National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-19
FITz-JouN PORTER.
bourbon Determination to Reverse the
Results Of tho War.

Letter to The Chicago Tribune.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Feb. Gin the dis
cussion of the Fitz-John Porter bill in con-
gress one point is Stunned and entirely
overlooked-which is, that during tho war
there was class, apty called copperheads,
who rejoiced at every reverse to the federal
arms and gloried in the men who brought
about such reverse, whether they were in the
confederate cabinet or the confederate army,
or in tho federal congress-as Vallandigham-
| or in the federal army. j VOL remember
such almost open rejoicing in Chicago over
the disaster to Gen. Pope; and 10 was we'll
known that tho secret copperhcad organiza-
| tions in southern Illinois and Indiana, think
ing that tho time had como when they could
do SO with impunity, threw off disguise,
rejoiced with bonfires and tho display Of the
| stars and bars.
Mai Gen. Fitz-John Porter, more than any
other man, caused the disaster which cost the
lives of thousand Of our boys and came near
| TO causing the triumph of the confederaoy.
| In any other country he would havo been shot
| for his treachery and treason as soon as a
drumhead court martial could have been con
vened IL was not, as suggested during the
discussion in the house, that Gen. Porter had
become "disgruntled and jealous" 1t was be-
cause that then as now, his sympathies were
with the rebellion. There is not confed-
/
congress but knows this to be so. 1t was this
act of treachery that endeared Fitz-John Por-
ter to tho rebel and copperhead hearts. 1t
showed that he was one of them. He was as
soon as possible, taken care of by the copper
head administration of New York by being
made chief engineer of the city ut a salary of
| S25,000 and from that day to this the con
federatcs have boon endeavoring to reward
him, and now that they are again "solid''
and in tho saddle, they are bound not only
to reward Fitz-John Porter but all who were
with them in the rebellion; while Gen. Pope
and all others, even to the manned soldiers
who were in earnest in fighting to suppress
the rebellion, are the objects of their relent-
less hatred. Let not the republicans be
lulled into quietness through the belief that
ex-rebels, whether in congress or elsewhere
except such noble souls as Malone, arc any
more favorable toward the north than when
in arms they rushed into battle with theii
fierce and fendish yell, or whom they malign.
antly tortured our boys to death at Ander
sonville
The confederates lost nothing in the fight
that they have not more than secured by
fraud, by intimidation, and murder. By
such means they now have q majority in the
house of representatives They are united
grasping, persistent, unyielding, and cal
implicitly rely on the copperhead democracy
in congress to cooperate with them, for /
these can only have the privilege of serving
the ex-confederates as menials they are more
than satisfied. With such designs and such
determination how long will it be, unless
republicans awake to the peril, before the
solid south will be as completely in control
as though by force of arms?
Through undue clemency and hasty am
nesty the once paralyzed and hopeless hosts
of the contederacy were revived and strength
ened and are again being placed over theil
victors. Who is responsible for this exercise
of clemency--a clemency as unwise as would
have been that Of the powers of heaven hat
they thus treated the rebel hosts who wert
cast thence into the place prepaid for them
This act of the confederates shows NOR
plainly than any other since the war tina
they are determined to reverse the results o
the war; and with every branch of thu
government in their hands tho north will b.
powerless except to act as states.
REPUBLICAN.