The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-30
XLVII. CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION .
SENATE.

01ALn a
Washington, 29.-The bill to pro-
vide for the per ormance of the du-
ties of President in case of inabjl-
ity, resignation OF death of the
President and NIce-Presideat. was
taken up.
Discussion continued till 2 O'clock
when the FitZ John Porter bill was
discussed and Logan addressed the
Senate.
Logan made an argument in OppO
siti0n 10 the bill. He held while
Congress had power 70 reinstate
Porter, it had no right to review
the court martiaps finding in dis
missing him. Sc0Geid'S board which
reviewed the case, was without
authority Of law, and Pope did right
IN not appearing before it. Ills
difficult to tell, from the report.
whether the trial was of Porter or of
Pope; the board evidently did not
read the record. The order sent to
Porter to attack was not to s'attack''
JohnSOn'S right flank, but 60 to the
right flank, or rear of the enemy,
which was commanded by Long
street. Grant, in bis published
article, fell into the same error.
The board said PorteI's conduct
there saved the army; the fact was
nearly the whole OF the confederate
army attacked Pope's $1,000 men
while Porter was lying by with A.
600 with arms stacked. If the
whole Union army had stacked
arms, nobody would have been hurt,
but Porter didn't save the army by
stacking his arms. The board went
upon an erroneous theory of the
finding Of the court martial, Uased
on reports OF August 3Sth instead
Of the goth; the board perverted
and distorted evidence in every
way. There was q reason
| for this. At the time the
board organized Mcdowell was CT
age to retire. with Pope as next
ranking officer; two members of the
| board were applicants for his place
| UP to the time Of POpe's nomination
| and confirmation a constant wal
was waged on him with view Of
| breaking him down to somebody
eise'S advantage. In the effort tC
make a case for Porter it was said
| that President Lincoln was con
| WINGED that the finding Of the court
martial was wrong and intended tx
give him new trial. This cOul(
not be true. Lincoln knew he haC
no such power; moreover, he haC
been told that Robert Lincoln haC
said that the case was one which il
. his estimation would be Justified il
the sentence of death. It is not trut
that President Carried repented hi;
action in the court martial, as tn,
speaker knew from conversation
with him. Logan had a letter from
Garfield TO General Cox, of Ohio, OF
, the subject read in confirmation O
Porter's letters to Burnside, shown,
his animus toward Pope. Logan in
} tinated that Porter was responsible
for the defeat Of Mcdowell at tn
fist battle Of Bull Run, because h
persuaded Patterson not to attacl
Joe Johnson in the Valley of Vir
, ginia. johnson by q move from
: Winchester defeated Mcdowell, bu
If Patterson had attacked him b
would have been kept in the valley
j.. So Porter lost both battles at Bul
Bun just because the army in eacl
!, was commanded by a western mar
2 The fact was that Mcclellan, Porte
I and several others who could b
named, formed a little ooterie o
!. regular army officers in the army G
the east; one of them was to be pre-!
ident and the others to be God onl
9 knows what, but it was understOo
! among them even az early as tn
: first battle Of Bull Run that q
!; western man should command g
g eastern army. Speaking of Porter
d failure to obey Pope's orders [
, march for Brlstow station at
8 o'clock in the morning, Logan sait
j. You may search military histoI
a from Cyrus and Alexander down
q the present time and this is the on
instance you will find where q SUI
u ordinate ever sent word
e his superior officer to clet
I. the way for him so
k could move qaughteD and thel
y never was a commanding Office
:; except General Pope, who woul
Of not have removed the sub0rdinat
IT from his command for sending hill
such message. General GraI
20 had said recently that Porter ceul
e not move because the road was o.
TO structed, That great comm ande
a. Logan said, held different opin;C
10 on the subject of marching in Spi
e. of obstacles when he had our armi
a, in the field and in support Of til
IS statement he read from Badear
Is, Military History several instanc
ID of forced marches made or order
re by General Grant, one being ca
IN where the troops had little or !
nt rest for a week. A friend now 81
M before me, sid Logan, pointing
he Miller (Cala), who marched O,
m rainy night with 5000 men to G
OF pose S0,oee and held them there U
III til the general could come to !
on relief. (Murmurs of applaus
us Mcpherson said General Gre
II stated as enc reason for favori
De the bill that the m0u nted off
who brought the order to Gene
ne Porter was three hours upon
srs read in daylight, owing to its
We structed condition and he ash
Logan whether this was or was
true, Logan reDlied if the Off