National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-02
The Action Of the Porter Court Martial Re-
versed by the House.
A Long and Exciting Debate Brought
to an Unfortunate Close
Those Who Tough! Against tho Union Vote TO
Reinstate the DiSgraced Officer.
The Speeches on Both sIde1-The Vote in
Detail.
THE HOUSE.

CLERICAL force Ill the department Of Justice. Re
tcrred
Mr. Dockery introduced bill prohibiting thu
removal of employees Of tho house. except 70
cause during the vacation Of congress. Referred
Also resolution amending the rules 80 as L
make similar provision. Referred
On motion of Mr.. Randall, the further confer
ence asked by the senate on the Greedy relief bill
was agreed TO, and Mr.. Randall and Mr., Calkin
were appointed conferees
Inc speaker appointed Messrs. Ellis, Holman
anu Ryan hs conierees, on tho part OF tue no use
on the bill appropriatng $50 900 for the support
destitute Indians in Montana
.h ane morning hour having been dispensed with
tho mouse (nt lao went into committee of til,
Mhoie INT, Springer, of Illinois, in the chair OF
Ihe EltzJohn Porter bill, general debate beinl
limited TO three hours and forty five minutes.
MIR. Woliord resumed his argument. begun
last saturday, in support of the bill. The report
OF me minority of tho committee on military az
lars mad attempted to beitte Porters services on
the thirlieth of, August. Why was the gaan
man who had led mis- corps upon that day as Il
. mad never been led before; VINO had led Il with
zeal bravery, ana devotion, singled out, aud have
no honor conferred upon him for his gallant con
duct. He thought he could demonstrate the
proposition that Porter was entitled to MS much
credit Oh the twenty-seventh, twenty.eighth. and
wenty-nnth as he was at any previous time I'm
his life, or as he was on the thirteth He criti
clsed the speech II AIDE by Mr.. Uorr, OF Michigan
occurring the exconfederates for voting upon this
PHI, That gentleman had said that the eX.con.
isuerates mad no right to vote upon this PROPOSE
Mr.. Horr shook his head.
NIT. Woliord said that he was glad he msun-
uerstood the gentleman. lie had understood hin,
to say that as Porters conduct had helped the
right TO vote. ~
Mr.. Horr explained that he had argued that
go9a iaith should prevent them from doing so.
ar. ,Moliord was happy to hear that 1t was
only lecture on faith. The gentleman had as
suihed That the ex-confederates were Interested
and had argued that self respect should prevent
tLen from taking part in this debate. TIE gen.
ueman would have had more respect for the ex-
cOniederates, II, like himself he had been in The
front, and he would not have attempted TO scare
mem upon question of filth. He regretted that
IN TINS congress the gentleman had expressed
such sentiments. He had thought that die ex-
concentrates were here as members of the Ameri-
Saii cohRIess with the right and duty to vote on
every question. He hoped that no man who had
served in tue confederate army had got SO mad
over tne hgt thnt after twenty years lie could not
10 ah act OF justice to man who had fought
against him. He hoped that no man would get
up aud say 81 can't vote on this bill. / am In.
ierested: i am sill mad" lie understood that
MS confederate friends were here, loving the flags
ana loving The country; that they were here saw
ing to-day and forever that they had left behind
mem me bitter feelings engendered by the war
ana divided the country; were men forever to
stand quarrel over old issues. Let congress 20
forward and say that 1t is ready to do Justice to
WL1nged aud injured man.
Mr., Milliken inquired whether he was to UNDER
stand that the gentleman asked members TO vote
ior the relief Of Fiz,John Porter an act of con-
Lief. 0- -'' AZ
:, NJ Wolford replied that he asked it on the
nlghesl grounds ever presented. lie demanded it
ohly as an act OF Justice, aud he proposed TO
demonstrate that it was act OF justice to a long
Mr. Wolford passed on to review ~ tne ss'
was frequently applauded by the members who
collected around him in the center aisle, but Ills
remarks were 1T times so low as to be maud lie.
Mr. Calkins began his argument in opposition
TO the bill by statement that he knew there was
no doubt about its passage The book WIS to be
opened where the page was turned down twenty
years ago. But those who were opposed 10 that
action would not adopt the means which they be-
lived Geu. Porter used on tue twenty ami
twenty ninth of August und refuse to fire shot
NJ the enemy, but, on the contrary, would adopt
that more gallant conduct OF the brave soldiers,
sailors, and marines On board the Cumberland
when she was swept fore and aft and was sinking.
