, 1889-11-21

tors of history long before you published
your ARTICLES III the Century Magazine;
yet practically you ignore them both.
put 1t 70 your sense of fairness; to your
idea or justicci to the sacred obligation
| you have assumed as truthful historians
whether your omissions to make n full
ana inir notice of these most important
| historical events should not he Corrected.
ou can not dispute-you can not even
douDt'-the impartiolity of the advisory
uparu % nor its industry In examining all
the testimony relating to the case in
Guiding that taken by the court martial
nor can you withhold your assent from,
tno proposition that General Grant
wnei ne expressed so decided n cbanre
OF opinion, was most eminently qualified
70 lu9se ana was conscientious in max.
ing his decision.
ACTION OF CONGRESS.
congress has passed bills. virtually re-
Versing the finding of the court martial
ana restoring me to the array. No ac-
| 'ion OF that body was ever better con-
siuered nor more deliberate. With this
solemn act Of tho highest legislative
BODY OF the republic you were perfectly
familiar. But you insist that 1t Is not
| W NIcult DtCuuse, dS YOU
aiiege, 1t was party measure. If 1t
were party measure, would that rem
der vote of congress, given under such
circumstances as this was, of no effect ?
buL itAwas not u party measure, as all
the facts connected with its passage fully
demonstrated. You not only wrong me,
put you wrong congress by the allega-
tion.
| i would be ungrateful to the many
able and noble republicans in both
housesi who sustained those bills by
voice and vote, II | were to allow your
allegations to pass uschallenged. This
congressional action could hot have had,
ana IN fact did not have, any more con
nection with party politics than any
measure which had involved in it the
simple question us to the guilt or inno-
cehce OF a citizen charged with an oifcnse
against law. The charge YOU make that
the action OF congress was party meas
ure Is an insult to that body and es-
Pecialiy to the many republicans who
gave their disinterested support of the
bulls simply because they believed in
their justice.
DO not overlook the opinion publicly
expressed by So many able LAWYERS and
Jurists, many of whom were preiudiced
ngatns, me, but who, putting aside pre-.
judice and and public clamor have
calmly and judiciousy examined the
testimony In the case, actuated only by
one desire, and that to make an impair.
tial decision. These gentlemen, after
such examination, have given written
opinions in my favor and advocated my
cause simply from q sense of justice and
with the hope that right might prevail,
Consider the earnest appeals made in
my behalf by thousands OF my brave
comrades, many of whom were actors In
the battlefield OF Bull Run, who aver
that their dishonored commander did
ms whole duty in those trying days.
For years they have bravely and I'M
fiinchingly shared the opprobrium
heaped upon their leader by malignity
and falsehood. They have remained
true to me, upheld by the consciousness
that they were sustaining the right.
II is an astonishing fact that so many
men of capability, who have taken the
| lime and trouble necessary to examine
properly the proceedings before the court
martial alone, have risen from the ex-
ANIMATION satisfied thai a great wrong
was done by that tribunal. 1t is not as
tonishing that all who have thoroughly
read and scrutiniZed the testimony be-
fore the advisory board should come to
the saale conclusion as which that board
nrrived--thot ought to he fully exonor.
ated. III you will examine the case as
iuIiS as bc1eralS ScnOneld, Terry and
Getty, composing the advisory board,
have done, | feel satisfied that you will
entirely concurin the unanimous verdict
OF those three officers "than whom
there are no better in the army"
IN coScLusroH.
The lotter then dwells at great length
upon the evidence presented before the
court-martial, and the findings of that
body, and protests against the manner
IN which they were treated by the his
torlans. 1t then concludes:
You have given wide circulation to
error. ask you in justice to impartial
history to embody in your book, when
your articles assume that form, so much
of these publications to which have
referred you as may be necessary to cor
rec your misstatements. | also ask,
and certainly am entitled to expect, that
you will in your book give full promi.
nence to the report of the advisory
board and 70 the published conclusions
of General Grant.
also ask, as you must become con-
vinced OF your errors from a more care.
flIl study of the authorities in my case,
that you will do me justice and correct,
at IN early day in the Century Maya
zine, al your misstatements affecting
me. With all due respect, yours,
FlTX JOHN PORTER.