National Republican., 1882-12-21
Porter and Pope.

lence merits. Failing of all argument in
favor of this relic of the civil war, our
esteemed noghbor makes a mighty effort to
be facetious He says:
1.-THE renowned knight of La Mancha was not
more fortunate in having CERvANrEs for the his.
torian of his glorious deeds than is Gen. Pore in
having his Virginia campaign written up by our
stalwart neighbor, whose pen is inoomparably
mightier than the sword of his hero ever was"
Our thanks are due for this comparison
with CERvANTEs, who was one of the most
potent writers of his age. Our neighbor does
us honor overmuch, and we shall endcavor to
deserve the reputation, for no mightier blows
did the author of "Don Quixote" rain upon
the knight errantry of the middle ages than
we would desire to infiict upon the gigantic
knight errantry of wrong of which the re-
doubtable PORTER is the embodiment. 1t is
this NATTER for that is all tho claimant
claims 1t is q matter of regret that he
does not vary the monotony of his
annual plant and call for mercy for that we
could the more cheerfully advocate Before
this matter has eliminated, it shall be our
mated in August, 1862, was Matching for months
on the threshold of the white house, and ap-
preaching fruition amidst the swamps of the
Chickahominy. 1t can be demonstrated that
if the corps under the command of IRWIN
MCDOWELL had been sent to tho natty little
Napoleon before Richmond, SToNEwALL
JACKSON would have ridden ahead of his
troops in grand review up Pennsylvania
avenue three years earlier than did the boys
in blue. JOSEPH Z. JOHNSTON undoubtedly
the ablest strategist in the southern army
was in command before Richmond. He is
yet alive, and may see fit to speak
in time. He is natural born
gentleman and will not willingly betray his
friends, MCCLELLAN, PORTER, ct al, but it is
not much of secret to-day that it was his
plan that MCDOWELL should so to McCLEL-
Ian. 1t was his campaign that the army OF
the Potomac was fighting, and not their own,
but the gallant fellows who gave up their
limbs and lives on the peninsula did not
know it. 1t was MCCLELLAN's complaint
that MCDOWELL was withheld and his plans
therefore destroyed, yet all the while Gen
JOHNSTON was waiting and JACKSON was
praying for the very movement which the
autocratic commander recommended.
Let cavilers sneer at JOHN POPE, if they
will, it is q fact of recorded history that his
advent in Virginia was the event which saved
this capital from spoliation and made confed,
crate success an impossibility. In this we
would not ignore the yeoman service of IRWIN
Mcdowell, whose sturdy patriotism and
splendid Judgment made Pores operations
possible, but we do assert that Gen
Pore was the stumbling block in the way
of more far-reaching conspiracy than
has yet been suspected by the public
but which will, in the near future be un
earthed. 1t is true that POPE was conceitcd
over his recent successes in the New Madrid
campaign and that he was uncouth and boor
ish in his conduct but he was good general
who fought waiting and thankless cam
paign, which saved the capital and the nations
cause, thereby making Vicksburg, Gettys
burg, the march to the sea, Cedar creek, ant
Appomattox possible. Because he was Glib
raltar against which evil intent wrecked it
self, the petty plotter who commanded tn,
army of the Potomac wanted him " to get on
of his scrape" without any aid from the ten
of thousands of veterans who would hav,
gladly supported him.
The last gun of the peninsular campaign
was fired early in July, 1862. Why wa
it that six weeks were required to NOV,
the army of the Potomac from that poin
to the new field of contest? The boy
could have marched that distance and Tough
their way in less time GRANT moved from
the Wilderness to Cold harbor between Ma,
A and May 81, 1864, and his troops were dali.
in the blaze and roar of the most hotly con
tested battles of the war. But GRANT mean
war, while MCCLELLAN meant dogged oh
stinacy and criminal negligence. His poo
henchman, who comes here begging justice
might easily awaken sympathy if he woul'
but down on his knees and sue for pardon
instead. He was loyal to his military joss
! but disloyal to the flag under which he hat
| fought because of his animus toward his com
mander, Pope.
Our neighbor will show us kindness if h
will continue to remind us of this subject
lest in the multiplicity of affairs we SHOULD
neglect it. Facts and figures yet to com
will probably prove satisfactory to our Quix
otto neighbor, and even he may become con
vinced, against his WILL that FITz-JoHN PoR
TER is not good subject for a democrati
campaign issue.