Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1882-01-19

ana poets Will sing, though still they fall
Of telling the perfect story.
The rose will bloom and the oak will grow
10 the buds and the acorn's rueing;
And men and women will dare to love
Though love be it's own undoing.
Carlotta Perry.
GRANT AND FITZ JOAN PORTER.
Confirm reinstatement that he Believes
Porter to Have Been Cruely Wronged.
The New York Times contains an i'm
portant contribution to the Grant Fitz John
Porter matter which has just been made
public. The statement having been made
public that Gen. Grant had reached the
conclusion that Gen. F'itz John Porter was
greatly injured man, and that his convic-
ton and dismissal from the army was an
act Of fragrant injustice, and furthermore,
that he (Grant) had addressed an earnest
appeal to President Arthur in Gen. Porter's
behalf, Times reporter called upon Gen.
Grant and asked if the report was
true:
Eyes, sir, answered the general. Their
statements are correct, with the exception
that have not said anything about Gen.
Porter's restoration to the army. I am anx-
ious to see justice done to Gen. Porter's
reputation as soldier, but the question of
his being restored to the army is something
that have nothing to do with. !"
How came you to satisfy yourself that
justice had been done 10 Gen. Porter?"
well, as you probably know, had fully
made up my mind that the Judgment of the
court martial WAS a just one. Recently,
however at the request Of Gen. Porter, I
have read over all the testimony of the case,
and also the orders and reports of The con-
federate officials who were at the battle Of
Bull Run. AS I progressed in my reading I
became very much interested in the
case and found that the facts
were different from what I
have hitherto believed. 1 am OF the opin :
ion that, had all the testimony and docu-
ments now available been brought before
the court martial, there would have been
no verdict against Gen. Porter. The orders
OF the confederate generals show that the
confederate army was just where Porter
said it was, and not where the court martial
was led to believe it was. For nineteen
years have believed that the finding of the
court martial was a just one and warranted
by the facts; but now I see that am in
error, and the fact that for twelve years
when was general of the army and presi-
dent Of the United States I had it in nv
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 con-
vinced that the finding of the court martial
was wrong?"
"Oh, within the last two months. I fin
ished reading the testimony about three
weeks ago, and since then I have expressed
my convictions unreservedly to some Of my
friends. I did not expect, however, that
anything would be printed in the newspa-
pers about the matter. 1 communicated
my conclusions, after investigating the mat
ter, to Gen. Logan, who is warm personal
friend Of mine. desired him to under
stand clearly my position. I think that
Gen. Porter is entirely innocent of the
charges made against him, and am thor
oughly satisged that in Gen. Pope's cam
paign he did his duty to the very best of
his ability.
Have you written to President Arthur
about this case?"
Il must decline to say anything on that
subject. What I do or say will be made
public in due time and through the proper
channels. shall write out my views and
append my signature to them, and it is
quite likely that my statement will, in the
course Of time, find it's way into print. I
connot tell you when that statement will be
prepared"
edo you believe that Gen Porter will be
reinstated in the army?"
II think justice should be done him on
the facts as they exist. He has been great
ly Wronged, and there is scarcely any re-
paratlon that can entirely compensate him
FOR these many years of Misrepresentation
OF course the first step to be taken, pro-
vldlng the government can be brought to
see the matter in the same light that do,
is to restore to Gen. Porter his good name
and give him back mis- reputation as sold
Ter, so that neither himself nor his family
need longer suffer humiliation and dishon-
Or. Ultimately he may be restored to the
army, but that is point that I do not care
to talk about
What do you think. general, of the rule
that a soldier should always obey ord
ers?"
Sometimes it may become the duty Of a
soldier to disobey orders. For instance a
commanding general may send an order to
a subordinate who is long distance off
He may not be fnlly acquainted with the
condition of affairs at the place where his
subordinate is, or during the transmission
of the order circumstances may have taken
an entirely different phase. Such things
have been known to happen, and very often.
Therefore it becomes Che bounden duty Of
the subordinate to disobey orders. BeingII
in possession of knowledge of which his
superior is not and perhaps cannot be, he
should exercise his own judgment and do
what may seem to him to be right.