Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-04


be made, the Republican Congress had
bravely voted for large appropriations.
On every stump in the North, Democratic
speakers had assailed the Republican
party for that vote.
(Several Democrats-ssNo.w we did not.',)
Mr.. Randall cOntroverted the assertion
that the Democratic party had not given
/ that consideration to the interests of the
Mississippi river which they deserved.
Mr.. Cox, Of New York, said that he
recognized the economy of the distin-
gulshed gentleman from New Jersey { Mr..
R0besOn) the accepted leader of the other
side, who was never so much of a leader
as in defeat, for he stood his defeat and
the rest did not. He Mr.. RObesOn)
had the courage Of his convictions, for he
was convicted, while the rest had not
been. The gentleman had given the House
Mr.. Burke's definition of economy, but he
did not draw his lessons of economy from
Burke. The Republicans got their les
sons Of economy from the man who killed
the President, while he babbled, as men
babble to-day, of a future glory i'm store
for them, ''Glory, glory, / am going to
| the LOrdy. and I'm so glad" Kisses on
the Republican side.
Mr.. Humphrey, of WiscOnsin-Let him
| sing the Democratic song.
Mr.. COX-The Democratic song is 'sHail
Columbia" This was the song sung by a
L
| his babbling, gave the same sort of voice
/ you have given here to-day to your claim
| to have been murdered in your politics
because you are so piOus and good. MIR.
l Cox then went on to say that the Demo-
cratic party was in favor of the improve
ment Of the Mississippi river.
The consideration of the bill was prac-
| tically concluded with the exception of
the compensation allowed TO the Pacific
| railroads for transportation, and the COM
mittee rose.
The Committee on Appropriations re-
| ported the District of Col .mbia appropri-
alton bill, and ii was referred to the COM
mittee Of the whole. 1t apprOpriates
| about 1880, 900, a decrease of $50, 900 from
the appropriation of the current year.
Adjourned.
LOGAN-BROwN.
In the debate on the Fitz John Porter
bill in the Senate to-day Mr.. Logan said
that the votes already taken on the bill
showed that the Senators were prepared
to restore TO the army men who had been
false to the government in its struggle
against the rebellion. He appealed to Mr..
Brown to know whether he (Brown) had
read the testimony in the Porter court
martial case.
Mr.. Brown expressed his regret that
Mr.. Logan should accuse Senators who
favored this bill of acting from prejudice,
and said that, as he had been singled out
by that Senator, he would say few words
about his own action upon the questions
growing out of the war.
He reminded the Senator that he had
earnestly supported Mr.. LOgan's bill to
restore General Grant to the position of
General of the army, and said he had
taken pleasure in so acting as to show
that he believed that the war was entirely
over. Coming to matter more closely
connected with the pending case, ne had
strongly favored the promotion of General
Pope as Major General. General Pope
had been in Georgia as Mill
tary Dictator, and had behaved as
well as anybody could behave
in that position, and, although he had
been leading Federal officer, he Mr..
Brown took pride in his elevation. As to
the case of Gen. Porter, he regarded trial
by court martial as an unnatural mode of
criminal proceeding, and he applied the
rule usually applied in such cases, and
gave the accused the benefit of the doubt.
He understood that to be the fundamental
principle of the highest of American
! laws.
Mr.. Frye-It must be reasonable
doubt.
Mr.. Brownies. it must be a reason
able doubt, and think there is a reason
able-a very reasOnable-dOubt in this
case, and while the Senator from Illinois
I { Mr.. Logan has made a strong case from
his standpoint, the doubt in my mind is
increased by the action of the SchOfeld
board. l know something of General
Terry, who was on that board.
! He too. was one of our Military DictatOrs
and regard him as very high toned and
honorable soldier and gentleman. The
I honorable Senator from Connecticut Mr..
| Hawley) tells us that General Terry went
| upon that board against his own pro-
| test, that he told the President
that his mind was made up that
/ Porter was guilty. Yet he came off
| the board with the recommendation
/ that he be relieved from the penalties in
I flicted upon him by the court martial.
/ The action of that board has much to do
with raising the doubt in my mind.
I Above all is the opinion of General Grant,
/ who, no matter which side he belonged to
/ as military man, has probably
/ had few supeTiOrs in the world. When
D Gen. Porter was convicted the evidence
/ from the Confederate side was, of course,
I inaccessible, but the Schofield board and
/ General Grant have had the benefit of all
/ the evidence, and they have both come to
Z the conclusion that the finding of the
court martial was erroneous, not owing
/ to any fault on the part Of the members
I Of the court, but because they
l had not all the facts before
/ them. When this case was before the
/ Senate on former occasion l read most
/ of the testimony, and from what l have
read and from the judgment of the
/ Schofield board and of General Grant, /
/ have come to the conclusion that there is
I reasonable dOubt-a strongly reasonable
I dOubt-Of General Porter's guilt, and 1
/ shall give him the benefit of that doubt i'm
I the vote that east in this case; and while
some of my colleagues on this side of
3 the chamber may be satisfied beyond
doubt that he is not guilty, probably
others who vote in his favor entertain the
/ reasonable doubt that / do, and give him
/ the benefit as | do, ] feel it my duty
/ disposition to harrow up the feelings
1 Of anybody North or South. l know there
{ is a strong feeling at the North in one
/ quarter in Gen. POrter's favor, and L have
] no doubt that there may be in another
J. quarter an equally strong feeling against
( him: but that shall not influence me one
way or the other, and ] think that the
/ course take upon this question will do
much to harmOnize public feeling and
meet popular expectation North and
/ South.
As to Union soldiers and their pensions,
which have been referred to, l have this
/ to saw on behalf Of the Democratic party
| here: We have not thrown any obstacles
( in the way of the acts of Congress that
3 nave ADLGu lutuu FAtosvVofVoo. " AAOA
/ the South, re who were rebels,
I we who fought the government, when we
I believed we were right, we NEc were
! conquered and who surrendered uncondI-
I tionallv. have come back to our allegiance
7 and have done it honestly, determined to
vie with you who are Northern men and
were in the Union armies in patriotism
/ and everything else that is necessary
to build up this country and TO MAKE the
/ United States a great nation, and SO ae-
cepting the situation we have not hesl-
/ tafe6 TO vote with no niggard hand pen
| siOns to the soldiers of your armies when
I the poor men in our own section who SUI
fered as muca could have none. Therefore
think with all Difference that the Senator
from Illinois Mr.. Logan does AS on this
occasion injustice, when he attributes
our vote TO aRy improper motives, any
disposition to deal unjustly or to
make war upon any Northern sentiment.
Mr.. Logan said he was glad that his re-
marks had led Mr.. Brown to make his
speech, but he still insisted that the
passage of this bill would be the begin
ming of the reversal of the acts OF author
ities done during the war.
AUGUSTA AND KNOXVILLE.