The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-03-24
CASE IN ARMY
THE HISTORY OF FAMOUS FITZ-
PORTER AFFAIR.
Northern General Was Reinstated after
Many Years of Struggle for Justice.
History Of Case.

A bin has been introduced in congress
directing the secretary Of war to COM
pute the pay ana allowances of the late
Gen. Fitz-JOhn Porter from the time he
was cashiered in 1863 until his Nlndlca-
ton and retirement in 1856, and appro-
pIiating such sum for the benefit Of his
widow and children. Congress can DO
no less than pass the bill, and in order
to show its desire to make reparatlOn
for an act of injustice should make the
appropriation with all possible speed.
The Fitz-JOhn Porter case was in It's
day as celebrated as the Schley case
and the interest in it was deep ana
Widespread. General Porter was dis
missed from the army January Is, 1868,
"and forever disqualified from holding
any office Of trust or profit under the
government of the United States Al
the second battle Of Bull Run, General
Pope, being sOrely beset by the COME
derate forces, sent an order, at 4:5O p
m, to Porter to attack Jackson in flank,
Porter did not receive the order until
dusk too late to execute, even If Long
street had not been between him and
Jackson" 1t was a disastrous day Tor
pope, but Porter saved POpes army
from rout. Party feeling ran extremely
high at the time. Mcclellan had been
relieved of the command of the army
of the Potomac; Porter was a McClel-
ALtu man Jana the tlltil &c w Go maui -
POpe's adherents that Porter had dell
berately disobeyed orders, and refused
to aid Pope for the purpose OF running
him. Mcclellan, in his 'OWn story.
says:
1.-THE order depriving me of the COM
mand created an immense deal OF deep
feeling in the army So much so that
many were i'm favor of my refusing to
obey the order. and of marching upon
Washington and taking possession OF
the government"
Mcclellan and the war Democrats
were loyal and the generals who, IKE
Porter. were Mcclellan men, were de-
voted to the preservation of the Union
but the animosities of the time We're eN-
ceedingly bitter, and i'm after times,
when passion had subsidized, ii nnally
became clear that a great injustice mad
been done to Fitz-JOhn Porter. After
eighteen years of agitation, President
Hayes RENTED the penalty as TO as
qualification for office, but General Por-
ter fought sturdiy for complete ana I'M
qualified VindiCatiOn. A bill for his re-
lief failed to pass one congress, 1T pass
ed another congress, but President Ar
thur vetoed il on a techniCality. Even
tuaIlv President Cleveland signed the
bill for his relief. and i'm 1886 he was
restored to the army and completely
INDICATED. President Cleveland acted
largely upon the recommendation or
General u. S. Grant whose part I'm the
case exhibits a fine trait in his charac-
ter. He had been at one time strongly
opposed to a reopening of the case, bur
when new evidence became available,
through the publication Of Confederate
reports, he became convinced that a
great wrong had been done, and Le
frankly said so i'm paper entitled An
Trndeserved Stigma" General Porter
died last year. His name is cleared,
but he bore for years an undeserved and
heavy burden, and congress viii do wen
to pass the bill now under consideration
with the utmost promptness, in order
that the vindiCatiOn may be made com
plete i'm every OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Ledger.