The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-02-25
Another Clerical Error.

Gu. 10. 1850.
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Another Clerical Error.
The Camp fire which was held In
Ravenua, by Mcintosh Post, last Fri
day evening, WAS. in nearly every re-
speet, q complete success. The Relief
Corps did not do their work by halves,
and in their requests TO the citizens
for donations of "rations," etc, no one
was asked what "ticket he voted"
nor was any suspicion remarked 10y
the donors that they We're contributing
to political pow-wow. 1t remained
for the recent graft upon the Buckeye
body polite from Pennsylvania, /. e.,
the Rev. Mr.. Locke, 2. E., to spoil
what would otherwise have been q
social reunion of old soldiers and their
legion of friends. Mr.. Locke, in re-
spending to the call of the chairman,
started out with the ante perioration
that he had been feeling badly all
day. he had read in the morning paper
that III members of Congress had, the
Fitz John Porter" and characterized
this vote in Congress as an insult to
"the loyal North," and he, for one,
"toOk no stock in Fitz John Porter,n
He proceeded to relate his personal
experience at Thoroughfare Gap,'l
detailing the hardships of forced
march that he, as member of a Penn
sylvania regiment, underwent, and
laid this terrible crime to the incapac-
ity, and ipferentially, the traitorous
action of Fitz John Porter, He then
reiterated his first proposition that he
took no stock iii Fnz John Porter
Among other remarks in Il similar
vein, the speaker referred to " the
Southern Congressman who were
there lin Congress- for a little while"
Really, it did seem like cold times
to hear snch speech on such an oc-
casiOn. No gathering of the people,
for any purpose. not even q funeral,
was too sacred. not very long ago, foC
clerical politicians of the Locke vari
ETY., to air their bitter partisanism,
We thought, however, that those days
were gone by. that peace once more
reigned. that we, as citizens, were now
of a common country, with mutual
aims and desires for the general wei
fare. 1t is presumed that as long as
time lasts, some clerical. or other,
crank" will continue to make things
unpleasant for his associates upon fl
ture social or important occasions, and
whether he promulgat9s epigrams Ia
Burchard, with hi" Rum, Romanisn
and Rebellion," or makes partisan,
political speeches on purely social oc.
casiOns, it matters not. We do not
hold Mcintosh Post responsible for
speeches in bad taste on the above in
Ommend to them aud our readers gem
orally. the perusal of the speech made
by Hon. VIM. w. Phelps, from New
Jersey, just previous to the vote in
Congress on the Fitz John Porter case
on the 18th inst. Mr.. Phelps, it will
be remembered, is strong Republican
and was and is close personal and
| political friend of Hon. j James g. Blaine
OF course the testimony of Generals
Grant, Terry, Schofield, and others, as
to the absolute vindication of General
Porter, has some weight with honest
soldiers, bat for those who have not
read their testimony, we append an
extract from the speech of Congress
man Phelps.
Mr.. Phelps IN. j. said he had be
lieved for twenty years that Porter was
a traitor and deserved to be hanged
That was the popular opinion of the
| loyal North, and his heart had been
with it. He had changed his opinion
and believed that Porter was an honest
man and loyal soldier when, as his
representative, he had been obliged tC
examine the evidence and learn the
facts. He sketched the military ca
reer of FitZ John Porter through the
Mexican War and the Rebellion dowr
to the 26th of August, 1862, declaring
that his bravery had been so conspic
uous that in his corps on that day
there was not private in the ranks
who did not thrill with the conscious
ness that his commander was the con
summate flower of the American army
and its pride. Yet it was declared tha
this man was . traitor on the 10Th
The day after his treachery he hat
fought nobly in obedience to an orde
which he knew to be a blunder, ant
on the 3lst had asked for inves; igatior
J in order that his treason might be es
tablished. He reviewed the honol!
and trusts which had been conferreC
upon Porter after the time of his al
legged treason until McClellan's failure
} when the people demanded a victim
AMI the War Department mad selecte,
Porter. The good name of Porter bat
been destroy ed ald q blot had beef
indelibly placed upOa the name o
American Justice, How had he born
the sacrifice? AS only a brave MAJ
and a good man could bear it. H
fed from the public eye and took hi
family with him, and he sought neve
, again to leave his seclusior excep
when, in IT, : great mission OF his life
he went out to seize or to display fresl
; evidence of his Innocence.
In conclusion. be said at is al
old story: il il "a wearisOme one to us
. but TO HIM il is the story of life lie
us today As courageous friends of Jus
tice. determine that we will MAX
what reparaLion we can and that W
Will end, now and forever, sn far q
+ this House IL concerned, the stranges
and saddest story In American his
tory"