The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-03
The Guilty Arsus.
ROCK ISLAND. ...........rLLrHors
The Porter Case.


The Washington correspondent of the
lineage Tribune gives report of an in
terview with Senator Randolph in relation
to the FItz John Porter case, from which
we take the following:
zen. Porter has been here during the
winter as my guest. He has apparently
very little to live for other than to secure
that justice for which he has struggled
these last seventeen years. His health is
extremely poor, and [ understand he is
affected with heart disease.
Referring to Gen. Getty, one of the Off
GERS who sat upon the recent court, Gov.
Randolph said that he had short time
since received from him what, in his
opinion. was the most manly letter he had
ever read. 1t was written in acknowledge
ment of the note from the senator accom-
panylng four bound volumes containing
the evidence and arguments heard by the
court in this case La that letter Gen.
Getty said that he felt as one who ought
to ask pardon for having done Gen Porter
the cruel wrong of having for seventeen
years believed him a traitor t6 his coun-
try. Senator Randolph expects the de
pate TO continue several days"
We now feel at liberty to state that
another member of the board of inquiry,
Gen- Ierry,was strongly prejudiced against
Porter at the outset of the investigation,
and frankly told him SO soon after the
meeting OF the board at West Point.
When the investigation was finished and
the verdict rendered, he with equal frank
ness acknowledged bis error-in language
very similar to that attributed to Gen.
Getty. As an effort is being made to give
the question partisan shape, the public
should know that all the members OF the
board-Gens. Schofield. Terry and Getty
are Republicans.
The change OF opinion which Terry and
Uetty have so generously confessed was al
so experienced by Mr. Choate of New York.
one OF Porter's counsel, Republican. and,
We believe, the law partner of Secretary
Avarts When asked to render profes
sional assistance in the case he said that,
while his knowledge of it had mainly been
derived from the newspapers. his views
were unfavorable to Porter, He thought
him guilty of the charges preferred in
1862. and Endorsed the judgment of the |
court-martial. He. however, consented to
examine the papers submitted to him, and |
that examination made him willing TO |
serve as counsel before the board of lis |
lulry. he was then told that if at any
time during the progress OF the investiga- |
sION any OF EOTter statements 70 him
should be proved untrue he might at once
abandon the case. It is unnecessary to |
say that the emergency did not arise. |
When final decision had been reached, |
and his connection with the business
ended. he declared that all of the pre-
iminary statements had not only been |
proved, but more than proved" and that |
the facts, as developed by the testimony, |
we're far stronger than had been represent
I'D to lin.
tits to be hoped there will be no further
delay IN this matter. It is
never too soon to do an act Of Justice, and |
when the victim of cruel wrong has been |
waiting patiently for seventeen years, fore |
ng him TO wait longer would be simply |
Congress cannot afford, |
he country cannot afford. to let Fitz John |
Porter go to his grave without such poor |
separation as the national legislature can |
rive him, 1t il not his honor that is at |
itake-that has been abundantly vindicat-
,d-but the honor Of the American name |
md nation,