Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-20
coNGRKssuoyAL



debate on the Fitz John Porter bill.
Cutcteon. q member of the mi.
nority Of the Committee on military
affairs, said it Was embarrassing "a
stand before military meu 80 dis
tinRuished as the gentlemen from Cal
lfornia and \ " York. Roscrans and
Slocum, and to differ Win them IN re-
gard 70 militsry matters. bat the EN-.
barassment disappeared when he p
unembered the principal question in the
case vas not a matter of military
strategy, but . sitting ost of facts and
laws The country had drifted away
from the stern realities of the period OF
var into q period of profound peace
and the further it got away from that
period the stronger becaHs the feeling
of sympathy for the weaker.
Referring to the denial of Grants let
ter he asserted tina. no one could &c
further than himself in admiration OF
that great soldier, but be could not for.
get that for the eight long years during
which General Grant was in the Presi.
DENTAL chair, FitZ John Porter stood
knocking in season and ont of season al
Grant - permit him a new hearing: he
Sodta 1Ob totkGe Sh6S ok6Ab obiu IA ACt q
and 1874 that he bad examined the pa
pers submitted, and was not prepared to
grant the relief asked. but in 1881, when
both houses OF Congress were in the
hands of. the opposition, and when a
bill was pending before Congress for
the reappOlntment of General Grant az
general of the army. in order to place
him on the retired list. there came a
burst Of sunlight from heaven like the
light which struck down Paul at Damas-
Gus. At once light was brought on his
mind, and he found that for IL years he
had been doing Fitz John Porter au in
justice. Applause from the Republi-
can side.)
Cutcheon. replying to Gen. Slocum's
speech OF yesterday. briefly outlined the
events which led to FliZ John Porter's
dismissal. Porter's action could only
he explained by his hatred for General
Pope. When bis country cried for Fitz
John Porter to come this way, he
thought it WAS the voice of Pops and
not his country's. and refused to go. II
there ever was a time when a mans
country called on him, when the destiny
of the Republic hung trembling in the
balance, it was on the 9th of August,
1862. If there ever was a time when q
military leader had need to feel the
pulses of his subordinate officers beat
In union, it was on that 9Th of August,
when Porter disobeyed his orders. Two
reasons were assigned for his doing 90;
that the night was dark and the roads
bad, and Porter could not march that
night; but StOuewall Jackson marched
With his entire corps; Lee marched that
night; but this brilliant leader could not
march because, forsoOth, it was dark.
Slocum said 81 am 40 defender of
General Grant, but for the first time in
my life | stand on the floor to hear Re-
publicans attack the military reputation
of General Grant. (Shouts OF" Oh no"
on the Republican side.) The gentle
man who has inst taken his scat has
done it in a violent manner. If / un-
derstood the gentleman's language oor-
rectly il was an impeachment OF his in
tegrity or of his military reputation.
The point make ia this la the Forty
third Congress General Garfield intro
duced a resolution asking for the ap-
pointment of board of investigation
in this case, and the board WAS ap-
pointed"
Reed asserted that the resolution WAS
never agreed to, and ridisuled the idea
that the court could have been appoint
ed in pursuance of 1t.
Slocum said that General Garfield in
trOduced resolution askiaR that suoh
board be organized by the President,
and should make report to Congress.
What say is that either the friends
of Garfield must accept that report Oh
repud to the whole thinQn
Caikins, of Kentucky, said that on
the contrary he (Garfeld) had such
confidence in the Judgment of the o0u RI
martial that he had no idea but the
commissioners weuld sustain it, which
it would have done if properly consti-
tuted.
Greenleaf spoke in support of the
bill, claiming that by the oircum-
stances of the &C 10 Porter was not only
justified in disregardiug Pope's orders,
but that he would have been liable to
consure il he had obeyed them.
SlOcum said there never was such an
absurdity perpetrated by any repre-
sentative body as had been enacted
here. Three hundred gentlemen know
ing nothing about military matters
were discussing gravely a subject about
which they knew nothing whatever, and
never would know anything. Laugh
ter. He moved that the committee
rise. The last remark of SlOcum was
received with derision by the Rspubll-
cans, and az they we're in the majority
they voted down the motion to rise.
Brown. of Indiana, opposed the bill.
He went into the history of the case,
quoting the evidence. He was reduced,
81. 60, hA nonOlnusoV, ~ "a II
cision of the court martial that Porter
manding officer.
the 9th of August. He pictured Porter
lying under the trees Of Bethel church.
without making An attempt to aid bus
comrades, because there was tall pine
brush in the way. He said that COW.
ardics was no excuse. for Porter had
shown that he WAS brave man
Ignorance was no excuse, for he was a
trained soldier. He had not the excuss
of not knowing the will Of his com
mander, for tho order was explicit
Already clsmency had been exercised to
wards Porter. His disabilities haG
been relieved he stood free Ameri
can citizen. Were Garfield alive thii
bill would not be here at all. Garfield
was dead, and the bill was here. He
expected it would be passed BY the ait
Of the votes of men who fought agains
the Union; but in the name Of The
brave men who died on the bloody field
crushed by the very troops that Portel
should have engaged; in the name o.
their wives and orphans IN the name
of wronged country. he protested
against the bill. Applause on the Re
publican side. He hon0red the gentle
man from New York (Siocum
| for his devotion 10 his life lonl
friend, but this hour should be given tC
Law and justics. not to sympathy and
tears, except tears for the brave mer
who perished through Porter's insu
bordination." Applause on the Re
publican sids.)
Slocun-sI understood that the gen
tIeman said, il Garfield were living. thi
1 bill would not be here. II he will refe
to House report IA, second session Q
the Forty third Congress, he will nm
that James A. Garfield was the fathe
of this bill. Applause on Democrat
side.l James A. GARFIELD introduced th
resolution appointing this board. an
che board was appointed in pursuanS
OF his desires, and il be il going to r
fuse his own bantiing, or II his FRIEND
are going to do it, let them start an
do IL ~