The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-01-13
Cry GnArr,s Latter % prnsiaon. -

GEN. GRANTS letter 10 President Ar
thur in relation to the case OF Fitz
John Porter, published elsewhere in our
paper. is an instructive commentary on
the truth OF the old adage, that 'Jus-
tice travels with leaden heel" D." Nine
teen years ago Porter was tried by a
court martial tor disobedience of orders
at the second Bull Run battle and was
! found guilty and dismissed from the
army. President Lincoln refused to
I grant him a rehearing on Porter's ale
cation that testimony discovered after
the close of the war would conclusively
prove his innocence, and when Grant
became President. and a similar appli-
cation was made to him, it met with a
like refusal. Mr.. Hayes, however, to
whom the same appeal was made, ap-
pointed military board, consisting of
Generals Schofeld, Terry and Getty,
who spent months in giving the case a
thorough investigation, so that the ex-
act truth might be ascertained, They
were all strongly prejudiced against
pASc- SLO VI SllC1h EblIB 81 IdI dS W
ask to be excused from sitting on the
board for the reason that he did not
think he could do Porter Justice. They
made lengthy report to Mr.. Hayes, in
which they acquitted Gen. Porter of all
blame, basing their conclusion upon the
evidence that certain military order
sent to him by Gen. Pope, the command
ing officer, was impossible of execution.
and that POrter's refusal to attempt to
carry it ont was justified under all the
circumstances. This was POrter's con-
srant claim from the day that he was
convicted by the first court martial, and
it must be borne in mind that Lincoln
and Grant formed their opinions ad-
verse to Porter upon the testimony ia
ken before that tribunal, no after-ac-
quired evidence having been taken OF
submitted to them. Gen. Grant now
says in his letter that he spent three
full days in carefully reading and con-
sidering the testimony taken by the
Schoield Board of Inquiry, and is now
fully convinced that for nineteen years
he has been doing "a gallant and eff
cient soldier very great injustice in
thought and sometimes in speech. -
Gen. Grant admits that he had formed
his belief as to Porter's guilt from
sketch of the field Of the Bull Run bat
tie, which he now sees was totally in
correct as showing the position of the
two armies. In writing this letter at
this particular time, when a bill to put
Grant on the retired list of the army
with the usual pay is before Congress.
some persons are disposed to doubt his
and 10 impute to him a selfish
and personal motive, but Schoheld. Ter
ry and Getty were convinced of Porter's
entire innocence by the very same testi-
mony that has brought Grant to that
conclusion. 1t is not necessary to in
quire into a mans motives for his be-
lief when he bases it on facts which
have satisfied every nnprejudiced officer
in the army that Porter has been a much
injured and an innocent man. Grant,
like any other man, deserves credit for
frankly admitting even at this late day
that he was in error and that full JUS
tice should now be done to FltZ-John
Porter. II remains TO be seen what ac-
tiOn the President will take in response
n cen. Grants letter.