Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-23
FITZ JOHN PORTER.
HIS Friends Seeking Hts Reinstate,ne,.
ectth the Rank of Major GenerGl-t1en.
Pope ThMs to be Practically Enclasded

sSsesS e"o nUsN " MUjOT-d eneTUI--tfens
Pope IhMs to be Practically Encl,sded
from Promotion.
1t has been ascertained that movement
is on foot among the friends of Fitz John
Porter, to have him reinstated in the United
States army. The finding Of the court Of
inquiry convened by order of President
Hayes, was to the effect that Gen. Porter was
innocent OF the charges preferred against
him by Gen. Pope, and upon which he
was found guilty by general court-martial,
and dismissed the SERVICE. The finding of
the court of inquiry was not formally ap-
proved by the president. but the record and
testimony were submitted to Congress for
Its action. The friends of Porter claim that
this finding, after the most searching inves-
tigation, and after the mos; elaborate ex-
animation of witnesses who were ac-
tive participants on both sides
in the action which result
ed in Pope's defeat at Manassas and Por-
ter's dismissal from the army, establishes
that the findings of the court martial which
tried him were not in accordance with the
real facts, however they might have been
justified by the incomplete and ex-parte evil
dence then adduced; that the sentence of the
court was, therefore, unjust; and that the
government owes it to Gen. Porter to make
such reparation as is due him for the wrong
| inflicted.
Gen. Porter's friends have decided upon
their plan of action, the objective point OF
which plan is to restore him to the army,
with the rank of Encouragement, and to vote
him the full pay of that rank from the date
OF his dismissal, which would aggregate
about $175,0O0. To accomplish this, it is
| proposed, at the coming session of Congress-
to introduce bill, with a preamble recitine
the finding of the court of inqn. "
and providing that the verdict
of the court-martial be declared null and
void. Should this bill pass, the effect would
be to place Gen. Porter where he was in the
army prior to his dismissal; that is. be
would be restored to the rank of major
general of volunteers, and to the rank OF
colonel in the regular army. If nothing fur
Their should be done by Congress, it would
be, perhaps, within the power of the
President to direct that Porter should be
mustered out as major general of volunteers
which would leave him with his rank of
colonel IN the regular army. 1T is not pro.
posed, however, by Gen. Porter's friends to
stop with the erssure of the verdict OF the
court-martial. They intend to establish him
in the army with the rank of major general
and to do this propose to pass
a bill creating an additional majo,
general, and authorizing the President
to appoint Fitz-John Porter to the
vacancy thus created. The number of major.
generals is now fixed by law at three, and, in
order to return to that number in brief
period, it is proposed that the act appointing
Porter to be major-general shall provide that
no further appointments or promotion shall
be made to that rank until the number Of
major-generals is reduced below three
which number will tie again fixed as the
maximum of that rank. This plan woulo
obviate the necessity of forcing Ger. Nc
Dowell on the retired list to make room
for Porter, and would at the same time pre-
vent the promotion of Gen. Pope, who il
first on the list of brigadier generals. Al
Gen. Pope entered the military service il
1912, he cannot be far from the age-62-
when he may be retired. 1t will be seen
therefore, that this plan would precticali,
exclude Pope from being promoted to b,
major general, because it is quite probable
he would reach the retired list before Han
cock, Schofeld or Porter, supposing tina
McDowell's retirement made room for him
Thus the effect of this plan of Porter's friend
would be to punish Gen. Pope, Will,
elevating Porter. It is hardly fair, perhaps
to intimate that such is the purpose of Por
ter's friends, but the fact that Pope is tn,
officer who brought the charges upon which
Porter was diimissed, and that the result O
that gentleman's vindication is to operate in
juriously to Pope, will lead many friends 0
that officer to infer that such purpose en-
entered into the general plans of those VIII
are seeking to restore Gen. Porter. A bite
and protracted discussion will certainly fol
low any attempt to carry out these plans.