National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-28

greater, aud more binding duty than hdeuty 10 |
his commanding officer and to his country.
He referred to the correspondence between |
zen. Pope aud Cen Grnnt in 1874, IN whCn tne |
latter said that be had read Gen. porors defense,
and concluded that no new facts were developed |
that could be fairly considered and that II was OF
doubtful legality whether by the mere authority
OF the executive rehcRring could pc gwen;
lie also read letter from Gen, Garfield, conclnd- |
ing MS follows. The SChOteld board nave recon-
mSsnded and the house Gommlt a on ro m,iy
TO pass law annulling and setting aside as VOID
the lawful sentcucc o. court. martial executed
more than sixteen years ago. OF course thGy
thereby virtually condemn the court and Presi-
deut Lincoln II seems to me the very extreme
to which party passion can CO. TMSy T nSVss
will enlghten the people nfrcsh on the most dis
graceful portion of our military history.
He concluded ms follows
But lot us see who arc supporting this bill and
urging the re-appointmCnt of FiA-John Porter;
l. is the followers of Mcclellan, whose removal
and hatred. Who was Mcclellan? He was tho
man who. after he was displaced, was taken ny
by the "copperheads' and the "Sons of Liberty"
and the men who were opposed 70 putting down
the rebellion, and run rs a candidate for prest-
dent against Abraham Lincoln.
Mr.. Brumm Put up by the men in favor OF an
arinistiCc with the enemy.
Mr.. Thomas. Who else are supporting this bill ?
great number of the men who come up lerc
now and propose by their votes to sustain Fitl.
John Porter, who propose to cast shadow OF
disgrace on the memory of Abraham lincoln,who
| propose thereby to dshonOr Erwin NJ. stanton
and the metnbers of the court martial, are the
men who stood in tho rebel ranks, arrayed against
their country and their, countrys flag, shouting
As then, so now, we lind the came men follow
| ing Little Mac aud Fiz.John Porter. And ask
whether 1t is lair for these men who had no part
| or parcel IN maintaining the discipline OF the
| United States army and did nothing TO maintain
| the government which was saved by the enorB OF
the good union people oflhe country, 10 come hero
and champion Fitz-John POrter's cause. II comes
with poor grace from those men who were opposed
| 10 the war, whether south or north Of Mason ana
| DixOn's line. mean the Sons OF Liberty aud the
| cOwatdly cOpperheads of the north, who were IN
iamously aud infinitely worse than the men who
stood before us lighting for what they believed to
| be right. repeat, II comes with pour grace from
| them now to come in here and try 10 lurn back
| the pages of history and wipe out the records OF
the gallant men who passed this Judgment at the
| time with all the incs and all the circumstances
and all the necessities OF the case iully upon
them.
In the name of Abraham Lincoln, in the name
of that court. in he name of the great war secre-
tary, Edwin NJ. Stanton, in the name OF the men
who fell IN battle on the 10Th, asshown by theevi;
denCe taken by this military commission it'eli, l
protest against the passage OF this bill, protest
| in the name of the men who fell because Fitz-John
| Porter failed to come to their rescue while they
were fighting during the livelons day, ami bleed
| ing and dying. protest against the passage OF
this bill in the name Of the widows whose homes
| were made deSolatU because Of the treachery OF
Fitz-John Porter: In the name of the orphan
that field, protest against the passage ofthis BILL
protest against 1t in the name four country and
her history. protest against II In the name of pa-
triotism and loyalty protest against II for the
further reason that it is making treason. disobedi
ence of orders, and characterization IN the army
| honorable. and while it makes them honorable It
puts the brand of condemnation upon the record
Of tho men who saved and preserved this nation.
Mr.. Toilet spoke in favor of the bill. and Mr..
Bellord announced that he should vote for 1t.
