Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-02
The Case or Fitz John Porter.

Almost all of oar readers doubtless re-
Iember that the disastrous 6efeat OF the
Union Army, at the Second Battle Of Bull
Run, was largely attributed to the disgrace
ful inaction of Gen. Fitz John Porter. The
Army Of the Potomac was then under Oen-
Pope, who had recently assumed command.
There was immense jealousy of Pope, on the
part of more than one general under him ;
and on the part of Fitz John Porter at least,
it has been very generally believed that 1t
reached pitch, at which he was ready to
welcome reverse to our army, which
should also be the ruin of Gen. Pope. Gen.
Pope in his report of that battle, charged
Porter squarely with unnecessary and I'M
usual delays, and frequent and fragrant
disregard of orders" He asserted that Gen.
Porter, with whole army corps, ''lay idle on
his arms, within sight and sound of the
battle, during the whole day" . So far
as | know" said Gen. Pope, d" he porter
maze no effort whatever to comply with my
orders, or to take any part in the action L
DO not hesitate to say that if he had dis
charged his duty as became soldier, and
had made vigorous attack on the enemy,
as he was expected and directed to do, we
should have utterly crushed or captured
the larger portion of JacksOn's force" On
these charges Gen Porter was subsequently
arraigned. tried by court martial, and dis
missed the service in disgrace.
The case Of Gen. Porter has been brought
up afresa, by his appointment Though he is
not New Yorker but New Jersey carpet
b4gser) to the important position of Com
missioner of Public Works, under the "new
Tammany - rule Of New York city, and by
renewal OF his application, already
several times made and refused, to the
President, for a rehearing Of his case. The
Washington correspondent of the New York
Tribune, after remarking that the Cabinet
had held a meeting to consider the appli-
cation, says The matter has been fire.
quently discussed by the Cabinet before, and
it NAV be stated with entire certainty that
the President viii refuse to appoint board
for reviewing the findings of the Court Mar
tial The President has taken a great IN
terest in the case. and probably nobody not
familiar with il at the time of the trial, and
the occurrences attending understands the
facts tetter. lie has devoted much time to
the examination of the records, and is very
much opposed to Gen. Porter lie regards
him as having been guilty Of atroeious con-
duct Whether he viii reply to the appli-
cation Of Gen. Porter for a court Of inquiry
i doubtful. Ii he replies at all he will re
jet the application On the ground that the
court could have no legal or moral standing.
and that the court would have no power to
punish Gen. Porter if guilty, or to abrogate
his sentence if innocent. All the members
Of the Cabinet, with perhaps one exception,
hold similar view, to those of the President.
The Secretary Of War said that he would be
willing for Gen. Porter to have new trial
it the court could have power 10 shoot him
if he was foand guilty and to restore him if
found innocent. ~ the court could in no
case have TIL, power, he was in favor Of dis
allowing his petition
If TIL, is correct, Gen Porter may as well
conteu, himself with Ii, municipal Office and
it. euoluIneut-, ami postpone indefinitely
hi- effort to reverse hl> army record