New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-21
THE FIGHT FOR PORTER.
BAD MANAGEMENT IN HIS BEHALF.
POSSIBLE ATTEMPT BY HIS FRIENDS TO UsE IiB
GAO EULE-SLoCUMs BLUNDERS.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl


POSSIBLE ATTEMPT BY HIS FRIENDS TO USE TIB
GAO HULE-SLoCUM's BLUN6ERs.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TaBUSEl
WASHINGTON Jan, 20.-TO-mOTOw will be the
third Monday in the month, and under the rules Of
the House the list of committees will be called and
such of them as have bills ready can move TO sus-
pend the rules and pass them. No committee can
offer more than one bill in the call, upon which de-
bate will be limited TO 30 minutes, one-haf tor ana
One-haf against the measure at the expiration OK
which the vote must be taken. To pass bill IN
this manner twO-thirds of the members present and
voting must he IN its favor. II is said that tho
friends Of the Fitz John Porter bull who men,
Bers of the Committee on Military Affairs will try
TO pass tomorrow under suspension of the rules,
without further debate that thoy are confident tho
necessary two-thirds vote can be obtained and that
in this way the vindicaton of Porter will be more
complete and satisfactory than if it came in the or
dnary manner after a full discussion.
ACTION THAT WOULD BE CONFESSION.
II the attempt is made, it will be frank confess
sion by the advocates of the measure that they lear
the effects of a thorough discussion. There Is no
need of rushing the bill through the House at rail-
road speed and if the remarks Of General Slocum,
yesterday were true the members stand IN need OF
q good cal of instruction. Probably he thinks
vote might as well be taken at once, for the reason
stand the question at all. He said: The House of
Representatives is composed of men who never
made a study of military matters, and they are in-
competent to understand these matters--utterly
incompetentn General Socum made other re-
marks of the same sort and they certainly did not
help his cause. Whatever might be his opinion on
that subject he ought to have kept it to himself, es-
pecally under the circumstances. The only man,
not soldier who had spoken on the BILL was Mr..
McAdoO who spoke in its favor
General Slocum was gallant soldier, and rose to
the rank Of Major General in the war, but there Is
no reason to believe that he was better soldier
than General Browne, General Cutcheon, or Colo
mel Steele, or that he is any better quallned tnan
tiey and other members of the House TO discuss tho
military movements which resulted in Porters dis
grace and Union disaster Besides the case is one
which calls for the careful sitting and weighing OF
Testimony and il is certain that the House has some
me mbers quite as competent to do that as Generai
SlOoum is. 1t is charitable to suppose that he was
uettied Yesterday, to find the opponents OF the pii
getting the better Of the argument, and that his
petuancy Overcame his judgment ana PROVOKED
him to use words which he must regret.
ONE or sLoCUMs MISTAKES
He made mistake, too, when he sought TO create
the impression that had Garfield lived he would
have favored Porters restoration to the army.
The truth il that General SIocum's personal feel.
inc. ara 40 warmly enlisted in Porter's cause that
he regards every criticism and imputal0n as per-
sonal aiiront to himself, and he seems 10 reaDlo
that his management of the measure has been nm
skilfu Ii cOdld not well have been worse, anu HIS
best friends regret it.
the list of committees but the friends OF the Dill
believe that not more than one or two oI the com;
mittees which pTecede the one in charge of the Di
have any measure to present tomorrow. gooa
many men desire to speak on the bill, ana IL is
hardly probable that two-thlrds of the H0use VIII
be induced to rush it through under the gag rule.