than crime. III
cidontailv. too, the sacrifice OF PORE would
relate back with damaging effect upon both
the President and his Secretary Of War
The victim was found in PORTER lie could
be proved guilty Of a technical violation of
an order. which order might, by the help
OF pliable witnesses, be made to assume Il
vital Importance. So, PoRTEl: WAS made
the >capegoat. y court was ordered, and
the members made ZIP Of the political
and military sympathisers OF the Secretary
OF War, and his willing tools SO grossly
unjust was the assignment OF officers TO the
court, that. when the names were first an
nounced, the friends of PORTER regarded
hia case IS hopeless, and his enemies found
warrant in the fact, 10 pronounce his con-
viction in advance, to predict death as bis
certain doom, and to gloat in ;hc antici-
patel shedding OF his blood.
This fear OF PoHTEk'o friends, and this
hope OF PORTERs enemies. were not
changed until the evidence had been taken
for the prosecution. Tie limenesS otsuc!l
evidence, staggered the inalgnants who
were OF PoRTEE's track. and. in anticipa-
ton OF his acquitta!. they began to qualify
their denunciatiOns Bat. when the evil
dence for the defence was closed, there was
no difference of opinion on the case. His
enemies looked for his acquittal with the
same certainty as did his friends, and all
as due to hm on the grounds OF absolute
justice. We have not seen u journal for
the last fortnight, even Of those which
were originally lolllest in their c0ndenna-
ton, that did rot regard PORTER 5 triumph
ant issue from the trial as a ioregone fact
But STANTON knew his tools better THAI
the public or his own partizaiis, did. The
court WAS convened 10 save the Secretary s
and the Presidents reputation, st the cost
of PoETERs ruin. TIE court has filed
the bill Lid down in t.o programme.
Against al the weight Of evidence, and
all the weight of Intelligent military @; in
ion, Il verdict o. gUilty has been rendered;
PoaTEn is sacrificed; and promotions ana
high commands are Won L. hi, military
Judges, and will be accorded, rs the price
OF their disli,ncr.
PORTER is a'julgel guilty, and .o is
cashiered and dismissed the service Tie
President confirms the sentence, and the
Secretary Of War iia, before t:i;s officially
promulgated the order 1t is al infa.nou,
order; and. rs suc!l It viii stick, like the
shirt OF Nessl!s, TO the regulations OF the
the President. and his Secretary during
their official lives and after We had
rather, to-day, be PORTER, the gallant sol
der, the iiigl:-toned man, and the victim of
this vile conspiracy, than 70 wear the oiii-
cial iionors OF the President and Secretary
combined The hero Of dozen battles
canno. he injured b. brutal naliglty, OF
cowarslly seji;,hness. even when these are