The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-12
THE SENATE.


ton of the tariff on bltuminous coal; also, pc
ttien to increase the duty on Sumatra tobacco.
Mr. Edmunds, from the judiciary committee,
reported, with an amendment, a bill to amend
the act of last session amending the Revised
Statutes in reference to bigamy, aud said he
would ask Its early consideration.
At the close of the morning business. accord
ing to agreement, the bill for the relief of Fitz
John Porter was laid before the Senate. The
amendment reported from the committee on
military affairs, providing that Porter shall re-
ceive no pay or allowance prior TO his reinstate-
ment in the army, was agreed 20
Mr.. COnger moved to indefinitely postpone Che
bill.
Mr. Cameron. OF Pennsylvania spoke in favor of
the bill. He believed that General Porter had
been a loyal soldier of the Union, whose mis-
takes, II he had made any, were OF the head and
not of the heart.
He Porter never seemed to eat or to sleep,
but las eternally on the alert, cheering his men
by his zeal and his confidence, aiding the au-
thorites by advice and instructing them how to
bring order out of chaos. II became my duty to
take charge of the railroad from Harrisburg TO
Baltimore, and while so engaged an incident oe-
CURED in nay office which impressed me greatly
at the time, and which it has always seemed 10
me should atone to great extent Tor any errors
General Porter may have committed, II any, at II
later period OF the war IL was to a great eX-
tent through HIM, in my judgment, that the ser
secured to The side of the Union. Gene
raj Thomas, then Major Thomas, was
stationed at Carlisle barracks There were at the
same time two other majors or the army
stationed at the same place. I have forgotten
their names (nut that is immateral for the
records OF the War Department Will show.
When the order was received from the War
Department by a messenger who came across
the country directing Major Porter to send the
troops then at Carlisle, to Washington, with
directions to have them cut their way through.
1t ia the language of this order which makes me
say that this was one OF the darkest periods of
the war The capital of the Nation was
meHaCeU bV the canning within few
miles of 1T, and had but a handful of men for its
protection. General Porter, with n quick percep-
tion of the gravity of the situation, and
showing thorough knowledge Of the fitness of
the man for the duty to BE- performed, selected
Thomas from three majors, and ordered him to
report to him at NY office in Harrisburg, that
being General Porter's headquarters.
General Thomas arri ed there promptly the
same evening, and when informed of the duty to
be performed, Thomas hesltated, and then began
a conversation between the two officers which
continued until morning, and mada lasting i'm
preston. General Thomas argued against the
war, taking the ground that the trouble had been
brought on the country by the abolitionists of
the North, and while deplOring it as sincerely as
any man could, the South had just cause for
complaint.
General Porter took the position that he
(ThOmasl as a soldier had no rlgnt to look al the
cause OF the trouble, bnt as an officer in the
United States army 1t was his duty to defend his
flag Whenever 1t was attacked, whether by foes
from within or from without. General Porter
plead as zealously and as earnestly as ever
heard any man plead the cause in which his whole
neafb was engaged, ana 10 was TINS pleading
which caused Thomas to arrive at decision |
do not say that General Thomas refused to obey
his orders, but do that he hesitated and
would much have preferred that the duty had
devolved upon another. General Thomas
was Vlrgtnian, and had, as had many
other good and patriotic men, doubts
as to the advisabitY OF the government coerc.
ing the States back into the Union that had, by
their Legislatures, formally Withdrawn. but dur
and from that time forward there was donbt,
no hesitanoy, no wavering, but an earnest,
hearty support of the side which had for its
motto the interest of the Union, and to-day his
name ia amOug the brightest, best and purest of
Its military heroes. If Fitz John Porter was TO
any extent instrumental in saving this great
name to our list of military heroes. ask, should
not this country be grateful To him2 think 1t
should.
Mr.. Conger read a letter of General Garfield,
written in 1879 TO Captain Lee, calling the bill
for the relief of General Porter an astounding
proposition, and saying ''the bill never would
pass without calling out a review of HISTORY
which would enIighten the people On the most
disgracefui portion of our military history"
Mr.. Logan restated his views of tine law and
facts, and said: ''The senators must answer to
their constituents if they voted for This bill in
the face of the testimony. II Republican sena-
tors so voted 1t would be because certain distin-
guished gentlemen had recently taken an -in-
terest In having General Porter restored. The
restoration OF this man wOnld he the restoration
of a criminal" After further debate the motion
TO postpone indefinitely was lost-yeas "a, nays
81.
Mr.. Logan stared again, briefly, his views of
luf Gibe I0t law uuueF WHICH At6tleIal fCfI6r
was condemned made the disohedience of
lawful order of superior officer an offense, to
be punished by death or by whatever less puu-
lshment court martial might order. The
orders OF General Pope, the commanding gen
eral were lawful ORDERS, and they were dis
obey ed, and General Porter regularly tried
and condemned for his disobedience There
fore, whoever voted TO set aside the Judgment
would vote in disregard of law and the facts
He knew that since this hill was last before the
Senate, gentlemen had come from distant cities
TO talk TO senators in favor Of its passage, hat
the other hand he had received
resolutions from soldiers la many States,
among sthem the States whose Senators
supporting this bill, protesting against the
wrong which It's passage would inhiet upon the
country There was, he knew, kind OF senti-
ment prevailing Just now, which made men
willing TO ignore the law and facts, and even
stamp upon the graves of the great dead in
order to restore criminals to high places, for
this criminal convicted and con-
demned as such twenty years ago.
Mr.. LapDam SAID he could not think of voting
for a man whose dislovalty to his comma nder
was set forth as fact by board OF officers
friendly to him.
motion to postpone indefinitely, because he
thought General Porter ought TO have fair
trial, but he wonld ask to be excused from yot-
ing the main question, which he regarded as
n question entirely between officers the
Union side 10 the late war
The motion to nosJpOne the bill indefinitely
was lost-yeas 81, nays 81
Yeas-Messrs, Aldrich, Anthony, Blair, Cam
eroD, of Wisconsin; Chilcot, Gonger, Davis, of H.
Hill, Logan, McDnl Mcmillan, Miller, of Cali
fornia; Miller, of New York; Merrill, Plat,
Plumb, Rollins Sawyer, windnm-24.
Eays-Messrs Barrow Beck, Brown, Butter
Call, Camden, Cameron OF Pennsylvania
Cockrel, Coke, Davis, of West Virginia.
George, German, Groome, Hoar, Jackson, Jonas
Jones. of Florida Lamar, Malone, Maxey, Nor
gan Pendieton, Pugh, Ransom, Salisbury. Sew
ell, Slater, Vance, Vest, voorhees,, Walker
81.
The following pairs were announced: Allison
with Bayard, Farley with Ferry, Garland with
Edmunds, Grover with Van Wyck, Hampton
with Kellogg. Harris with Ingalls,, Johnston
with Mitchell, of PENNSYLVANIA; Lapham with
Mcpherson, Williams with Saunders.
Messrs. Allison, Ingalls, aud Lapham stated
that, If they were not paired they would have
voted yea.
Messrs. Farley, Garland, Grover, Hampton,
Harris, Johnston and Williams said, If they had
not been paired, they would have voted no.
Mr.. Johnston was abonJ to vote, because he did
not regard the question as political, but Mr..