The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1884-01-24

spoke Ia support Of the bill, claiming,
III the circumstances Of the case, Por.
teT vas not only Justified n disre-
garding P0nt's Ordefs. bot bad been
Hable 70 censhre ifhs obsyed them
The old c0uplet-
''You can and yon can't;
You viii and you won't.
You VIII be damned II you do;
You'll be damned If you don't, F"
pretty closely described Porter's posi-
lion on the 29th Of August, but like n
true soldier took the responsibility
and saved his men from unnecessary
slaughter. Congress should no longer
delay doing an act Of justice % meri-
toriOns but much abused soldier.
aR. BROWN, OF INDIANA,
in opposing the bill said ne knew the
defense would find Il necessary to
attack the living and defame the dead,
but be had not supposed a gentleman
from New York lSlOcuml would as
sault the court martial, q military
tribunal which had been sustained for
centuries by the intelligent judgment
Of all civilized countries Courts mar
tiala were the strong right arm Of mil
itary power Without them military
discipline would be at an end. A court
martial was good enough for the poor
soldier who slept at his post, but the
gentlemaii who wore epaulettes should
be brought before justice Of the peace
IN order that be might be rescued
from the clutches Of tue law by a
village lawyer under a writ OF hRbeas
NaarN
up0n 10 Overturn the solemn adjud-
icatiOn Of q court, censufe It's judg
msnt, and 60 to the very verge OF
impugning It's integrity, when Il was
safe 10 say not one member In twenty
ever attempted 20 read the vOiuminous
record On which the judgment was
founded. He went over the history
Of the case, quoting the evidence and
dedueing therefrOm the conclusion
that the decision OF the court martial
was Just. Porter wilfully disObeyed
the orders Of his commanding officer.
The excuses presented for disObedi-
enee were shallow and shadOwless.
Mr.. McAdOO supported the bill.
NR. sLoCUM SAID
that never had such an absurdity been
peTpetTated In any representative body
as had been enacted-here For 300
gentlemen knOving Bhhiitg about
military matters 90 discuss Erivrly a
subject about which they know uuth-
ing whatever, aud never wuuid know
anything[ laughterl. He mrrej that
the committee rise.
The last remark Of Mr.. Slocum was
urfflt fnafunaffCra bsr fft.s %
publicans, and as they were iu the
majority voted down the motion to
rise.
Mr.. J. s. WISE ASKED Mr.. SLOCUM
whether his statement wus ia truth
aud I'm fact his view nf the fact. He
(Wise) was here an utter stranger to
Il, and supposed the House would be
called to vote intelligently on the mat
ter, but II the gentlemen was in earn
est IN saying the members did not
know anything about IL aud never
wonld, he was disposed to leave the
Judgment Of the cOurt-martial stand,
because 1t was supposed to know
something about IL. Laughter aud
applause on Republican side
Mr.. Sloeum said what me meant by
his stAlcmtuL WIS SIMPLY n uouct
composed Of men who never made
a study Of military matters and were
incompetent 10 understand the ques-
tiOn-utterly incompetent. The idea
that a man standing here and talking
about the effect Of throwing a brigade
to the left or a division to the right,
when ninety-nine men out of one
hundred did not know whether brig.
ade was larger or smaller than a di.
vision. COntemptuOus laughter on
the Republican side.
Mr.. HOrr-Then why did you bring
this bill in?
Mr.. SlOcum-We did not bring the
bill here. james a. Garfield In the
FOrty-third Congress introduced the
resolution that brought the bill here
He l. the author Of the bill IL comes
from his own recommendation.
a Republican-GO on, II you can't
kill this bill we can't.
Mr.. Taylor, OF Ohio, then made
some remarks, and the House ad
jOurned.