The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-23
FITZ JOHN PORTER
From the NJ Y. Herald.


From the NJ Y. Herald
The appeal of Fitz John Porter to the Pre-
sident of the United States for a re-examina-
ton of the proceedings of the court-martial
in his case was yesterday brought up in the
Senate by Mr.. Chandler, who offered n reso-
luton requesting the President to communi-
cate to the Senate any recent correspondence
in his possession on the subject. Mr.. Chand-
Ter spoke at considerable length denunciatory
of General Porter, and was followed by Mr..
Wilson, who urged the propriety of granting
the asked-for denomination after which the
matter was disposed of by Mr.. Chandler with
drawing his resolution. The question in its
present shape seems to be very easy of solu-
ton. General Porter commanded n corps
at the second battle of Bull Run, and
was charged by General Pope with wilful
disobedience of orders and neglect to attack
the enemy, resulting in disaster to the
Union army, upon which charges he was
sentenced by court-martial to dismissal from
the army and disqualified forever to hold any
Office of trust or profit under the Government
of the United States. In his appeal he re-
presents that he is in possession of important
evidence, not before attainable, which will
vindicate him entirely from the accusations
upon which he was sentenced, and files with
the petition interesting letters from general
officers who were engaged on both sides in
the battle referred to in corroboration of his
statements. The application is also accom-
panied by recommendations by Senators
Wilson, Sherman, Harris, and Foster, Gene
raj N. p. Banks, Governor Curtin, and others
for the appointment of a commission to re-
view the case and ascertain whether or not
injustice has been done.
Almost innumerable instances are on record
of the re-examination of court-martial pro-
ceedings since the war, many of which re-
suited in the vindication of the officers under
sentence and their restoration to command;
and, in view of the high rank held by General
Porter at the time of his trial, his faithful
and distinguished services down to the date of
his alleged offense, the positive character of
his statements in his appeal, and the recon-
mendations for review of his case, it seems
to be eminenty fit and proper that his appli-
cation should be granted. Now that the
jealousies and animosities of the war have
nearly if not quite all subsided, commission
of perfectly disinterested officers would un-
doubtedly be able to thoroughly investigate
every circumstance involved in the case, and
their verdict would finally settle all doubts on
this much disputed question. If such COM
mission were to confirm the sentence of the
court-martial, it would serve to augment the
ignominy of the alleged offense and be con-
spicuous warning for the future; while, if the
innocence of the accused were to be estab-
lished, it would not only make reparation for
a grievous wrong, but crafty the whole
people, who never knowingly acquiesce in the
perpetration of injustice. General Porter
asserts that he is able to prove that his con-
duct during the second Bull Run campaign
was entirely in accordance with his duty as a
soldier, and there seems no good reason why
his request for an opportunity to prove his
innocence, urged as it is by distinguished
| statesmen, should be denied when there are
so many precedents for the reinvestigation.