The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-02-07
TO REINSTATE PORTER
naxt os tho Bill Passed by the
rfonse after an Excited Debate.
cov. Curtin,s brilliant Peroration-
,T,gb,,ng tho W-aiorabio BATH"
All ovo- -Sain-Gen. Garfieid'S
= Position I'm the Case.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2--Gen. Fitz-John
Porter has ut last been vindicated, the bill
TO restore him to his position in the army
having passed its biggest stumbling block by
q vote OF 1874 to rs. Tho debate over the bin
lasted until nearly eight o'clock. At times
IL was very spirited. Tho bill as passed is as
follows:
"Bo it enacted by tho senate and house OF
| representatives Of tho Unitedl States OF
| America in congress assembled: That the
president be, and he hereby is authorized to
nominate and, by and with the advice and
consent Of the senate, to appoint Fitz-John
Porter, late o major general Of the Unitod
States volunteers and brevet brigadicr
general and colonel Of tho army, to
the position Of colonel IN tho army
Of tho United States, Of the same grade
and rank held by him at the time Of his
dismissal from tho army by sentence OF
court martial, promulgated January n,
1868, and to place on the retired list of the
army as Of that grade, the retired list being
thereby increased in number to that extent;
and all laws and parts Of laws In conflict
herewith are suspended for this purpose
, only; but this act shallssnot be construed as
authorizing pay, compensation or allowance
prior to the passage of this act"
| Tho house dispensed with its morning ses-
y. sion and devoted the day to debate upon the
v bill. MI Woford5 of kentucky, speaking
4
man who Rhad served In the confederate
q army had got so angry over the fight
4 that after twenty years he could not
\, do an net of justice Us n man who had
fought against him. lilo hoped that no man
would get up and say: 81 can't vote on this
bill. l am Interested. | am still mad" He
understood that his Confederate friends
l. were here loving the flag and loving the
country, and that they wcro here saying to
+ day and forever that they had left behint
"a thom tho bitter feelings engendored by thu
=. war and everything that divided the country
~ Mr. Calkins, of Indiana, began his speech
w by saying he know thore was no doub
=. ~ about the passage OF the bill. Thcro wa
n, condition Of affairs now which made
~ It probable that tho bill would pass
q oil tho way through, but If there was sucl
- q condition Of affairs he would appea
. from tho action to tho people. Memborf
- wore asked by this bill to say, In the Ian
m m,a gungo Of tho gentleman from New Yorl
~ NIr Socum), that Abraham Lincoln ant
- Edwin NJ Stanton and Gen Halleck con
- spired together to organize court to con
is vict Ftz John Porter, and the, gentleman
- undertook to attack tho name of William L
~ Sherman to help him out. Gen. Sherman
nt was true to his country, and whilo ho ant
Io Stanton had difficulty yet with the gen
Il, erosity Of lato years, the general had sai'
,,o that no did not believe that Stanton was un
| Uru0 TO DlIllScll vi IL ChSSo o+ohSo "Si
MI |, to be re-cnacted here, there might come
,n stime when tue bugle blast Of the grand arm
rte OF tho republic, by tito side Of thoir cam
w. fires, would ask Con. Sherman to como OF
'0' of his retirement and lead them again
victory as he did before.
Mr.. Phelps Of New Jersey spoke In fave
has of the bill. Speaking Of Con. Garfleld's co
ia ncction with the case, ho read tho joint res
om- luton Introduced by him for the appoin
of | mcut Of q board Of review, and stated til
ho had private letters Of that gentlor
y to which he could twist into al appro.
ants this bill, as other gentlemen had twist
SON. private letters into disapproval Of it.
uses leader Of tho confereracy went down
,sed steps Of tho Capitol threatening to ret,
olor and destroy it, He failed in the attem
,ou. and vet he walked IN frecuum. Thu II
Il n who penned Union soldiers In Andersonv
NOT md Libby still lived. Officers who W
oro. trained at West Point, whose treason neeG
,o;S- no Investigation, were sitting in this chf
nnt ber. Should Porter be tho only vict
nses. Should be be the sacrifice Of the nations
lion Tho bill was finally reported to tho hot
nan nftor several attemps to kill its purpose
law amendmunts had been defeated, and
on Curtin, Of pennsylvania, closed tho det
,alty with speech IN favor of tho bill. In
net, liant peroration, which was warmly
plauded, ho appealed to theshouse to do
$780, tice to O wropged man, and at the conclu
pital- Of his speech was heartily congratulated
MEX his friends
IL as Tho bill was then passed, 1Si to 7a.