Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-02-28


great trouble before wc did get there
after four long years of hard fighting.
A. the quot, of Pennsylvania before We
called out our three years mon, twenty
three regiments were placed under the
command of General Robert Patterson.
of philAdrlnnia. Some one to-day over
on the other side spoke oi 'oncrl Pat
tcrson in language far from complimen.
;ary OF that old man. who Is now in his
crave. / would not mention his name.
A. he j. dead. except for the remark to
which have referred. | think it wa-
my colleague from ihc Schuylkill DIS
trIct.
Mr.. BRUMM. You are mistaken,
! Governor; il wa. not J.
Mr.. CURTIN. beg my colleagues
pardon might have been sure hc
could not do any such injustice as that
| 10 General Patterson memory. General
| Patterson was foreigner who came TO
| this country iu las youth and made II
the country OF hi- adoption. In 1872,
with captain comm syon, he raised
company IN Pennsylvania and with it
! marched to Canada, arriving at the
camp of General Scotts army at mid.
night. The next morning he engaged
m battl" aud served faithfully and gal
| lanuy through that war. Ia the begin
ming of the war with Mexico he was
made major general, and a. second ia
command Joined General Scott at Vera
Cruz. engaging in every battle Of that
war until the fall of Mexico and the r..
stontion OF peace.
When the late civil war commenced
he was put in command OF q district
I Peuu-ylyauia, Mnryllud aud Delaware.
/ Communication, were entirely broken
with Washington, and he took comm md
ug the forces iu thc'Shcuandoah VALLEY.
/ II wa- charged upon General Patterson
that lac withheld his forces when he
could have held johnson, who was iu
! his front and who passed tn Bull Run,
and secured that success, General Pat.
trrsuu asked fora court Of inquiry, bat
his application wa- declined. The Pre-
-iicut said to him: General PAttcr
son. YOU can afford to wait. That Old
man waited until the war was over, and
then he published n vindication 20 per
feet that those who had accused him of
trrach.ry blushcd, and the men who
would have mobbcd his house in Fhila-
delphia were ashamed Of their conduct
That citizen.-oldicr died, having served
hi- adopted country well lie WAS fol.
lowed To the grave by th" hcucdict.ons
OF his f.llow.cilzcn-. aud when the
coming sun of spring breaks ia" ice.
bound earth. and It smiles in flower,
the first and freshest are gathered o. h"
put upon the grave Of that old lu-h
hero. who. in pride can say. huuorci
mo rs his friendship
Why. Mr.. Speaker, General Thomas
WA. accused, sherman wa- accused.
General Grant wa- complained of. and
now, when wc have here "A victim OF the
mistakes in Washington, Tor all maao
mistakes, II i asked that THE House
shall restore him 10 hs rights. lie b.
not now that handsome soldier that
saw IN his youth lis hair j. gray aud
his eyes are dim. Iiis children are above
all others Interested IN having the stain
removed from their father. T.saf.3caliy
10 Is said w. cannot voyer.o the decision
ut the court When it l- proposed ia
the American iouEr"sa to 10 Justice 20
au American citizen. high nr ipw, l"i the
member yho viii cast A.. ru'" uu such
taauuiraIity settle Doc. technical duubi-
bon eternity. for thcg" D. a higher lta that
man shall do Justice one tn another.
Charity and ig-tir" q" hand iu hand.
Iu- m8u now asks wlIe justice from
Lis country. auj that BE- all.
I 10 not care whether the court uf rr.
view bad right tp examine witnesses
on oath or not 10 ysu NOS make CO..
slightest difference boz ihe discharge ui
duty iu those ha.l-. nor can BE- make any
difference whether t1a court wac con.
stimtiaual nr not. military courts aud
civil court. are entirely different. Tho
one class j- rigid, fierce. executing it.
sovereign pill aud decree. az once the
other take. care, IT the rights ct persons
and property Tho humblest man in all
this great country can appeal from the
verdict Of jury or Tho Judgment of a
court, however rih'nC the amount in
controversy. Aud when one is accused
ur found guilty ot crime. in every State
in this Union there - the right Of np.
pealiug for review by the courts OF
errors. Here il man who many year.
since in the excitement Of the war wa.
under the mandate OF the Secretary OF
War, to hurry through the proceedings
condemned by court martial, and who
for twenty two years has been asking q
rchcaring. The President gave him a
court OF inquiry.
As the question nov. presents itself
to us We are not TO determine it by rig.
ID rules or by technicalitIes; 1t is the
truth we are seeking, the plain, open
truth. This man has appealed from the
Judgment OF that military court; his ap.
peal is here. II Is sustained by the
judgment OF the court Of inquiry, com.
posed of eminent men sitting in q time
Of profound peace, when no victim was
demanded, having before IL all the evi.
dence presented 10 the former court,
supplemented by the testimony OF off.
GERS of the Army OF the United States
and of the confederate army who we're
engaged in the battle; and moro than
all, supported and sanctioned by the
opinion OF General Grant, which must
be regarded as the highest military au.
thority in this laud. lie appeals TO the
representatives OF the people, aud from
this Chamoer, representing the Ameri
can people, his appeal wings its way and
/ IL now pendiue before the august tribu