, 1882-03-11
Aner Many Years.

President Arthur has added another to
the bold and righteous acts of his admin
istration by deciding that tardy justice
,hau be done 10 Fitz John Porter. The
matter has apparently been under consid-
Grafton by the Cabinet for some time.
II i, now announced with certainty that
the President has decided upon the res
torstion of Gen. Porter 10 the rank from
which he was deposed twenty years ago
by the grossest perversion Of Justice IN
the history of the war. The restoration
is to be accomplished by nomination to
the Senate for the first vacancy IN the
rank of colonel in the regular army, which
Cen. Porter held at the time Of his court
martial and dismissal The nomination,
it is considered by the Cabinet, VIII carry
A pardon and removal of the disabilities
imposed by the court martial with 1t, and,
upon confirmation, Gen. Porter will
stand as nearly where he did before hi:
dismissal as it is possible to place him
after twenty years of delay and unmer'
tied disgrace. The only question not set
tied in the Cabinet discussion Is the
amount of back pay due Gen Porter upon
his restoration to the army. When cash
tered he held the rank of colonel in the
regular army and major general OF volun-
teers. The volunteer force ceased to tx
ist IN 1866, four years after. The cues,
ton to be decided is whether he can
claim pay as a major general to the date
of his restoration, OF for four years only
and pay as a colonel for the rest of the
time As soon as the attorney general
shall render his decision upon this point,
the executive action contemplated VIII be
taken and, the Senate consenting, all that
human Justice can do to right a twenty
years wrong will be done. All that car
be done. however, will be small recon-
pense for the cruel injustice that has eaten
out the best years OF Porter's life, robbed
him of all an honorable soldier aspires to
and condemned him to a career of dull
inaction, embittered by ranking senst
Of undeserved disgrace, instead of the
bright course of glory and usefulness tha
| seemed to lie before him twenty year:
| ago. The government he served, and
| which betrayed and deserted him, canno
repay Gen. Porter for the loss its betraya
cost him. Money and rank cannot re
compense him for wasted years and los
opportunities. The United States owe
| Gen. Porter more than it can ever pay
1t can at the best only redeem its owl
| honor from a black stain and cleanse th'
name he must soon leave to his childie,
! from an unmerited blot. 1t does not be
come the government 10 count the cost o
the small measure of justice 1t Is able Il
grant Gen. Porter has never made
question of money Of his appeal for JUS
tice. But the nation cannot afford to d.
less than cheerfully grant to him tn
largest sum he can technically claim
whether it be pay as colonel or general
The bold and upright course taken b,
President Arthur in this matter, IN tn
face of the interested plotters who mad
Porter their scapegoat and the demagogue
and shallow fools who echo their shibbo
leth Of traitor, adds new honor to hi
bold and upright conduct OF public affair
and give him new clam to the conf
dence and esteem of the country, Their
should be no question of Porter's con
firmation by the Senate when he sLall b.
nominated Pioneer Press Rep