The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-01-01

Major General Pope What His
Brother Officers Think Of Him and
are Willing to Swear to.
The mystery is solved. It is no longer
a matter Of surprise that Popeshould select
men for position under his government
who cannot command the respect Of honor
able men. Truly, John Pope can say, "A
fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind
The following letter was selected from the
mass Of official correspondence concerning
the case of General Porter. An exchange
says:
at speaks for itself, and in very plain
English. regarding the character Of the gen.
tleman who now lords it over the oppress-
ed inhabitants Of Georgia, Alabama and
Florida. We need not tell our readers
who General Frank in, General Thomas
and General Reynolds are, they being well
known corps commanders in the Federal
army"
HARTFORD, Cow, September 81, 1867.
M Dear Grant: Fitz John Porter
writes me to ask that will do something
to aid him in getting q rehearing Of his
case. All that can do is to write you
and give you the reason why think it will
be an act of justice to give him the oppor-
tunity to clear himself from the terrible i'm
putation now resting upon him.
I saw Porter in Pope's company the day
after the htter's defeat at Bull Run, and
afterwards, until We arrived in front of
Washington. ] know they were on very
cordial terms, and that Pope on some oc-
casions advised with him c.nGdentially.-I
talked good deal myself with Pope, and
I think that if he had had at that time any
feeling that Porter had acted badly, I
would have learned it then but I had no
suspicious that he felt agerieyed by any
thing that Porter or any one who was then
near him had done. At Fairfax Court
House, the day that we arrived at Wash
inston, / noticed that Pope was particu-
larly in good spirits and cordial with Por-
ter. ] have therefore always thought hat
the artack upon Porter was the result Of
an aftprthoueht, and that the charges were
not original with Pope.
During the trial I thought it proper to
inform Porter that Generals J. F. Reynolds,
George Il. Thomas and myself would, if
requested, 60 before the court and swear
that we would not believe Pope or Roberts
under oath. Ihad consulted General Rey-
nolds before | made the proposition. He
consented to 60 himself, and thought Gene
raj Thomas would have no hesitation in
giving such evidence. I was myself we'll
convinced Of General Thomas opinion of
Popes veraciiy from what l had often heard
him say before the war. Porter declined
to call US up to give this evidence, on the
ground that the court appeared so well, that
he did not wish to irritate the court BY an
attempt to break down the evidence Of the
p incipal prosecutors. The sequel showed
that he made serious mistake.
But think that the most equitable rea-
son for review of Porter's case is this /:
The Judge Advocate General, Holt, was
the judge advocate of the court. That was
right enough. But no one will deny that
a judge advocate Of military court, when
a prisoner is defended by able counsel, be-
comes, to a great extent, a prosecutor, and
as such is necessarily biased against the
prisoner. To say that Gen. Holt was pre-
JUDGED against Porter, is mersly to say
that he is like other men, and that he was
so prejudiced the whole proceeding shows.
Whether it is better or worse for the course
Of justice that the Judge advocate should
he prejudiced has nothing to do with the
question.
But an abstract Of the proceedings and
finding and sentence of the court had to be
made by The Judge Advocate General for
presentation Of the United States, upon
which flor he necessarily could not read
the evidence) he was to make up his mind
as to the guilt or innocence Of the accus-
ed. Was it right, proper, or decent, that
this abstract should be made up by the
very man who had done bis best to convict
the prisoner? Did not such proceeding
prevent the President from learning any
extenuating circumstance, or finding out
anything weak in the evidence, if any such
there werei Did it not, in fact, take away
any chance from Porter which he might
have had, had a cool, unbiased person, Of
legal knowledge, made this abstract in
stead Of General Holt?
The whole business seems to me like q
prosecuting attorney passing sentence upon
a prisoner in civil court, Immediately af-
ter the speeches Of counsel. think the
fact that Mr. Lincoln had only Gen. Hollis
abstract to guide him in making up an
opinion on the proceedings Of that court
is enough to invalidate the whole thing.
It has been said, and perhaps with truth,
that there is no precedent to guide in this
matter. 1t may be said with equal truth,
that never since the trial ef Admiral Byng
was injustice so without precedent dome
think that there never was more appro-
pirate opportunity for going beyond prece-
dent, and establishing the fact that no mat
ter how or by whom fragrant injustice is
done, you, when the power is in your
hands, will see the right done.
For my part, know that Porter was as
loyal as the most loyal soldier now dead
and that no thought of treason or disaf.
lection entered his brain. He was victim
to Pope's failure in Virginia, and it seems
| ~ ha hon als L..