They fred their guns a tne enemy, manned the
yard.arms, and gave three cheers Tor the country.
Applause on the republican side.
Those who opposed this bill would go down,
but us they went they would 80 down calamity;
would discharge the last shot In the locker. This
meaNure might be called Wind cation, but he
denied 1t. More than 100000 of voters OF the
country would denyit. There wss condition Of
affairs now which made it probable that the bill
would pass all the way through, but II there was
such condition of affairs now, he would appeal
from this action to the people. After crticislng
the Schoteld board aud the proceedings before it,
he passed on to a consideration OF the Grant let
ter He knew Grant WELL and had received his
early military experience under that leader. He
knew how Grants soldiers had implicitly obeycd
him, and now their prompt obedience mad served
to give him the honOrs which he how enjoyed
He honored and loved Grant as brave soldier,
but when that soldier came out In favor oithis
bill he could only say that none of his officers ever
dared to disobey q like order of his. Applause
Oh the republican side.
Passing on to Il review of the case, he addressed
himself more especially IT, the order requiring
Porter 10 move on to make communication be-
tween Reynolds and Pope and contrasted the con-
duct Of Porter and Longsireet. Each was ordered
to re-eniorce the armies which had been fighting.
Longstreet with 27,OOO men, could march the same
distance which Porter, with 10000 could not
march. This served to show the zeal of the two
men. Porter was no traitor, but he lost sight OF
his country III his hatred for Pope. Applause on
the republican sidel The 43O order was to attack
the enemy. Porter did not attack, his excuse
being that there were too many men in front Of
him. Suppose there were million In front of
him. His superior had ordered him to attack and
IT was his duty to do SO. Members were asked by
this bill to say, in the language of the gentlem III
from New York MIR. Slocuml, that Abraham Lin
coin and Edwin NJ. Stanton aud Gen. HalleCk con-
spired together to organize court to convict
FitzJohn Porter, and the gentleman undertook
10 attack the name of William II. Sherman to help
him out. Gen. sherman was true to his country,
and, while he and Stanton had difficulty, yet,
with the generosity of late years, the general Ind
SAID that he did not tellGye that stanton was I'M
re-enacIed here there might come time when
the bugle bias. of the Grand Army of the RepuD-
lie, by the side OF their camp fires, would ask
Gen. Sherman to come out of his retirement and
lead them again to victory as he did before.
Applause on the republican side,l The house
twenty-five years ago wrote guilty" the words
mot guilty" to march to the sacred dust of
Abraham Lincoln, the man who saved the country
from destruction, and where he wrote approved"
write The word "TGyorsgd' The house might
write these words II 1t desired, but the people
would reverse its writing aud spit upon IL aud
Bpurn II. Applause On the republican side
MIR. Phelps spoke in favor of the bill. What
was his otlense?' he asked. "Disobedienee of the
$3.50 order" Porter did not obey the 1880 order
because he received 1t too late. But II 1t had come
in time he would not have obeyed IT,. The order
displayed the ignorance Of surrounding ciTculn.
stances OF the general who wrote II. How could
he get to the rear of Jackson when he hNd to
sweep away $1,000 men OF LOngstreeTs IN mont OF
him? Mr.. Phelps thon passed ON TO consldern-
ton of the tribunal which had convicted Porter,
aud plainly 'ntimated that their verdict was found
at the command of the Crttury OF war
Passing on TO consideration OF Gen. Garhelds
connection with the pending subject, he read the
joint resolution introduced by him for the APP
he had private letters of that gentleman which
he could TWIST into an approval OF tniS M, hs
other gentlemen had twisted private letters into
ulsapproyul OF II. He spoke for Porter when he
asked for the last time justice ut the bar OF his
ConntryS congress, Let that congress look at his
proofs and do him justice. He hHd no authority
from Porter to go further but speaking for him
Ieli, he would say, IF you cannot do MIN Justice
let u give him mercy, and taking him from the
side Of Judas and OF Arnold place him by the side
of those VINO fought with him, who loved and
honorod him, by the side Of Skies and Getty aud
Terry and schoield and Graut Applause on the
democratic side,
Nj. Buutelle said that Us duty to his state and
to the members of the 9th army corps who resided
In that state, he wished to enter hi protest
again the passage of the bll He deuied that II
was the unanimous desire Of the men who had
fought under Porter that he should be restored to
the army, and asserted us a refutatOn OF that
from gallant cayalryman, who carried Porter's
flag as his orderly stating that the sentiment