Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-03
v1ND1CAT1ON OF PORTER.
GEN. GRANT NOW THINKS THAT DE-
MAS BEEN WRONGED.
The Ex-President Reviews the Case and
Changes His Mind After
NiuAte0n Years


Nineteen Years.
To a N. Y. Times reporter who yester.
day asked Gen. Grant if he had recently
reached the conclusion that Gen. Fitz
John Porter was a greatly injured man,
and that the conviction and dismissal
of the latter from the army was
an act Of iiagrant injustice, he said i: Gas
you probably know, l had fully
made up my mind that the judgment of
the court-martial was a just one. Re.
Gently however, at the request of Gen.
Porter, have read over all of the testi-
mony and also the orders and reports of
the Confederate officers who were at the
second battle of Bull Run. As progress
cd in my reading became very much in
terested in the case and found that the
facts were very different from what have
hitherto believed. am of the opinion that
had all of the testimony and documents
now available been brought before the
court-martial there would have been no ver-
dict against Gen. Porter. The orders of the
Confederate generals show that tho Con-
federate army was just where Porter said it
was and not where the court. martial was
led to believe it was. For 19 years have
believed that the finding of the court was a
just one and warranted by the facts. But
now see that am in error. and the fact
that for 12 years, when was general of
the army and president of the United
States, l had it in my power to do Gen.
Porter justice and did not, makes me feel
under obligations to do all that possibly
can to remove the odium and disgrace
from him now."
"How long is it since you became
convinced that the finding of the court
martial was wrong?'
"Oh, within tho last two months. |
finished reading the testimony about three
weeks ago, and since then ! have ex-
pressed my convictions unreservedly to
some of my friends. l did not expect,
however, that anything would be printed
in the newspapers about the matter. l
communicated my conclusions, after in
vestigating the matter, to Gen. Logan,
who, as warm personal friend of mine, l
desired to understand clearly my position.
think that Gen. Porter is entirely limo
cent of the charges made against him, and
am thoroughly satisfied that in Gen. Pope's 8
campaign he did his duty to the very bes t
of his ability"
"Have you written to President Arthur
about this case?"
II must decline to say anything on that
subject. What do or say will all be
made public at the proper time and
through the proper channels. shall write
out my views and append my signature to
them, and it is quite likely that my state
ment will, in the course of time, find its
way into print. l cannot tell you when
that statement will be prepared"
"Do you believe that Gen. Porter will
be reinstated in the army?''
:,1, ocl~ 1>o kho
facts rs they exist. He has been greatly
wrongcd, and there is scarcely any repara
tion that can entirely compensate him for
humiliation. OF course, the first step to
be taken, providing that the government
can be brought to see the matter in the
same light that I do, is to restore to Gen.
Porter his good name and give him back
his reputation as a soldier, so that neither
himself nor his family need longer suffer
humiliation and dishonor. Ultimately he
may be restored to the army, but that is
point do not care to talk about"
"What do you think, general, of the
rule that soldier should always obey
orders 20
Sometimes it may become the duty of
a soldier to disobey orders. For instance,
4 commanding general may send an order
to n subordinate who is long distance off.
He may not DO fully acquainted with the
condition of affairs at the place where his
subordinate is, or during the transmits
sion of the order circumstances may have
taken on an entirely different phase.
Such things have been known to happen,
and very often, therefore, it becomes the
bounden duty of the subordinate to dis
obey orders. Being in possession of knowl-
edge of which his superior is not, and, per.
haps, cannot be, he should exercise his
own judgment and do what may seem to
him to be right"
" Do you now understand that Gen. Por-
ter failed to obey Gen. Pope's orders ?"
g [ did SO understand for 10 years, but
now I understand that he did not disobey
orders. However, am not desirous of
saying anything about the merits of the
case in detail until I do SO over my own
signature"