The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-02

in Mexico, let them not forget the Both af Au-
gust 1862 when he got an order which was sent
battle with Porter when they marched into the
claws of death, and into the gates of hell"
That was magnificent, and that also was war
Applause on the Democratic side. For the
Fifth army corps, that watching every vote;
for that CORPS which left 200 men on the field;
for that magnificent corps, which was, and IS,
and always would be a steadfast, unfalterlng
friend of Porter, give him back to them. The
leader of the confederacy went down the steps of
the Capitol threatening to return and destroy It,
He failed in the attempt, and yet he walked IN
freedom. The men who penned the
Union soldiers in Andersonve and
Libby still lived; officers trained at West
Point, whose treason needed no investigation
were sitting in this chamber. Should Porter be
the only victiml Should he be sacrifice of the
nation! He spoke for Porter when he asked, for
the last time, for justice at the bar of his cOun-
trys Congress. Let that Congress look at his
proofs, and do him justice He had no authority
from Porter to go further but, speaking for him
self, he would say, if you cannot do him justice
let us give him mercy, and taking him from the
side of Judas and Arnold, place him by the side
of those who fought with him. who loved and
ho1slred him-by the side of Skies, and Getty
and Terry and Schofeld and Grant. Applause
on the Democratic side.
PROTESTS AGAINST THE BILL.
Iuf. DOuJSlle Stlu as Il uuty 10 ms CldtS anu W
the members of the Fifth army corps who resided
in that State, he wished to entera protest against
the passage of the bill. He denied that it was
the unanimous desire of the men who
fought under Porter that he should
be restored to the army, and asserted
as a refutation of that as claimed that he, this
morning, received letter from the gallant cav
alryInan who carried POrters flag as his orderly,
stating that the sentiment among the old corps
was almost universal astonishment and indigna-
tion at the inaction of their general on the 29th
of August.
A humber of short speeches were made all
but two in opposition to the BILL the exceptions
being Mr. Laird, who served under Porter, and
made an eloquent appeal for his old commander,
and Mr.. Henly, who criticised the action of Mr..
Cutcheon, of Michigan, in casting imputations
upon General Grant and then striking them out
of the Record.
In reply Mr. Cutcheon expressed high appre-
citation of the military abilities of General Grant,
but, being pressed by Mr.. Henly with the
marksH he was compelled to admit that he left
them out because he wanted to-an admission
which caused much merriment.
Mr. Steele moved to strike out the name of
Fitz John Porter and insert that of Ward B.
Bennett. Rejected
Mr. Calkins offered substitute providing for
the convening of new court martial to review
the case. Lost.
Fitz John Porters retirement compulsory. This
was agreed to in the committee, but subsequent
ly reversed by the House
Mr. Bayne offered an amendment striking out
the words appointment under it, and inserting
''the passage of this act" Agreed to. The com
mittee rose.
The bIu was ordered engrossed a third time
CLOSING THE DEBATE.
Mr. Curtin then took the floor TO close the de
bate in favor of the bill. He knew Fitz John
Porter well, and in the beginning of the war that
general was most enlightened and ardent ad
vocate of military discipline. The record would
show one significant fact, coming not So much
from the living as from the graves of the dead
First that the citizens who asked for the redress
of his wrongs were Horace Greeley, Henry Will
son, and himself. Certainly the fidelity of those
persons TO the Union could not be questioned.
Porter had never approached him to ask
him to be his advocate He was panied to
hear a distinguished member of the House, Mr.
Keifer, over and over again say that Porter was
a coward Before God, he never knew Porter
who was a fool or a coward. Applause He
had never before come across a man who had the
temerity to say Porter was coward, and he
never would hear it again. He gave interest
Ugh history of the movements Of the Army of the
Potomac in the beginning of the war and nearly
every member of the House stood in a circle
around him and frequently applauded his re
marks Referring to the fact that Mr..
Cutcheon eliminated from the record his
imputation upon General Grant, he
congratulated that gentleman upon the good
taste exhibited, and that between the time of the
delivery of the speech and its publication he had
the time to strike it out. He criticised the
speech of Mr.. Horr for the expression of the
opinion that no ex-confederates should vote upon
the bill, and took it for granted that the men
who, in error, but in the belief that they were
right had fought in the great war, We're better
men than the quartemasters, paymasters, suit
lers and contractors Laughter
In brilliant preroration, which was warmly
applauded, he appealed to the House to do JUS
tice to wronged man, and at the conclusion of
his speech was heartily congratulated by his
party friends
THE VOTE ON THE BILL.
The bill then passed-yeas, 1874, nays, 49, as
follows
Yeas-Messrs Adams of New York. Alexander,
Arnot, Bagley, Ballentine Barbour, Bayne Beach,
Belmont Bennett, Blanchard Bland, Blount, Boyle,
breckenridge, Broadhead, Buchanan, Buckner. Bur
leigh, Cable, Caldwell, Gambler. Carleton, Cassidy
Cardy, Clay, Clements Cobb, Collins Connolly, Cook
Cosgroye, Cox of New York Cox of North Carolina
Crisp, Culbertson of Texas Curtin Dargan Davidson
of Missouri Deuster, Dibbrell, Dockery, Dorsheimer
Dowd Duncan, Eldrdge, Evans of South Carolina
Ferrell, Fielder, Findlay, Finerty, Follett Foran
Forney Fyan Gibson, Glasscock, Graves Green
Greenleaf. Halsell, Harmer, Hatch of Missouri
York. Hewitt of Alabama Hill, Holman, Hopkins,
Houseman, Hunt, Hurd, Hutchins, James, Jefords
Jones of Wisconsin Jones of Arkansas, Jones of Ala
bama, Jordan, Kean, King Kleiner, Laird
Lamb, Lanham Lefevre; Lewis, Lang, Lore, Lover
ing, Lowry Lyman, McAdoo, McMlen, Matson
Maybury, Miller of Texas, Mitchell Morgan Morri-
son, Morse Moulton Mudrow, Murphy Murray
Mutchler Neece, Nichols, Oates, 0Hara, O'Neill Of
Missouri, Patton Peirce. Peel of Arkansas Phelps
Poland, Post Potter. Pryor, Pusey Rankin, Ranney
Ray of New Hampshire Reagan, Rees, Riggs, Robert
son of Kentucky, Robinson of New York, Rockwell
Rogers of Arkansas, Rogers of New York, Rosecrans
Scales, Seney, Seymour, Shaw, Singleton, Skin.
ner of North Carolina Sloeum, Smith Sny-
der, Spriggs, Springer Stevens, Stewart
of Texas, Stewart Of Vermont, Stocklager,
Storm, Sumner of Colorado, Sumner of Wisconsin,