Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-09
THE nTSGRACED ADMIRAL.


miral Porter to Gen. Grant acknowledging
the authenticity of the letter to cX-SecTetary
Welles, in which the Admiral expressed
very freely his opinion of Grant. In this
letter the Admiral takes occasion to. say
some pretty hard things of Mr.. Welles,
which appear to be as gratuitOus as be
now seeks to make it appear were his
own aspersions of Grant. The Hartford
Courdnt, speaking for xSecretary
Welles, says that neither Mr.. Wcllcs moi
his former assistant, Mr.. Faxon, had any
agency in the publication of tne Porter
letter, nor knows how il came to he pub,
lished; but it says: Secretary Wellcs,
as a general rule, would not receive per.
sonal letters upon official matters, and
placed this upon flc.n So il seems
some enemy in the Navy Department has
done this. The Admiral will be under
the necessity of spolOgizing 10 Secretary
Welles, if he is the gentleman he claims
to be. The farther Porter goes the worse
he appears 10 involve himself in This mat
ter. The Washington correspondent
of the Boston Post relates The
scene that occurred when Nd
miral Porter called on Grant after the
publication of his Wcllcs letter. Grant
was surrounded by his Secretaries, and
ex Secretary Borie was also present. AT
the Admiral's entrance Grant laid down
the letter, and expressed his disbelief in
its authenticity: 81 don't think the Adj
miral wrote it; but, if So, the assertions
are unwarranled.n Admiral Porter ap-
preached the President, was received cor
daily by him, and said: "Mr. President
YOU have read that letter, ] suppose! An
affirmative answer was given, when the
Admiral continued: "Wcl, l don't know
whether | wrote il or not, but If | did it
must have been under circumstances that
any officer, with lao vessels under Lis
command, and with many difficulties 70
encounter, would have written. ! viii not
be surprised at your being angry. How
ever, it viii not change my personal
friendship for you, let gour course be
what it may The correspondent says
Grant was greatly surprised at the Admir-
ais virtual Acknowledgment. FIX Slcge-
iary Boric is a warm friend OF Potter,
and urged him 10 sign and publish a dis
claimC at once. The Admiral declnoS
10 do 50, and vaguely asserted that Gov.
Hawlcy and eX Secretary Wcllcs were re-
Sponsiblc for the michel Subsequently
ne wrote the letter Of almost ahicct CON
triton, which VIC priut to-day, acknow-
lodging The authenticity Of his Wel!es
letter. The Posts correspou dent states
that in conversation with friends the
Admiral WAS still more deprccating-
even stigmatizing the letter as ga ID
bad letter, although | wrote it myself "A
.'But believe me, ne continued InacuusI
oasly, 'this has made me Grants friend
forever, let come of il what will.n In
addition TO this severe repentance, the
Admiral adds modest abnegation. lie
docs not care for the place Of Admiral,
would be even content 20 leave the Navy,
thereby aiding his own interests more
than he can in the Navy. Following this
flood of repentant secOnd-thoughs comes
q series of extracts from the Admiral's
private diary, printed IN the Washington
Chronicle, for the purpose of showing
the high estimate in which he held Gen.
Grant at the very time he was scoring
him so numerically to Secretary Welles'
The Door fellow heaps disgrace upon HIM
self at every founder he makes