Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-01-12
TARDY JUSTICE.
L TRAVELS WITH A LEADEN HEEL

II TRAVELS WITH A LEADEN HEEL.
Cameron Pleads Cor Fitz-John Porter and
the Bill for His Restoration Passes
the Senate.
Washington Dispatch to the Times.
The interest taken in the Fitz John
Porter case was manifested on Thursday
by the crowds which packed the Senate
galleries as early as eleven o'clock. 1t
was generally understood that there
would be i. short debate before the final
vote was reached and not even the iuele.
| ment weather deferred hundreds of ee-
gantly dressed ladies from gracing the
scene. 1t was conceded when the debate
closed that Senator Cameron, OF Pennsyl-
vania, had fully sustained his position by
his remarks and carried off the honors of
the occasion, He stated that he was not
in the habit of explaining his vote, but he
thought that the subject under considera-
| tion demanded that he should state facts
which came under his observation which
| proved General Porter at the darkest
| moment of our great struggle to be rs
patriotic as any man in the history of the
| nation. He then detailed the circum-
| stances under which Porter. in April,
| 1861, then major on General Scott's
! staff, was sent to Harrisburg to aid the
| state authorities OF Pennsylvania. in
organizing and forwarding troops to the
| seat Of war.
| In support of the ability and zeal mani
tested by General Porter, Mr. Cameron
related an incident which occurred in his
Office by which, he asserted, the services
Of General George II. Thomas were secured
to the side of the Union. Mr.. Cameron's
| story substantially OF this Incident was ::
General Thomas, then Major Thomas, was
| stationed at Carlisle barracks. When al
order was received from the war depart
ment directing Major Porter to send the
troops then at Carlisle to Washington,
with directions to have them cut their way
through. Porter, with quick perception
I Of the gravity Of the situation and show
ing thorough knowledge of the fitness of
the man for the duty to DO performed,
selected Thomas and ordered him to re-
port to him at Harrisburg. Thomas ar
rived there promptly the same evening.
When informed of the duty to be perform
ed Thomas hesitated and then began a.
conversation between the two officers
which continued until morning.
Thomas argued against the war, taking
the ground that the trouble had been
l
tionists OF the North, and that while de-
plOring it as sincerely as any man could.
the South lad just cause for complaint
Porter took the position that he, Thomas
as a soldier, had no right to look at the
cause of the trouble, but as an officer Of
tho United States army it was his duty to
defend his flag whenever it was attacked,
whether by foes from without or from
within. Porter pleaded as zealously, as
eloquently rs ever any man pleaded a
cause in which his whole heart was
engaged, and it was this pleading which
caused Thomas to arrive at decision.
Thomas hesitated and would have pre-
ferled that the duty had devolved upon
another.
Thomas was Virginian and had doubts
as to the advisability OF the government
coercing the states back into the Union
that had by their Legislatures formally
withdrawn, but having that night decided
to remain with the Union from that time
forward there was 10 doubt, no hesitancy,
no wavering, but an earnest, hearty sup
port to the side which had for it's motto
the maintenance of the Union.
In concluding Mr.. Cameron said that
lie believed General Porter to have been a
loyal soldier of the Union, and that what
ever mistakes he made were of the head
and not Of the heart. He knew there was
a prejudice against Porter in the minds of
many good people, and illustrated this
feeling by the following: GAS to Fitz
John Porter's action at the second battle
of Bull Run, for which he was tried, |
confess my inability to judge. Able mil
itary men differ, both sides in my belief,
being equally sincere in their convictions
and both sides being anxious to do Porter
justice, and justice only, as they view
his acts"
Logan replied to Cameron, denouncing
Porter bitterly. at u few minutes after
o'clock the bill went to i vote and was
passed by vote of 33 yeas to 81 nays.
Cameron, Hoar and Sewell were the only
Republicans voting in the affirmative.
The opponents OF Fitz John Porter are
not particularly cast down over the pas
sage of the relief bill i'll the Senate, be-
cause they think they have it so fixed in
the House that the matter will never come
up for action and it will die with this Con
gress. There is similar bill pending in
the House, which was referred to the
committee on military affairs and placed
in the hands Of a sub committee consist
ing of Messrs. Spooner, McCOok, Steele,
Sparks and Bragg. A majority of this
committee-the three first named-are
opposed to Porter. The full committee is
also opposed to Porter as things now
stand. Unless, therefore. some sudden
conversions, like that of Senator Hoar,
should ba made, the continued sleep of
the bill is assured. The Senate bill will
now 60 to the speakers table, where, with
the speaker friendly to it, it might be SO
arranged to come up for action. The op-
ponents of Porter, however, assert that
the attitude OF Speaker Keifer is salts
factory to them, and they have no un-
| easineSS on that score.
| REUNITED EY CHILD.
| Family Es,ranSemenr Ended Through
| Love For tho Only Son.
| d. Runne'l, of Carbondale, at one
/ t,nn y raS;aent Of Port IeruiS xrhila tharo