National Republican., 1884-01-21
Another Day Devoted to Talk on the Fitz-JOhn
Porter Case.
The Laggard Soldier Finds Eloquent
Friends Among Democrats,
But No Republican in the House Has Aught 10 Say in
His Favor.
The Porter BIZ Goes Over Until Next
Friday.
THE HOUSE.

Cutcheon, member OF the minority of the COM |
mittee on military affairs. II was, he said, embar
rnssng for him to stand here In the face of the |
opinions of military men so distinguished MS the |
gentlemen from California and New York [Gens |
Rosecrans and Slocum to differ from them i'll |
ieglrl to military matter but his embarrassment
disappeared when he remembered that the prin- |
cipnl question In this case was not matter of |
military strategy, but of the sitting of facts and
laws. The country had drited away |
from the stern realities of the period of war |
into period of profound peace, and the |
further 1t got away from the period Of war the
stronger became the sway of sympathy aud the
weaker became the dictates of reason. 1t twas not
for the house, sitting In this case us an august
tribunal, to be swayed by feelings of sympathy.
tic TO the very spirit Of the constitution aud our
institutions. To the judicial branch OF the gov
ernment alone belonged tue power to determine
legislative branch should usurp Judicial functions,
and sit in review, and Judgment on the finding OF
the highest military court which could be
convened. 1t was proposition which EN-.
bodied revolution. Comparing the court
which convicted, Porter and the Mes.
Point board of review, he declared
that the former was legal court, which had given
Porter fair and free trial, while the latter was
no law, lifts members took an oath, 1t was an ex
tra judicial oath. Their finding was an extra
jdSisl hdng IL was IS simply ,by the advSe Of
he did not see fit to adopt To place the Judgment
of this board against the finding of the court was
oplace an opinion which bound no one against
decision which bound all the world. The re-
bort Of the board substituted the weakest reason-
ng for the strongest; it perverted facts and mis-.
aibiied tho zeal of converts to case who went to
IN extreme Of statement In order 10 justify their
opinion.
Referring to Gen. Grants letter. he asserted that
no one would go farther than himself in admira.
ton Tor that great soldier but he could not forget
that for eight long years Gen. Grant sat i'll tue
presidential chair, and Fitz-John Porter stood
knocking. in season and out of season, at the
doors of the white house, asking Grant to permit
him new hearing. He could not forget that
Grant said in 1869 and 1874 that he had examined
the papers submitted to him, and that he was not
prepared TO grant the review asked. But in 1881,
when both houses of the American congress were
In the hands Of the opposition, and when bill
was pending before congress to rcnppoint Gen.
Grant general of the army and place him on the
retired list, there came burst of sunlight as from
heaven, like the light which struck down Paul
at Damascus. All at once light broke on his
mind, and he found that for eighteen years he had
plause on the republican sde.l Therefore the
opinion OF Gen. Grant would not have the
influence on him which 1t otherwise would have
Passing on to give brief outline of the events
which ledIo Porter's dismissal, Mr.. Cutcheon said
that Porters action could only be explained by
.,Fitz.J John Porter, this way" he thought it was
the voice of Pope; and not of his country, and re.
fused to go: If there ever was time when
the republic hung trembling In the balance it
was the twenty-seyenth Of August, 1862 If ever
there was time when a military leader had need
TO feel the pulses of his subordinate officers beat
in unison, II was the twcnty-seventh of August,
lSby, whcn Porter dlS0Deyed MS orders.
