The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-07-01
FITz-JOHN PORTER
The Bill Passed by the Senate and
Sent to the President.

Capitol SNarmed Win an unusual NUMBER Oh
bridal couples and other tourists. They went
in troops TO the Senate wing and filed into the
galleries in their eagerneSs to see and hear Gen.
Logan. During his speech Gen. Logan looked
directly into the faces Of the Democratic Sena-
tors. Mr.. Eyarts, evidently in receptive state
of mind, sat in the aisle so near 10 the General
that he narrowly escaped some Of his violent
gestures.
Gen. Logan opened with an objection to the
bill on a constitutional point. The bill, he
said, provided for an increase in the number of
persons now on the retired list of the Army,
provided the President appointed a certain per-
son to the place. If he did not make that
special appointment the vacancy was not to ex-
ist. Where did the Senate get the power to
name to the President the person whom he
should appoint to an office?
It had been said that Porter had been good
soldier before the war. That was no argument.
jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee had been
good soldiers and loyal men before the war.
The fact was that Fitz-John Porter ana others
conspired to make il impossible for Western
officer to command the armies of the East. The
Eastern army was never a success until Grant
took hold Of il, and at that time Porter and
some of his kind were not in il. IL was part
of the program of Porter and his friends that
no Western man should command that army.
Gen. Logan asserted that Porter was the cause
of the first Bull Run defeat by persuading Pat
terson to retreat from Winchester with 10000
men.
Gen. Logan then entered into an elaborate
analysis Of the military situation in August,
1862, to show that Fitz-John Porter had not
done his duty and had been treacherous to his
commanding officer and to his country.
Gen. Logan ridieuled the idea of Porter's
martyrdom" Lincoln had ceased to be
martyr in these days. and the men who lost
their lives for the Union cause had come to be
martyrs no longer. The martyrs now were
the men who were treacherous to the Union.
This man Porter, who proved treacherous to
his commanding officer and unfaithful to his
trust, was appealing to the country on the
ground that he had been "persecuted" by
Abraham Lincoln. 1t ill-became us to reverse
the record make by men like Lincoln, Stanton
and Garfield; yet we found men in the Senate
who were patriots but now came in the light
| of day and were willing to reverse the rulings
| of thosa dead patriots in order TO sustain the
infamy Of man whose infamy was not less
than that of the men who perpetrated the re-
bellion.
While Republicans here were helping Demo-
Gratis to pass bills like this there bills CIV
ing pitiful little pensions of 50 to SIS month
TO disabled soldiers of the Republic that were
being vetoed by the President. So, for fighting
for the flag. for standing up in time of war, for
being ready to die that the Union might live,
the heavy hand Of the Chief Executive of the
| Republic fell upon these poor soldiers. Yet
| Republican Senators here were willing to give
| $1,000 year to man who was a traitor TO his
| commander.
The bill was advocated by Mr.. Sewell CNJ.)
Mr.. Teller (Colo.) offered the following
| amendment:
That the President be. and he Is hereby, au-
thorized 10 nominate and. by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, TO appoint Alfred
/ Pleasonton late a MAjor-General OF the United
States Volunteers and q Breyet Major-General Of
se az - ~ .ne posSn Oh oolGnei
the retred-list OF the Army Of that grade the
retired-iist being hereby increased in number to
that extent; and all laws and parts of laws in
fict herewith suspended for this purpose only.
This was lost-yeas, 10; nays, %; not voting,
| o. By precisely the same vote the following
amendment, offered by Mr.. Plumb (Kan.), was
also defeated:
That the Secretary Of the Interior Is hereby au-
| thorzed and directed to place the pension-roll
subject TO the provisions and limitations CT the PEN
sion laws, the name Of Maria Hunter, widow Of
David Hunter, late Colonel Of the 9Th u. s. Cav.
and MajorGeneral U. s. Vols, at the rate Of $50 per
1 month.
Gen. Logan Gil. offered the following amend
ment:
vice who received an honorable discharge from the
| United States service Tor services rendered the
Union during the late rebellion, and who received
| wound or wounds producing total disability, or
| which incapactated him from pursuing his usual
vocation IN procuring livelihood, shall, on APP
| plcatiOn and proof Of the above facts, be placed
| upon the retired-list with the rank held by such
| officer at the time OF receiving the wound or
wounds aforesaid: Provided, That the President
shall see ut to nominate them TO the Senate
This was rejected by yeas Is; nays. %; not
voting, %.
Gen. Logan offered another amendment
which he said was TO "give to the officers who
commanded at the second battle of Bull Run
and lost leg, an arm, or an eye the right TO be
placed on the retired list by the side Of Mr.
Porter" 1t provided:
That all officers who were engaged In the second
battle Of Bull Run. the 29th and 3Oth Of August
1862, who were in command of Union troops
during said battle either of the days above men
toned, who received wounds during said engage
ment causing the loss Of arm, leg, eye. and whS
were aftcrward honorably discharged from the ser
vice Of the United States shall, application
and proof OF the foregoing facts be placed uPoI
the retired-lst with the rank held by them at tn,
time Of receiving such wounds, whether in the reg
nar or volunteer service. Vacancies on the retired
, | list are hereby created for this purpose il thu
President shall see Ut to nominate them to the Sen
ate, and the Senate shall confirm the same.
, On this amendment the following dialog tool
, place:
Mr.. Beck lKy.l / make the same objection Il
that as 10 the other amendment The question II
regard 20 the fitness of some of those men an,
what they have done may occupy weeks in tn
House. Somebody may suggest that some MAJ
honorably discharged unfit 20 go the retired
TO pass, and IL IL has not il ought not to pass but
ought not 10 be encumbered, especially by oppo
nenis OF the bill Offering amendments that vii
: embsrrass it more less. / move TO lay tn
amendments on the table.
, Mr.. Logan. / ask the Senator to Withdraw ths
3 motion for one minute.
Mr.. Beck. Very well, sir.
: Mr.. Logan. j desire 10 say, IN response 20 tn
r Senator from Kentucky, that this will not in til
/ sghtest degree embarrass Fitz-John Porter or hi
bill " IL shall pass for the that IL provide
THAI where an officer OF the Union army in tn
same battle who fought where he did not fight los
an arm, leg. or I1 eye IN that contest and make
that proof To the satisfaction OF either the Preside1
' OF the United States the Secretary Of War. an
the President shall be satisfied TO send the name
that officer To the Senate and the Senate shall
firm him. he shall be placed on the retired-list.
: should like 10 know how that encumbers the bill
Q 10 Is only placing men who did fight and wer
: | wounded and honorably discharged on level wit
q a man who did notihght and who was dishonoi
ably dismissed.
Porter case. have heard II argued over sud owe
> year after year know that men like Gen. Terry
n Gen Grant, and Gen Schofield and others say tins
: Gen. Fitz-John Porter did fight.
y Mr.. Logan. No they do not say he fought.
u Mr.. Beck, i know the Senator from nlinol
q | quality he had.
: Mr.. Logan. They do not say he fought.
Mr.. Beck. great many others are held up 8
great soldiers who did net do SO much. The Zen
ator from Illinois Is not one oftheEl III this propS
r sluou has merit II can be passed by itself If lib
Fitz-John Porter case cannot stand alone Il ougf
moi to be helped onby this and II II Is good
> thought not 10 be embarrassed by this.
!, Tho amendment was rejected by the sam
!. vote as were the others. The bill was the
passed without amendment as follows:
Yeas-Bsck and Blackb urn (Kyl Rerrv an