Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1882 — GEN. GRANT. [ARTICLE]

GEN. GRANT.

lie Thinks Fitz John Porter Has Been Badly Treated, And Makes an Earnest Plea for His Bestorat on. Gen. Grant has a long article in the last number of the North American Review, entitled “An Undeserved Stigma,” in which he reviews the evidence in the Fitz John Porter case, and reaches the conclusion that great injustice has been done that officer, which ought to be undone as soon as possible. Tee article is simply an amplification of the points contained in Gen. Grant’s letter to the President on the same subject. In conclusion he says: “Gen. Porter has now for twenty years been laboring under the disabilities and penalties inflicted upon him by the courtmartial of 1862, all that time contend'ng for a restoration to his position in the army and in society, and always, as stated in rhe beginning of this article, on the ground of his entire innocence. The investigation of the Schofield board has, in my judgment, established his innocence of all the offenses for which he was tried and convicted. The suf - eringsof twenty years under such findings for himself and family and friends is something it is now impossible to set light. Twenty years of the best part of his Use are consumed in trying to nave his name and his reputation restored before his countrymen, fn his application now before Congress he is asking only that he may be restored to the rolls of the army wth the rank that he would have if the court-martial had never been held. This, in my judgment, is a very small part of what it is possible to do in this case and what ought to be done. Gen. Porter should, iu the way of a partial restitution, be declared by Congress to have been convicted on mistaken testimony, and therefore to have never been out of the army. This would make him a Major General of volunteers until the date might be fixed for his muster out of that rank, after which he should be continued as a Colonel of Infantry and Brevet Brigadier General of the United-States army from the date of the act, when he could be placed upon the retired list with that rank. * * * If a solemn and sincere expression of my thorough understanding of and belief in tne entire innocence of Gen. Porter will tend to draw the public mind to the same conviction I shall feel abundantly rewarded for my efforts. It will always be a pleasure to me as weU as a duty to be the instrument even in the smallest degree of setting right any man who has been grossly wronged, especially if he has risked life and reputation in defense of his country. I feel, as stated on a previous occasion, a double interest in thia As General of the Army, when I might have been instrumental in having justice done to Gen. Porter, and la’er as President of the United States, when I certainly cou’d have done so, I labored under the Impression that he was guilty. Having become bet'.er informed, I at once voluntarily gave, as I have continued to give, my earnest efforts to impress the minds of my coon rymen with the justice of this case, and secure from the Government, as far as it could grant it, the restitut on due to G en. Fitz John Porter. ”