National Republican., 1882-12-13
The EitZ-LOhn Porter Cnae.

Inc fuI-JOhh EOTtcr SbSes
Current comment compels notice of this
bill of relief which annually consumes tho
| time and attention of congress. The Times, of
| Philadelphia, begs for notoriety in the matter,
in the statement that Gen. PORTER is out in
the cold waiting for q hearing According to
Senator LoGANs views this is justice But
for this same Senator LOGAN the PORTER re-
lief bill would now be under consideration.
His objection has again put it off for time.
Against the opinions of the foremost military
minds he has brought to bear all the animosity,
all the malignity all the discarded evidence
that he can summon" 1t may not be inap-
propriate to say that "this is justice" and can
be called by no other name than justice.
| If Mr., PORTER were to come to the
congress of the United States, and, as an old
man, beg for ENERGY" the status might be
different But he marches into the lobby and
almost upon the floors of the deliberative as
semblies and demands "justice." That and
that only shall he have. 1t is just and right
that we should say that from the time when
President LINCOLN said, "If MCCLELLAN can
not use his army, should like to borrow it
of him." and thereafter sent him peremptory
orders to move his grand army from
Washington toward the enemy; from that
| time through the disgraceful farces enacted
before Yorktown at Williamsburg, and up the
Peninsula to the gates of Richmond; thence
from the unmiltary straddle of the Chicka-
hominy back over the route of the "masterly
retreat" to Harrison's landing, Mr.. PORTER
rendered his country some service. 1t is but
just to say that in those bloody months of
May, June, and July, 1862, this applicant for
justice was careful officer and trustworthy
soldier. As much can be said, and should be
said, for BENEDICT ARNOLD for his services,
not of three months, but of five years. But
when the defeated battalions of the army of
the Potomac were transported to the scene of
actual warfare under an aggressive comman-
der the whole aspect of affairs was
changed. The commander of that splendid
army had impressed this entire nation
with his incompetence and inability to
successfully enact the role of the "Young
Napoleon" and he had at the same time con-
vinced his immediate subordinates that they
were not to blame, but that the fault of failure
rested with tho administration which failed
to uncover Washington city to the enemy and
send the corps of IRWIN MCDOWELL to assist
in their bloody failures. Every general officer
in that army was carefully interviewed and i'm
pressed with feeling of hostility toward
President LINCOLN and the War department.
Almost every one of them was imbucd with
spirit of war, not on the common
enemy, but upon the administration.
Others were of mental caliber such as
enabled them to rise above this impress
sion, but FITz-JoHN PORTER was imbued
with the idea that the war was primarily for
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of McCLELLAN, and
secondarily for the upholding of the national
supremacy in tho rebellous states. Gems.
HOOKER, BURNSIDE, CASEY, and Others
marched to the sound of cannon at times
without awaiting orders, just as did DEssAIX
when he hurried to the field and saved the
day at Marengo. But it took full week for
FRANKLIN to move his corps six miles, from
Alexandria to Annandae and it seemed an
impossibility to get PORTER within speaking
distance. While the clouds of dust
and smoke fOated over the horizon
whence came tho rattle and clatter of
musketry and tho hoarse tones of the
deep-mouthed field-pieces, this man PORTER,
who wants and so eagerly demands "justice,"
quietly and calmly awaited orders to move to
the assistance of his comrades, who were being
slaughtered by overwhelming numbers; and
when the decisive orders did come, he rested
in peace, determined to "let Pore get out of
his scrape" without any assistance from him.
When the sun sank to rest on the evening of
the 30th of August, 1862, there was not a pri-
vate in the ranks of that division but knew
that his last beams rested upon the bleeding
forms of thousands of their comrades who
died in a hopeless contest because of the dis
obedience of their commander, PORTER.
If this man were to come to the congress of
the United States at this late date, when the
passions of war are lulled to slumber by lapse
of years and when spirit of paciflcation is
abroad in the land, and plead for restoration
to his former rank as an act of mercy, plead
ing in extenuation his infatuate friendship
for his deposed chief, his attitude would pro-
woke pity, and mayhap, the pardon which
he does not deserve. 1t needs no argu-
ment to convince those who are fa-
miliar with tho history and tempera-
ment of the man that, had the sorely-
pressed army been commanded by McCLEL-
Lam, instead of POPE, PORTER would have
been in the midst of the carnage doing valiant
service to his commander and to his country,
1t may safely be said that in this whole mat
| ter Gen, LOGAN is actuated neither by "ani-