Two reasons were assigned for his not doing So
That the night was dark ana the road bad Por:
ter could not march that tight; but stonewall
jackson marched with an entire corps, Lee
marched that night but, this brilliant leader of
the union army could not march, because, for
sooth IL was dark
He went on to describe the battle of the twenty
Einth of August, and pictured Porter lying under
the trees at Bethel church, without makinglan eff
fort to aid his comrades-in- arms, because there
was little pine brush In the way. The Bethe-
hemic song seemed to have fallen upon Porter,,s
,corIs that day" Peace on EARTH" and good will
TO the other side. During the battle of Aug. %
whore was Porter? Reclining under tree two
and half miles from the front; Where was the
finest corps in the army? Gone into camp for the
night! Cowardice was no excuse, for Porter had
shown he was brave man; Ignorance was no
the excuse of not knowing the will of his COM
mander for the order was explicit. Already
his hd Ssa bssa
"S SsS,,y lin sS%,a
English navy, had diso6eyed an order 10 take his
ship into action, He was tried, convicted, and
shot to death for that disobedlonce, and from that
day to this no English officer had ever refused 70
, take his ship into action whom ordered by SUI
eTor Ag9I%ss SC on ,hS b Maha
1t never could receive his signature. But Garfield
was dead and the bill was here. He expected that
had fought against tho union. But in the nam,
ofthe brave men who died on the bloody field O
@ AsEa Ssns oy bs the Tesy of
-. y $50
widows and orphans, In the name Of q wronGec
country, he protested against the bill. LApplausC
man from New York Mr.. slocnml for his devo
tion to lifelong friend, but this hour should be
given to law and Justice and not to sympathy and nnd
ished through Porter's insubordination. Ap
plause on the republican side.
say that If Gen. Garfield were living this bill
would not be here. If he will refer to house re
port l4i of the second session of the forty -lhrC
he will find tlQt James A. GARFIELD
the father OF this bill. Applause on democrati
side Send for your report. This bill Is broush
ofcongress show it,
Mr.. Calklns. The gentleman refers to the com
Mr.. Socum. refer to this: say that James A
Garfield introduced u resolution in this house ap
pointing this board ljcering laughter and cries o
"Oh y on the republican side and the board wa
appointed pursuant 10 his desires; and If he
golug to refuse his own banting or his friends ar
going 10 do II, let him start and do so.
M. CGlkins. The gentleman does not aid hi
bill in traducing Garfield.
mRnded that this investigation should bp made.
Mr.. Reed. This is fitting ajdendum to tn
speech the gentleman made yesterday,
In reply to Mr.. SlOCnln's remarks. Mr.. CutChCO
quoted from letter from Gen. Garfield 10 III
Hon. J. d. Cox, dated Feb. Is, 1850, in which h
stated That he was stunned by the decision of tn
Mr, siocum. am no defender of James A. Ear
Mr. Miller, of Pennsylvania. lie does not nee
Mr.. slocum Continuing. am no defender q
Gen. Grant.
Mr. Calkins. | know that
Mr. s!ocum For the first time in my life stan
oil the floor to henr republicans attack the mill
taTy reputation OF Gen. Grant. lShOuts OF "Ol
mol" from the republican side. The genlemN
VINO has just taken his seat has done 1t, and In th
most violent manner.
Mr. Cutcheon. No man, living or dead, in tn
world or amy other. holds Gen. Grants mililnr
ability higher than do:
Mr. Slocum. If / understood the gentleman
language correctly, II was an impeachment {
either his integrity oThs military reputation, Tn
point make is this: In the iOrly-Ihlrd congre;
GEN Garfield Introduced resolution III thlN nous
asking Tor tho appointment OF board TO ihVe'
tigate this case, aud the board WAS appointed
MIR. Reed asserted that the resolution was neYc
agreed to, and rdiculUd the Idea thal the Goul
could have been appointed IN pursuance ol H..
Mr.. SOCum. Gen. Garfield introduced Ies0lu
tion asking that just such board should DO o
report to congress- What say Is that either tli
friends of Garfield must accept thht report or Il
pudiute the whole thing
Mr. Calkins. On the contrary he had Such cor
fdence in his judgment in the court martial IN
he had no idea but that the commission Wuu
sustain il, as II would have done II II had bee
properly constituted,
Mr. Cutchuon snid that Garfield understood tn
tie perpetual claim that an injustice has be-
done to Fitz-JOhn Porter was in the nature OF q
HSTersion on his Judgment, and II was with u vie
that the matter might be fully and freely invest
gated that he was favorable to the commission
not MS committing himself 10 the repurt
Mr. Greeuleaf spoke In support of the bill, Glnil
ing that, in the clrcnmstau Ges of the Cuse Port
ders but he would have been Justly liable % Gel
aurg if he had ODcyeu them. The old CUuplGt-