Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-26
FOgTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
First Session,
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON June 25.
The Senate took up the Fitz John Porter
bill. Mr.. Logan addressed the Senate OF
the bill
Mr.. Logan opened with an objection to the
bill on constitutional points. MIR. Logan haG
no prejudice against the man, but the friend,
of Porter had placed the case before the
country in a one-sided way and on that let.
ters had been got from distinguished mer
expressing views of the case favorable to
Porter.
Mr.. Manderson interposed to suggest the
case of the President increasing the number
of Judges, say in New Jersey, in order to re-
appoint judge who had been impeached and
dismissed tor cause.
Mr.. Logan said that that would be q case
precisely on "all fours" with this. Mr..
Logan did not expect his words to have sny
weight 10 the Senate for he always noticed
that when the Senate was determined to do a
thing it turned deaf ear to everything else,
whether law or fact. This case was not a
trial of Porter. Porter had been tried and
condemned. This was the trial of Abraham
Lincoln and james A. Garfield and of many
brave and distinguished officers of the army
1t had been said that Porter had been good
soldier before the war. That was no argu.
ment. Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee
had been good soldiers and loyal men before
the war The fact was that Fitz John Por-
ter and others whose names 1t was not now
necessary to mention cOnspired TO make it
impossible for western officers to command
the armies of the East. The eastern army
was never a success until Grant took hold of
it and at that time Porter and some of his
kind were not then in it. 1t was part of
the program of Porter and his friends that no
western man should command that army.
Mr.. Logan asserted that Porter was the
cause of the first Bull Run. de feat by per ID
ing Patterson to retreat from Winchester
with $4,000 men. In support of this he had
the clerk read some extracts from his pub
lished work, 1.-The Great Conspiracy" He
denied that he was endeavorlng TO persecute
Porter, when he was only defending Lincoln.
"As God is my judge said he, 81 will stand
over the dust OF Lincoln and swear by all the
Gods to his act as being an honest and just
act. You gentlemen that were down in Con-
federacy," MIR. Logan continued, 'd0n't
know anything about this case except what
you have resd, and you come up here and
vote without reference to the facts out of
sympathy for this man. Every man restored
to the army by Congress after dismissal be-
cause of sympathy with the rebellion had
found republicans in Congress to aid them.
The prophecies of a few years ago were COM
ing true. The legislation of war was being
reversed every day and by republican votes. :"
Mr.. Logan entered into an elaborate analysis
OF the military situation in August, 1862, to
show that Filz Jehn Porter had not done his
duty and had been treacherOus to his com
manding officer and to his country. Porter
would have been condemned to death and
would have been shot had not kindly Lincoln
said "For Gods sake don't require me to
shoot democrat at this time,'' although
Lincoln said that the evidence warrented the
death of Porter. AS to the alleged force of
$4,000 front Mr.. Logan denied that there was
or could have been such large force.
Mr.. Sewell asked him whether he could
deny that in order to carry out Pope's order
to attack Jackson's right Porter would have to
beat 5000 men.
Mr.. Logan did deny it, asserting that all
of Longstreets command except one division
were engaged in fighting Pope's men. He
would enly have to whip 5000 men.
Mr.. Sewell asked Mr.. Logan whether he
wished to go to the country with the remark
that the statement of the board composed OF
deliberate falsehood.
Mr.. Logan wished to go to the country
with the remark that the statement made by
that board was not true. He didn't mean
that the gentlemen named would intention
ally falsify, but he meant to say the record
didn't sustain them. Mr.. Logan asserted that
it was Porter's duty to attack the enemy
while the battle was going on and lie found
the enemy in his front whether be had orders
to attack or not. He asked MIR. Sewell what
he thought of that.
Mr.. Sewell replied, mot necessarily"
Mr.. Logan ridculed the idea of Porter's
"martyrdom." Lincoln had ceased to be a
martyr in these days and men who lost their
lives for the Union cause had come to be
martyrs no l. niger. The ''martyrs" now
were men who were treacherous during the
war.
Mr. Teller moved an amendment to ap-
point Gen. alfred Pleasant on the army re-
tired list.
M Plumb would venture to say that not a
man in the Senate who had served the Con-
federacy in arms would hesitate to say that
such a soldier in the Confederate army would
have been dismissed in disgrace if not shot
for failing to perform the obvious duty which
Porter failed to perform on the 29th and 30th
of August, 1862. Mr.. Plumb understood that
the court martial that had tried Porter came
within one vote of decreeing his death.
MIR. Sewell denied the statement.
Mr.. Plumb said there was no positive proof
of his statement as the court was sworn to
secrecy. but it had gone into the common
know ledge of men This 80 called vindica-
ton was a stab at Lincoln.
Mr. Voorhees, asked whether Gen. Grant
has also stabbed Abraham Lincoln. No man
had said as much as Gen Grant had said in
vindicaton of Gen. Porter.
Mr.. Plumb thought this new reverence
of Mr.. Voorhees, for Gen. Grant was as
marvellous as the conversion of Saul.
Mr.. Voorhees, said he was protesting no
new reverence for Gen. Grant, and inquired
whether Mr.. Plumb had lost his
III. a. l.. - e