New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-07-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, July I'd, 1885.
The Democratic quarrel in the House
of Representatives; the deadlock there
and the Presidents wholesale lombard
ment Of pension bills are features of the
week on Capitol Hill. The bill for the
reinstatement of Fitz John Porter
passed safely through the Senate with
a majority of thirteen, after warm de-
bate spiced with personalities.
Gen. Logan opened the debate in OPP
position to Gen. Porter. Whether he is
an orator or not may be an open ques-
ton, but one fact is indisputable. When
ever it is known that the Senator from
Illinois is going to make speech, the
Senate galleries fill up and he holds
their close attention from the beginning
to the end of speech of almost any
length.
Gen. Logan has opposed the relief of
Fitz John Porter in every Congress for
the last twenty years, and 1t would be
strange if, under the circumstances, he
could say anything totally new on the
subject. He did present the matter in
new light, however. beginning with
an objection to the bill on constitu.
tional point, to the effect that the bill
provided for an increase on the retired
list of the army, provided the president
appointed a certain person to the place.
If he did not make that special APP
pointment the vacancy was not to ex.
list. "Where," asked he, "did the
Senate get the power to name to the
President the person whom he should
appoint to an office?''
The Senator said he did not expect
his words TO have any weight in the
Senate, for he always noticed that
when the Senate determined to do a
thing, it turned deaf ear to everything
else, whether law or fact interfered
with its purpose. He did not consider
this case trial of Porter. Porter had
been tried and condemned. This was
trial of Abraham Lincoln, of James
a. Garfield and of many brave and
distinguish; Il officers of the Army. It
had been said that Porter had been a
good soldier before the war. Gen. Lo-
gan thought that was no argument.
Jefferson Davis and Robt. E. Lee had
been good soldiers and loyal men be-
fore the war. GAS God is my Judge, -
said he, Il would stand over the dust
of Abraham Lincoln and swear by all
the gods to his act being an honest and
a just one. !"
.'You gentlemen who were down in
the Confederacy' continued Gen. Lo-
gan, '.know nothing about this case ex-
cept what you have read, and you come
up here and vote for this man out OF
sympathy. Porter would have been
condemned to death and would have
been shot had not the kindly Lincoln
said: '.For Gods sake don't require
me to shoot Democrat at this time,"
although Lincoln had said that the evil
dence warranted the death of Porter.
This so-called vindication of Porter was
a stab at Abraham Lincoln.
Senator Voorhees, of Ind, asked if
G en-. Grant had also stabbed Abraham
Lincoln? holding that no man had
said as much as Gen. Grant had said
in vindication of Porter. Whereupon
Senator Plumb, of Kans., mentioned
that this new reverence for Gen. Gran,
was as the conversion of Paul. He did
not think it would do for the friends Of
Porter to use Grants name. They haC
long held him up as everything that
was base.
Mr.. Plumb conceded that there wa
a division among northern people abou
the matter, but it was a division lik,
that occurring in the Mississippi, tn
eddy going one way and the great-full
headed-stream the other. He spoke o
the significance of the fact that ever,
man who served in the c0nfederac,
would vote to put Fitz John Porte
on the roll of Union heroes. II
had heard lately of an apotheosis 9
| jeff. Davis, at the same time that W
! got defamation of Edwin NJ. Stanton
The reinstatement of Porter was an al
tempt to write the history of the Unio
Army by putting that which was ur
faithful above that which was loyal.
| So far the President has vetoed Z
bills, mostly for private pension.
President Grant, during his eight yea1
of Administration, made only ~ vetoe'
and no other President ever reache
that number. Indeed before the Clev'
land administration, only one pensio
bill had ever been vetoed.
J. Representative Bayne of Pa, attacl
ed the President for the temerity /
J, showed in so recklessly putting the SCI
Of his sarcasm on the vote of the Hou'
/ Of Representatives and the Senate
the United States. Even the auste