Mr.. Horr presented, as he said, the theory of one
of the fellows who steid at home in regard to the
Fitz.J0hn Porter case, ana denied that the trial
had been ordered in obedience TO the clamor OF
those fellows. The trouble with Fitz;John Por-
ter was that he became dis rlntled that he re.
fused to give pODe the hearty SUPPORT he ought 10
have done. II was contended that there was no
sufficient motive assigned fer Porters action, and
that therefore he had not wilfully disobeyed
orders Why most of the disobedience which
existed H. the army was due to Jealousy among
instance. and u higher type, of humanity could
not be found anywhere. [Laughterl In the
organization of committees. let some man old
youngstsr, aud there would be sulk.
ing. There were some ONE men, h2w We YER
battlefield of Saratoga, when he, was removed
from his command through the Jealousy of Gates
did not sulk, but rode into the fight and stay cd
reason assigned for the passage of this bill wa,
that Gen. Grant had written letter, saying that
Sga 10 os e had been his pleasure
come as near worshiping him MS he ever did an.
man the country had ever produced Laughter.
and slandering Grant and calling him all Kind
OF hard names for years. They had called him
butcher they had called himIbut as there wer
( names which had been applied t.
him [LauchteTl Nov these same gentlemen
with Gen. Grant?' lie would tell them. Thu
grand old man mad made a mistake, and us lon
as II was the only mistake of his lite he (Mr. Horr
| was going to stand by him longer than gentlemen
on the other side wond. They had not agreed
with Grant for a minute except in this one case
[Iaughter Proceeding with his remarks Mr.
| llorr stated that when it was expected that thi
bill would come up ut prior congress Gen. Gar
. | hal "A III,
Mr. Beliord Gems. Or ant, Rosecrans, and slocun
Mr. Horr And 5000 other officers, just as good
, Mr. Bayne. VIII the gentleman let me ask hin
Il question?
Mr.. Bayne, wish to ask II the West Point boar
did not have all the testimony of the court mar
tal before 1t. and was not every witness exam
ined before the West Point board that was exam
neq before the original court martial, except wv
, or three who were dead. and Gen. Pope VINO re
fused to respond 10 the subpoena
Mr.. Horr. Now, there my friend launches RICH
into the mazes of all that proof agNir
hLaaghe He NOT may CARE be wHsSeF he sO0
or not The first court-marth had all Of the evi
dence that could be produced. They tried the cas-
fairly and they found the man guilty. What tn
confederate generals may now testify matters III
tie to me. Gen. Pope gave his orders on what ap
peared to be the condition Of affairs. Porter ha'
nothing to act upon but conjecture. His duty wa
to obey orders given by his superior, based on NJ
he could then find out. The fact that he wnlll'
all e1nri
After their decision, what next? Their fndin
was reviewed first by the Judge advocate general
and then IL went into the hAnds OF the Presiden
Of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. He, q
the proofs show. gave 1t careful attention, exam
| incd 1t cautiously, have read enough OF TN
case to find out mat much. President lincoln
. say, examined tae case rs lawyer, or rs ludg
= would have done. We NIL know how his grea
heart always went out with tenderness and mercy
toward every one in trouble. IL is said he neve
found any one guilty II he could help 1t while II
= WIS President of the United States. He neye
: signed a single Judgment of couTt-martial Whic
!, consigned a man 10 death.
, Mr.. PeuiDOne. Never
, Mr.. HOrr. But after examining ms matter u
. the light of all the evidence, III the light OF IN
J. | surrounding circumstances, aud with fu
3 knowledge of I'LL the facts, he approved the sen
$ tence OF that court martial. Now, say TO 20
. tina, that approval WAS final decision OF the case
!. and ynu have no more right by legislative enact
. | mcnt to revoke and nuiiiy II than you have I
! revoke or nulliy any other decree OF II court
I final resort in this country.
IS Nj Bayne. Did not he swclrthat President Lii
IS c,ln said to him thai he signed the record upo
e the report OF the judge advocate general, an
4 | that he had not himself examined the evidence
Il Mr. llorr. know of no suCn evidence; bu
: since the gentlemen is asking questions, let III
U usk MIN one.
/ Mr. Bayne. Certainly.
y Nh. torr. Did noe tEs last board Call Robe
. Lincoln before IL NJ witness?
i Mr. Bayne. Yes, sir ~ =, -,
f what Mir Lincoln said with reference to the sign
h Ing OF the decree of the courmHrtlal upon the II
y port simply Of the attorney general?
r Mr. RRyIe. Yes, sir.
: MIR. llorr. Did not he simply deny II and 81
e that his fl her toli him that he had signed