New-York tribune., 1870-12-06
PORTER'S LETTER.
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TO rHEPREsrDEN

THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE DOCUMENT ACKSo"L. ~.
EpGEp-A REBUKE TO THE PUBLIsHEis W
PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TnBURR]
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6-Admiral Porter nhs
sent President Grant the following letter IN
the criticisms OF the latter In his letter recently pfn
Gen. Grant is said to have remarked reading the Al
irals letter 10 Secretary Wees, that 1t made nm oso
his faith In human nature: -.
Mr. PRESIDENT My first impulse on reading the letter
published in The Eeo York World was TO 90 70 you At
and pronounce 1t fabrication, for as snon e
Sears ago and published by person who once held
prominent position under the Government deter
a liter before addressing you on the subject.
Neither myself my secretary VINO mas served Win
me ej9ht wears could recall ~ our recoleeu0n any u
cumsance OF the kind could not CONCEIVE mat hsh
uttered sentiments know never leIt, anu Wneh
nresed toward you The letter, 10 appears, was prl
vate one and vindctiye must have Oeeh ule nes ~ y.
nUdsnce % and deprsyed indeed be the character
who 20 crafty his misehieyous instlhcU oono ano ns
eat excitement and at this distant day not even re-
menbercd I seems like poor return lor your % ,ht
remember Nothing connected with the letter, .SA
At about the date Of the letter had passed
long and fatiguing contest with Fort tlsner ana my
numerous feet wes almost overpowered by the element
the coveted prize within my grasp ana ,nsh men tbe
storms OF Winter, anchored on an open coast viii @ me mo
mind and SodY barassed by extracrdnary fagues
The whole nation looking on excited, dreadng oe
feat That might proOng contest that was ALREADY sa
ping its vltals You and others know what had 70
undergo bodily and mentally. presume u was "hllo
under this excitement that wrote the letter which, you
say, has made you lose your fath m human nature.
have reCOllt ction OF IL any more thah WouIu
have Of other passing circumstances Of six years ago.
When several persons have different times informed
that letter would be published IN when 1 mao
abused Gen. Grant, treated the matter with lndneT-
enee thinking IL impossible that such letter could e1-
ist do not write for the purpose OF exoneralRg my
publisher The peace OF political parties ana OF soele
would be placed IN great jeopardy II all the pryae g
that have said will affect your far iame anu you,
they at all influenced by the silly exutatons OF
few INSCRIPTIONS persons who, after all are only relo
ing oyer the most contemplate breach OF confidence
regret exceedingly the loss of your friendship and do
not hesitate TO dsapprove the sentiments OF which
suppose, bear the odum They appear in aletter
of which have no recollection They are 80 dlnerepb
and the gallant officers of our army and incoDsst
ent with all my antecedents that scarcely consider
them entitled to a moments thought.
have the honor TO remain, very respectfully, your
obedent servant, DAVID ID. PORTER, Admiral.
To Ue President
THE ADMIRAL's VISIT TO GEN. GRANT-Ex-
PLANTATION OF THE LETTER-PoRTER STILL
THE FRIEND OF GRANT-wAR DIARY OF
THE CONGRATULATIONS OF GRANT.
A Washington correspondent of The Boston
Pos. relates the scene that occurred when Admiral Por
ter met the President after the publication OF his Wees
letter The President surrounded by his seeretaess
and exsecreary Borie also present At the Admi-
ras entrance the President laid down the letter. and ex
pressed his disbelief In it, authenticity: IL don't think
the Admiral wrote but so, the assertions are un-
warranted" Admiral Porter approached the President,
was received cordially by him, and said: Mr. President
you have read that letter. suppose e. An Affirmative
answer was given when the Admiral continued: "Wen,
don't know whether wrote it or not, but n did IL
must have been under circumstances that any Officer
with 4O vessels under his command, and with many dl
not In
surprised at your being angry. However 1t will noe
change my personal fendAhp ior yOu let your course
be what IL may"
The President was greatly surprised at the Admirable
virtual acknowledgment Ex-secretary BOrie 10 warm
friend Of Porter, and urged him TO sign and publish
disclaimer at once. The Admiral declined 70 do So and
vaguely asserted that Gov. Hawley and exsecretary
Wees responsible for the mischief. Subsequently
he wrote letter almost abteet coniton TO the Pres
dent admitting the authenticity OF the letter, and plain
lively adding that he is still the warm, sincere friend OF
Grant and will always remain so matter what course
Gen Grant may feel compelled to adopt in consequence
Of the publicity given his unfortunate and neonsidered
letter.
In conversation with friends the Admiral wac stl
more deprecating-even stigmatiEng the letter as"a
d-d bad letter, although wrote tmysef "But believe
he continued nRenuOusy, this has made me Grants
friend forever let come Of IL what will" In addition
10 this severe repentance the Admiral odds modest abb
would be content to leave the Navy thereby aiding
his own interests more than he can in the Navy.
Following this food of repentsnt secondthought,
comes series Of extractsn The Washington Chronicle
from the Admrars diary, which presents Photographic
structures Of the current events Of the supple
mented by free etchings Of the persOnSand people con-
spicuous In its management Among these, Gen. Grant
is prominent In 1862 Porter met Grant, for the
first time at Cairo. The Admiral says;
"capt. McATster came 10 my end Of the cabin with a
planloOkDg man, dressed In citizens brown coat,
With velvet collar and pair ,9 q gray S, PSntIoSns @ % AZ
they had travelled many mile Those clothes sesdy In
Grant GEN Grant stood before that occasion the
plainest, most unsssuming man ever beheid Grant
operated together Kentucky and Tennessee.
had closely scrutnized their operations since the
was more good generalship in these two men
than in any, other two l had read
age that will tell In the long against the best arranged
tactics provided numbers and all are equal and IN sher
man beheld genius that led 10 such achievements
during the Rebellion When introduced Grant took me
quietly by the hand az II were an old aeguai3tanee
a Wild duck and bottle Of champagne before neither
OF which Grant touched While was looking earnestly
was under that plain exterior the General regarding
To what amount OF work there was under all the
gilt buttons and gold lace with which the Navy Depart
ment had bediZened my coat"
Again. the Admiral continues less familiarity
at isnot my purpose TO write history OF Gen. Grapts
mine intend notice the personal character OF
who has achieved more in military than any
other living general
few days after my interview with Grant met Gen
Sherman and wrote ~ the Secretary OF the Navy as
follows:
Grant and Sherman together combine qualities pos
sessed by general that lived what one wants
the other possesses and these the two who will
end this and be considered glorious soldiers when
generals of to-day all forgotten Mr. Weles has
more than called my attention to this remark"
The Admiral after eompendOus review OF Grant and
Sherman, retains his remaining admiration for the
former, and writes:
often said, In the early part OF the Rebellion that
these two Generals combined had all the military ability
that one ought to possess 10 make him perfect
general and sincerely believe that army Of 5000
men under Sherman, with Grant General-in-Chief,
0ould An NJ greatly