OCR Text |
Show FITZ JOHK PORTER. The commission appointed by the president to reopen the cane of Gen. Filz John Porter and to re examine the charge against bim, has com menced its work in West Puint. The earnest persistency manifested by the disgraced soldier in trying to obtain a rehearing, leads one to believe that be oan establish big innocence of wrong, though he does not claim that he did not violate military orders. Gen. Porter excuses bis failure to literally obey the orders reaeived from j bid commander, General Pope, I on the ground that be possessed knowledge which Pope did not, that the force of the confederates was centred, was very atroDg, acd much superior to his own, and that to have attacked at the time and place as ordered would have resulted, in the certain defeat and destruction ol bis force. II be oan establish this: and be claims to be able to do bo it ought to relieve bim of the stigma that has attached to bis name since before he was court-martialed and turned out of the army fifteen years ago. General Grant was so much ol a rigid disciplinarian, and so thoroughly thor-oughly military, that he refused to reopen the case, looking upon an omcer wnowouiu vioiaie or remise iu obey the order of hia superior, no matter how or where it led him, as unworthy a place in the army, Tne excitements , resultant from the war, and thenecee-sity thenecee-sity of maintaining authority, tended much to bring about an adverse finding by the court martial. Every thing of this nature having long since passed away, thedistinguisbed soldiers now engaged in the trial of the case will be more apt to consider matter") in tne ltgni oi cairn reason, anu .ess liable to overlook justice. Besides, the accused can now have the benefit of the testimony of confederate officers, which will be most valuable to him in establishing the truth of his claim. If wrong has been done to General Porter and the belief is pretty wide spread that he was uu fairly dealt with it is not too late to at leaBt partially undo that wrong, and make him some reparation for the harm done to his name and repu tation. |