Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-01-09
md ,,rohahlv MY sons, too, have lost

and probably my sons, too, have lost
everything. 49,,
crash which had occurred during the
1av said. General, do you suspect
Ward?' He replied, You know l eS-
4ected him at my house to night. Iii
he had come TO the once any time to-
day ard assured ME thai all was riShs,
I wocld have believed him, and gone
nome ccntentei But / waited IN
~ nearly 3 O'Clock, and lie
d;,l 1.os aapear. l don't know
who. 10 hi X lie was not even then
willing 10 accuse the knava i'll whom
he had eoa1ided. and plior to that
fine. no.wi h,tan,iing warnings which
would have aroused :. dishonest man,
lad 10 s;is ,,icina tisas vllisinv had been
iced. Af.er he became aware Oh
iia truth three OF :our days passed be-
fore III, enora.ity OF the disaster made
lis full impression upon him, but he
neyer recos cred from the shock OF the
dsception and wrong done him by the
vilcs, creature that nas ever dlsg raced
cur age"
j Ihe r'itz-Joln Porter case serves to
exh,bi. one of Grants best traiSs-de-
yosioa 10 h;s own delibc ate sense OF
duty. des,ite the temptations of in
terest, ease and expediency. "Consis-
,ency i, Jewell" butts is truth, and to
/ Giant the latter was NOE precious
! than the former. porter's cain that
lie had beca wronged by the court-mar-
iial which, convicted him in 1863, and
, tina. new evidence to prove i would be
/ presented ii hearing could be
granted. Was not listened TO until 1881,
though since 1857 lie had been clamoc-
ING ;or G lel,ca,ins! of the case. Grant,
a : Genera! OF the Army and as Pres
ldant OF ;he United States, had ac-
ce;,;ed the verdict OF the court-martial
and condemned Porter.
4 .l5iiit in September, 1881, Grant, then
q private citizen, agreed to study the
case, including the record Of the court
martial, and state his conclusions.
The investigation, which extended over
about three months. convinced him
that great wrong had been done, and
+ he became deeply distressed that he
had not mastered the subject while in
power. Then, regardless of the total
| ly inconsistent attitude in which his
change Of mind placed him, and the
antagonism it created, he exerted all
/ OF his ability and influence to procure
for Porter the justice he thought due
q him. "As long as [ have q voice it
/ shall bc raised in your support, with.
ONT any reference to its effect upon me
or others" he wrote to Porter, and
/ ever after he labored faithfully to re-
P, deem his pledge.
When, financially wrecked and in
/ physical agony, the bill for the retire
ment of Grant as General of the Army
had PASSED the Senate and was before
the House, the litz-John Porter bill
had been vetoed, and again he wrote
on July 4: "Iou can scarcely con
ceive the pain it caused me t.
read the veto of your bill b,
the President yesterday / was no
prepared for it. This message is tn,
merest sophistry. 1t is, no doubt,
great disappointment to you and you
family, but [ believe it will resul
ultimately in doing you full justice
You We're dismissed unjustly, and yo1
are entitled to restoration. Be of goot
cheer and pray that justice may b,
done You and yours"
Chance is undoubtedly an importan
factor in the race for glory, and per
haps it favored Grant in the war o
the rebellion. Gen. Sherman goes 81
far as to have said since Grant
death that chad C. T. Smith lived
Grant would have disappeared to his
tory after Donelson;" but that is con
lecture. Grant was one of the "singu
lar few" who possessed qualities whicl
probably would have gained for him
high place in history, no matter VIII
had lived to compete with him in GU
great war.