The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-03-26
FITZ JOHN PORTER.
Here are Few More Paragraphs for
Patriotic People to Think Over.

tribunal TO which he appeals shall have
power to punish. This gentleman was
dealt with very leniently by the court
that tried him. For his cruel diSCbedi-
eBee of orders he should have been shot.
His plea that the force in his front was
greater than General Pope could have
known is of no avail. The greater the
force of the enemy the more necessary
for him TO attack, for the fight was al
ready on, and his brother soldiers We're
having "A death-strUggle with the Zoe.
DisCbeying orders, indeed. He was
where lac should have gone in without
orders. On the contrary, with cold
blooded selfi,hness that Is unparalleled
in the history of wars, lie moved one
third of the army away from the field to
the rear of the fight, where thousands of
better men were being killed. Give him
a rehearing, by all manner OF means, if
we can wipe out the old verdict 50 as to
secure the justice so richly merited and
so long delayed.
The pretense that Fitz John Porter is
a much prosecuted person, and that
rehearing of his case has been denied
him from motives of spite and personal
jeolOusy, is one of tine Earliest bubbles
that ever filled an empty head" Gen
eral Pope, SO far from using his influ-
ence to prevent an investigation of the
alleged new evidence in Porter's favor,
wrote, in April, 1874, a letter to the
President, now just published, especial
ly requesting that a board be appointed
to examine and sift this supposed new
evidence, with the view of determining
where it be of sufficient Importance to
justify n reOpening of the case So far
as yet disclosed the new evidence has
not justified such reopeDing, and the
Democratic clamor for the ''vindicasion"
of Porter is simply a partisan demand
that one of the most infamous crimes of
the late war-a crime the perpetratcr of
which would in any other country on
earth have been summarily shot as worse
than traitor and spy-shall be white
washed and condoned. If such a thing
were done the very bones that bleach
Groveton field would cry out against the
infamy.
From Wilkes Spirit ofthe Times.
At time when the Republican party
is doing its best to achieve failure, the
Democracy are effectively striving to
throw away success. The fragrant usur-
pations of the President and the odious
legislation of the Republican majority
in Congress, present their opponents an
opportunity which they seen incapable
of using. The fable of Esop never had a
stronger political moral; the Democratic
cock has found a pearl upon what is lit
orally the Republican dunghiIl, and
looks upon it with ignorant Indifference
or contempt.
The appointment of Fitz John Porter
as Commissioner of Public Works ia
place of Mr. Van Mort, is the most com
| plete proof of the utter Generalization
of public sentiment we have seen since
the war. Only criminal community
would submit to such an outrage upon
its sense of patriotism. For We must re-
member what Fitz John Porter was and
what he is, in estimating the extent of
this affront, not merely to patriotism,
to that individual principle of honor,
which is equally treasured by Americans
whether of the South or North. lie 7r0s
general holding high command in the
army of the United States: he is a wret ch
whose epaulettes were torn from his
shoulders for betraying his cause, and
sacrificing the lives OF hundreds of his
comrades upon the field of battle. On
| another page of this paper we lay before
our readers n full history Of the crime of
which he was convicted, by court of
distinguished officers, who had been his
companions, which we published at the
clos of his trial in 1864 1t is not from
any desire to rake up the past that we
print this document, but TO refresh the
public mind as to the facts which make
his appointment as Commissioner more
insulting to the community than his
sentence was dishonorable to himself
We said when Fitz John Porter was
turned loose without a uniform or 4
sword, and declared unfit ever TO bold
Office under the Government he had
served and deceived, that 1T remains TO
be seen whether the morals of the time
are so depraved, and whether massacre
or treason have become so venial in the
new oaier dar Df public duty, that that
patriotic ciiefl1,a tthe President) will
again recognize or take this modern Ar
mold by the hand" We added that
''the fact that Ia can walk about un-
harmed amid a population whose chill
dren he has ruthlessly betrayed to death,
is the most alarming symptom of the
hopeless degeneracy of public spirit, and
the lowness of the ebb Of an ordinary
love of country" The wrong we then
denounced is nov a thousand times ag-
gravated. The branded deserter Of the
battle is not only tolerated, but Is hon
ored by appointment to Office in the me.
tropolis Of the United States.
The Democracy are guilty Of this in
dorsement of Porter, who today, as
twelve years ago, stands convicted OF
having betrayed his cause. The Demo
cratic party has taken a convict and
made him Commissioner. What party :
can stand such an act as this! What
party that commits it deserves to be
trusted with the government Of City,
State, or Nation. If such an outrage
upon every principle of public honor and
official decency is to be tamely endured,
we may expect that Tamlnany Hall and
the Manhattan Club have the MayOral
ity in reserve for Tweed.
Dismissed, degraded, and prescribed
for deliberate treachery to his cause
Fitz John Porter might have considered
the puukhment of death greater mercy
But while still under the stigma Of dis
missal, degradation, and prescription
he is co0lly chosen by the New Norl
Democracy, from among hundreds o
good men, for this conspicuous honor
What can be the motive Of such an in
vidious insulting selection! For. surely