Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-02-22
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
MONDAY, FEBRUART 81, 1870.
qENATH


Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. Wilson, from the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, reported resolution donating
certain captured cannon for the erection Of
monument at West Point.
Also, bill In relation to public buildings
used for military purposes.
Mr.. Fenton introduced q bill TO provide
for an American line Of passenger and mail
steamships between the United States and
one or more Scandinavian ports. Referred
TO the Committee on Post Offices.
Mr.. Chandler offered resolution request
ing the President TO communicate any pa
pers relative to the reopenlng OF the case Of
Fitz John Porter.
Mr.. Chandler said II was time that the
truth Of history should be indicated In this
matter. President Lincoln and Mr.. Stan
ton, who were more conyersant with them
than any other men, had passed from the
stage. He (Mr. C.) had been officially con-
eerned In the Investigation OF this matter,
and he aud Ex-senator Wade knew more
about II than any men now living. He had
promised Gen. Pope seven years ago that he
would indicate him II no had to do II from
his seat In the Senate. When Gen. Nc
Clellan's army on the James was forced Into
a retreat, gold went up to an enormous
figure, our bonds went so low that Ii seemed
they would never touch bottom, and the
whole country was demorallzed. Cen. Pope,
as he says, was instructed to cover Wash
ington at all hazards.
During those dark days he (Mr. O. one
Sunday afternoon went into the War Onlce,
and the whole subject turned on how Gen.
McClelan's army was to be saved. Gen.
wardsworth spoke Of four different plans,
tho last Of which was to create rs great
diversion as possible here and this was the
plan that was substantially adopted. Gen.
Pope says In his report he was to make
A.. %. H.. a..
enable McClellan'a army to take boats at
Harrison's Landing and go TO Aqua Creek
or Alexandria. Gen. Pope at the same time
begged to be relieved, but his request was
not aceeded to. Gen. Pope's sole object was
to save McClellan's army. In his testimony
before the committee on the conduct Of the
war, at that time, he stated that his force was
only 1900, and thls distributed along 100
miles Of defence.
In answer to a question Of his, (Mr.
Chandler's,) General Pope said there was
nothing more likely than that he would be
fallen upon and whipped, but he said that
he could save his men with the loss Of his
artillery General Pope then perPetrated a
r,ss de gusrrs. He sent his scouts al
through the mountains Of Virginia TO tel
the people that he had 10000 men. HC
posted the newspaper correspondents 10
Washington and through them the people
Of the North, aud he fooled the rebels
They came down on him, and Mcclellan
was able to get of without so much as Q
pop.gun being fred at him. General Pop,
fought for eleven days, he saved two armiet
aud made the most brilliant campaign thai
had been made up to that time.
Mr.. O. then read from the telegraphlc
correspondence In August, 1869, between
Gen. Mcclellan and Gen. Halleck, ordering
the former to move his troops from Aqua
creek to the defence of Washington. Gen
Mcclellan insisted that the army could not b,
moved In less than O month, whereas II wal
moved In II days. On the Goth Angus
Gen. Hallsck telegraphed TO Gen. Pope ap
proving Of all he had done. Gen. Hallecl
again on the 2lst telegraphed to Pope Z
stand nrm-not to yield an Inch, aud tn fgh
like the devil. Gen. Pope carried out thi
order to the letter. he did hght for eight days
and like-whateyer you please to call II
Then Lee had his whole army In front O
him. On the 24th August, six days befor
Pope was overwhelmed, &c, 900 Union troop
were within 20 miles Of Pope, and not on
Of them ever reached him.
On the eth Of August Gen. Pope sen
word to Gen. Fltz John Porter, who CON
manded the best and freshest corps Of tn
army, to move forward to Burton's static
at daylight. Gen. Porter made no attemI
to obey this order. He said his troops wer
too tired. The enemy did not make tho .
tack the next morning, but II was no thank
to FItz John Porter that Hooker, who WI
out OF Ammunition, was not fallen upon an
aunihllated. By this dlsobedience OF orde
Fltz John Porter rendered himself liable
court-martial aud death. It Is the duty OF
general to obey orders no matter what u
difficulties may be. A single days force
march would have brought these thirty tho
sand troops to the scene Of battle. After 7
peated orders Gen. Mcclellan finally starts
Franklln's corps, which made eighteen mill
In three days. Gen. King said that II u
single brigade OF Franklin's corps had a.
peared In the field at 4 o'clock OF that satu
day we would have sent the rebels killing
Richmond.
But II is with Fltz John Porter am dea
ing, He was ordered to move on the NOR
ing Of the 2sth. Mr.. O. road from the test
mony that Porter only read the orders an
made no attempt TO march, although
was In sound Of the firing all day. No
General Porter says he has new testlmoT
to offer. 30 have /. General Fitz Lee,
his report to the rebel government, says u
Btuart's cavalry tied bushes to their hors
tails, and went up and down the road, Al
made tho cloud Of dust which Porter mi
took for an army corps OF the enemy. u
was too much for Porter's nerVes. He sa
he would have been cut to pieces II he HI
gone into the fight. suppose he had be,
cut to pieces what business was that OF n
Laughter His business was TO obey {
ders. There he lay all day with his fire.
troops and made no attempt to help Pope.
General Porter was allowed seYSnty-h
DAYS to defend himself, a most unpreC
dented time, before military tribunal, a
that court, after forty-nye days Of most cal
full investigation brought In unanimo
verdict Of guilty. Many OF the members
the court were In favor OF the death penall
IA l.. A.IN hat has hnan 4
Judged but for fear that Mr.. Lincoln's XII
heart would not have executed II. Y
John Porter said, In the hearing Of my
formant, q man In the employ OF Congre
and whose sworn testimony was taken do
two minutes after, 'lt Is no use OF talk
about II; was not true TO Pope" Not u
to Popei What does that meant IL mei
not true to his Government. It meant Il
he was a traitor TO his country. Not u
TO Pope meant the loss Of 10000 on u
disastrous day.
Had no been true, jackson would hi
been cut to pieces, and there would hi
been nothing to stay our victorious ma
to Rchmondj not true TO Pope meant
battle Of Antletam, with It's CORY heap
slaini 1t meant the battle Of Fredericksbl
and Of the Wilderness. It meant the losl
$780, 900 men and $4,000, 100000. Fltz u
Porter should thank bis God that he liz
said to General Pope AFTER that eampa
that there was only one thing ! dlsappro
OF In his conduct, and tina: was that he c
allowed Fitz John Porter to leave that
alive.
Mr.wIlson had first known General Pc
as an accomplished aud gallant soldier,
as the commander Of the finest corps In
army. He had certainly done great ser
at Hanover Court House, at GaineS' NJ
and at Malvern Hill.
He (Mr. W. had thought that with
testimony before them II would have
impossible for that court-martlal to
come to any other conclusion. But Il
claimed that new facts could be now broI
ont, and as a matter Of Justice to soldl'
the army, he had united with others In
Ing a reopening Of this case. He did u
matter Of justice to General Porter, who
understood did not want to go back In
army, and did not want any whitewasl
report, but merely the opportunity to
himself Of what he considered an unJu
putatlon.
The Vice President gave notice tina