The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-20
FORTY-ElGHTH CONGRESS
HOUSE..

LOT U6DaC0 on CQe F1tZ JOnn POrGe
bill. CutcheOn, member of tn
committee on military affairs, sale
1t was embarrassing to stand here
and oppose opinions of military
men 60 distinguished as the gentle
men from California and New
York (Rosecrans and Slocum) and
to differ from them in regard to 9
military matter, but the embar-
rassment disappeared when he re-
membered that the principal ques>
ton In the case was not matter of
military strategy, but the Sitting OF
facts altar the laws of the country
had drifted away and the stern real
tiles of a period Of war had been
followed by 8 period ef profound
peace, The further We got away
rom the period Of war, the stronger
became the sympathy and the
weaker the Dictates of reason. 1t
was not for the House, sitting
as an august tribunal, to be
swayed by feelings of sym pathy.
Referring to the denial in Grants
letter, he asserted that no one would
60 further than himself in admira-
ton of that great soldier, but he
could not forget the eight long years
that General Grant was in the
Presidential chair and Fitz.John
Porter stood knocking, in season
and out, at the White House door,
asking Grant to permit him a new
hearing. He could not forget that
Grant said in 1873 and 1874 that he
had examined the papers SUBJ
mitted, and vas not prepared
to grant the relief asked; but
in 1888, when both houses
of Congress were in the hands of the
opposition, and when a bill was
pending beforeCongress to resppoint
General Grant IS general of the
army, and place him on the retired
list, there came burst of sunlight
from heaven ike the light which
struck down Paul at Damascus; at
once the light broke on his mind,
and be found that for eighteen years
he had been dong Fitz John Porter
inju 3!ice. (Applause on the Repub-
lican side } Tbs opinion of General
Grant could not have influence on
him.
Cutcheon briefly outlined the
events which led to Fitz John Por-
ter's dismi sal. He said Porter's
action could only be explained by
his hatred Of General Pope. When
his country cried "Fitz John Por ,er,
this way" he thought it the voice OF
Pope, and not his country, and re-
fused to 60. II there ever was
time when q mans country called
him, when the destiny of the Re-
pub ic hung trembling in the bal
ance, it was on the 9th of August.
1862. Ii there ever was a time when
a military leader had need TO feel
the pulses Of his subordinate Of
ficers beat in union, it was on the
9th of August when Porter DISC
beyed orders The reasons assigned
for not doing 30, were that
the night was dark and the
road bad. Por er could not
march that night, but Stonewall
Jackson marched with his entire
corps; Lee marched that night, bus
this brilliant leaders army could
not march because forsooth it Was
dark.
Slocom said: l am no defender
Of General Grant. For the first
time in my life 1 stand on the floor
to hear Republicans attack the mil
itaryreputation OF General Grant.
Shouts sob, no." on the Repub-
lican side.) The gentleman who has
lust taken his seat has done it in q
most violent manner. If / under
stand the gentleman's (Cutcheon's)
language correctly it was an i'm.
peacbment either OF his character
Or his military reputation. The
point l make is this-in the Forty
third Congress General Garfield in
.roduced resolu ;io1 asking for the
appointment OF a bosrd to investig-
ate this case, and board was ap-
pointed.
Reed asserted that the resolution
was never agreed to, and ridiculed
5he idea that a court could have
been appointed in pursuance of 1t.
Slocum-General 0ar6eld's reso-
luton asked that such board be Or
yanized by the President and that
It should make report to Congress.
What | say is, either the friends of
must accept that report or
-epudiate the whole thing.
Caikins-On the contrary, he had
such confidence In his judgment in
the court martial that he had no
dea but the commission would sus.
ain it, as it would have done if
constituted.
Greenleaf spoke in support of the
Dill, claiming that under the circum-
stances of the case of Porter was not
only justified in disregarding Pope's
orders, but would have been lisble
10 censure if he had obeyed them.
Browne, of Indiana, opposed the
dill. He went to the history of the
case, quoting evidence and deducing
,herefrom the conclusion that the
decision of the court martial was
Just. Porter wilfully disobeyed the
orders of his commanding officer.
McAdoo supported the bill.
Slocum said there never Was such |
An absu:dity rerpetrated by any |!
body as had been
enacted here, as for 500 gentle men,
knowing nothing about military |
matters, to discuss grsvely subject
, hout which thav Lppw nthjnp