St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-01-21
THE FIIZ JOHN PORTER CASE.

THE FlEZ JOHN PORTER CASE.
General Porter's Appeal in His Own BEHALF.
General Grants Recent Letter to the
President.
The following correspondence of general in
terest, has recentlf been made public:
GENERAL PORTER 5 APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT
NEW YORK, December23, 1851.
To the President Washington, D. c.:
SIR respectfully represent that. in Janu-
airy. 1863, by >urt-martial, | IVES me s. uniuslv
declared guilty of charges against me, and SEN
fenced Ito be cishicred and forever disGuali-
fled from holding any office of trust or pfoft
under the Government of the United Stttes''
From the PRONUNCIATION of the verdict of that
court | have protested my innocence of all
wrong done, and asserted the injustice of the
sentence. and. presenting sustaining evidence
/ have from time to time urged Il rehraring. In
1873 the President, in ordt L 10 be fully Informed
of the facts of tEe case, and to be enabled to act
advisedly upon my application for rtii"f, ap-
pointed Il board of army officers TO examine into
the merits of the cas- :, and report what action
if any, in their opinion, Justice required
should be taken on my application. That
Board, after thorough examination into the
facts of the case vindicated me in every re-
spect, and reported that. in their opinion, JUS
tee required at the hands of the President
such action as may be necessary to annul and
set aside the find nps and sent@nc of the court
martial, and restore me to the positions of
which that sentence deprived me-such resto-
ration to take effect from the date Of dismissal
from the service. And now respectfully and
urgently represent that the sentence is "a
continuing sentence, and so long as it exists it
is within the reach and under the con-
troll OF the Executive power; that, harsh
and burdensome originally, and lasting
through many years, it is, for strong
and action of the Executive, now that it is
proved to have been fFsnded in error and to
be unjust; and respectfully ask you, If con-
WINGED of the justice of the recommendation
of the Advisory Board, to annul and set aside
the findings and sentence of the cOurt-nartial,
and nominate me to the Senate for the restora-
ton of my rank in the army under the act of
Congress of 1865 allowing that mode of redress
of the wrong committed by the court-martial.
And this i ask not merely in justice to me and
those most dear to me, but in Justice to the
army to which belonged, and which has ever
believed in me, and to the Government which
honored and trusted me: Very respectfully
yours, FITZ JOHN PORTER.
GENERAL GRANT TO PRESIDENT ARTHUR.
NEW YORK, December 81, 1851.
The President, Washington, d. c.:
DEAR SIR: AT the request of General FitZ
John Porter have recently reviewed his trial
and the testimony furnished before the
Schotield court of inquiry held in 1879, giving
to the subject three full days of careful read
ing and confederation, and much thought in
the Intervening time. The reading of the
whole of this record has thoroughly convinced
me that, for these nineteen years, have been
doing gallant and efficient soldier very great
injustice, in thought, and sometimes . speech.
l feel it incumbent upon me now tS5ao what
hin, an md from his family the stain ,,nnn
h hih I'D rru,m n feai This more inc1m elm
bent UPON me than IS.aould if I'D been a.
corns Commander only. or occupying any 9th
". o,,,,a,,d IL, The aru than the which
T, did INIT as Ganarai had If nossiblv in nv
no,var To- ~ have attained for him the heariny
tHrbich no only oot Of a later dav. and as pres,.
Gt ne oy got I'D ID 4a a 10 has ns nar.
ad +ho+ haorngy In insf;f;cation FOR NV in
i'sti"a ~ Ganara, Porter can only stare that
shortls-sfter the war closed. his defense was
brollp,.. to nv attention, but read it in con-