Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1882 — Grant and Porter. [ARTICLE]

Grant and Porter.

Interview Id Boston Herald. “How came you to satisfy yourself that injustice had been done to Gen. Porter?” the reporter asked. “Well, as you probably know,” was the reply, “I had fully made up my mind that the judgment of the court martial was a just one. Recently,however, ot the request of Geu. Poiter, I have read over all the testimony iu the case, and also the orders and reports of the Confederate officers who were at the second battle of Bull Run. As I progressed in my reading 1 became very much interested in the case, and found that the facts were very different from what I have hitherto believed. I am of the opinion that, had all of the testimony and documents now available been brought before the court martial.tbere would have been no verdict against Gen. Porter, The orders of the Confederate Generals show that the Confederate army was just where Porter said it was, and not where tbe>court martial was led to believe it was. For nineteen years I have believed that the finding of the court was a just one and warranted by the facts. But now I see that Jam in error, and the fact that for twelve years, when I was General of the Army and President of the United States,l had it m my power to do Gen. Porter justice and did not, makes me ftel under obligations to do all that J possibly can to remove the odium and disgrace from him now.” “How long is it since you became convined thst the finding of the court martial was wrong?” “Oh, within the last two months. I finished reading the testimony about two weeks ago, and since then I have expressed my convictions unreservedly to some of my friends. I did not expect, however, that anything would be printed in the newspaper* about the matter. I communicated my conclusions, after investigating the matter,to General Logan, who, as a warm personal friend of mine, I desired to understand clearly my position. I think that General Porter is entirely innocent of the charges made against him, and am thoroughly satisfied that in General Pope’s campaign be did his duty to the very best of bis ability.” “Have you written to President Arthur about this case?” “I must decline to say anything on that subject. Wfiat Ido or say will all be made public in due time, and through the proper channels. I shall write out my views and append my signature to them,and it is quite likely (bat my statement will, in the course < f lime, fiod its way Into print. I cannot tell you when that statement will be prepared.”

“Do you believe that General Porter will be reinstated in the art^y? , * , - “I think justice should be done him on the faots as they exist. He has been greatly wronged, and there is scarcely «ny reparation that can enlirely compensate him for the many years of misrepresentation ami humiliation. Of course, the first step to i*- taken, providing the government!- e a ii be brought to see the mat er ip the sirne light that I do, is to restore to General Porter his good name ai d give him back his reputation as a idtor, s <» -hat neither himself nor his family need longer suffer hqmiliatiou and dishonor. Ultimately be may be rested to the army, but that Is a point that Ido not care to talk about.” “What do you think, General,of the rule that a soldier should aiwavs obey orders?” “Sometimes It may become the duty of a soldier to disobey orders For instance, a commanding general may send an order to a subordinate who w a long distauoe off. He may not be fully acquainted with tbe condition of affairs at the place where his suboidinate is, or, during the transmission of the order, circumstuuces may have taken on an entire different phase. Such things have been kuowu to happen, and very often, therefore, it becomes the boundeu duty of the subordinate to disobey orders. Being in possession of knowledge of which his superior is not, and,perhaps, cannot be, he should exercise his own judgment, and do what may seem to him tc be right.” “Do you now understand that General Porter failed to obey Geueral Pope’s orders?” “I did so understand for'nine teen years, but now I understand that he did not disobey orders.” — 1 ■ ——