The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-08-20
FITz JOHN. PORTER !.

HIS Frte2ll6 .Ne~EtuO H11 kC9ttIStGteNIeN
9T.ope TnMsf 10 BE- .I'rScttcaliv Ans.waea
from, Promotion. Els s<s r
II 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 tho 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 tho mos; elaborate ex-
animation of witnesses who were &C
tive participants on both sides
in the action which result
ed in Pope's defeat at Manassas ard Por-
ter's dismissal from tho army, establishes
that the findings of the court martial which
| tried him wero not in accordance with the
real facts, however they might have been
justified by the incomplete and ex-parte evi-
dence then adduced; that the sentence of the
court was, therefore, uni just; and that the
government owes it to Gen. Porter to make
such reparation as is due him for the wrong
| inflicted. ..'.. tt.
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 ma or-general, and to vote
him the full pay of that rank from the date
of his dismissal, which would aggregate
about $175,O00. TO accomplish this, it is
proposed, at the coming session of Congress,
to introduce bill, with a preamble reciting
the finding of the court of inqn. y,
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, he
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 erasure 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
bill creating an additional major
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 Encouragement shall provide that
no further appointments or promotion shall
Horo do TO ho%~
heterogeneous is reduced below three,
which number will te again fixed as the
maximum of that rank. This plan would
obviate the necessity of forcing Ger. Nc
Douell on the retired list to make room
for Porter, and would at the same time pre-
vent the promotion of Gen. Pope, who is
first on the list of brigadier generals. As
Gen. Pope entered the military service in
1912, he cannot be far from the age-62-
when he may be retired. Il will be seen,
therefore, that this plan would pr ctically
exclude Pope from being promoted to be
major general, because it is quite probable
he would reach the retired list before Han
cock, Sch"feld or Porter, supposing that
McDowell's retirement made room for him.
Thus the effect of this plan of Porters friends
would be to punish Gen. Pope, while
elevating Porter. 1t is hardly fair, perhaps,
to intimate that such is the purpose of Por-
ter's friends, but the fact that Pope is the
officer who brought the charges upon which
Por or was diimissed, and that the result of
that gentleman's vindication is to operate in
jurlously to Pope, will lead many friends of
that officer to infer that such a purpose en-
entered into the general plans of those who
are seeking to restore Gen. Porter. bitter
and BrOtracted discussion will certainly fol-
low any attempt to carry out these plans.