White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1870-06-09
The P-e.sde.t and Ge.. Hancock.

The President and Gen. Hancock.
We see no reason why the common
courte.iee Of gentlemen should oot prevail
10 the army. Disssreemen,s. Of course.
may srise 10 sny station: bot there is al
rays limit beyond which they are not
pen miticd TO pass.
Army discipline requires . vigorous
code Of etiquette. The observance OF th.i
code is necessary. because It begets . sen.
timen, which. while il recognizes the pre-.
cedeuce Of rank. gives slso ready &C.
qoiescencs in dn,y and cheeriulness in it's
discharge.
From the general to the privaie. . dis.
position must be manifest that the whole
ma machinery Of military organization is in
full accord. This principle muss be car
ried into private lie Of military men, ns
well a. govern their official condnct. At
no time can it b. permitted them to give
way 10 private piqus in pnhiic. a com
msnding genersl-in- chief. meeting . gen.
eral officer on the street. or st q social
party, deserves snd .hon'd receivs, oil the
out twsrd respect to which his rank entities
him. All bis acts are presumed to be
done in bis official capacity. for the good
Of the service and the country. and can
never be justly sscribed to personal feel
ing. 1t is most unseemly for any display
of anger or discour,esy. and in the worst
possible taste, after such discour'esy. to
bosst of bsving been Intentionally dis,
ecarteous. The President is fully justified
in resenting sucb conduct: and the sub-
jsc, Of it. If he appeals for sympathy out
side Of the army. will discover that the
peopls consider him in fault. and that the
President has very mildly shown his dis
pleasure. l; appears that Major General
w. S. Hancock had telegraphed t, Gen.
Sherman from St. Louis. that. il his rank
would not entitle him to division. and
the changes 10 the departments consequent
on the death Of General Thomas IN sde it
prscticsbls. ha wouid prefer to rem ain ..
St. Lonis. Gsnsral Sharmsn laid the
dispatch before the President. who author
ized him to say to General Hancock that
bis wishes and claims for the succession
to the command OF the Military Division
Of the Pacific were fairly considered. and
also his preference for the Department oil
Missouri in case of s|cbapge Of CON-
msnder. but that the President had ORDER
cd otherwise. It belonged to the Office
Of the President to select the comm and
ing generals OF divisions and department
and that the relations General Hancock
chose to assume toward him officially and
privately, sbsolved him from regarding
bis personal preferences.
The relations" to which General
Sherman alluded are thus explained.
General Grant. ss comm nder- ia -chief,
modified an order Of General Hancock's,
TO which the latter took strong personal
objection. When Geuersl Grant met
General Hancock in Washington. hsv-
ing no knowledge or apprehension Of Of
tense. he sccosted him in friendly wsy.
"Good morning. Hspeockl" To, this
General Hancock m sde no verbal response.
hut merely tonched his hat end passed on.
Subsequently both met q, wedding party
when General Hancock tnrned his back
on General Grant. The latter was also
informed that General Hancock had boast.
ed Of bis disrourfesy on the street
General Hancock il now Major Con
eral in cammand of department. The
choice lay between Hancock and Scho.
field. The matter was submitted to the
President. who simply directed that Scho-
field should be sent to the Pacific. leav-
ing Hancock inst where he was Ora nd
Army Journal. May %.