The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-05-26
From the New York World, May 90.
INSULT TO GEN. HANCOCK.

INSULT TO GEN. HANCOCK.
In the comments which sense of duty constrains
us to make on a recent insult offered by the Presi-
dent of the United States to one OF the most DIS
tinguished and patriotic officers OF the army we
hope we may be able to speak III measured IAN
guagc, and to keep within the limits OF that decofum
which public journal would wish to observe
towards the Chief Magistrate of the country
The pure character and brilliant services OF ien
Hancock, and the unusual esteem IN which he Is
held by his countrymen, should at least pfotect
| him from superciious insolence. ne participated
in almost every important battle Wh. Zen was iou$nt
reDorts which came from those bloody fields to
stir and thrill the hearts of the people, in all the
numerous histories of the war which cooler and
more critical writer's have given to the public. Gen.
Hancock has stood in the foreground as one of the
most prominent and most admired figures on the
canvas. His character is adorned with every
solderly virtue. All the successive commanders
of the Army of the Potomac-McClellan Meade,
Burnside, Hooper and Grant himself-leaned on
him as one of their chief supports. He was always
alert, vigorous dashng, capable, self-possessed,
judicious: never laundering, never counting ap-
plause by any species of charatanry; never shrink
ing from any responsibility that was laid upon him,
never failing to justify the confidence and exceed
the expectations Of his superior o1hcers. lie pre-
Sented one of the rarest combinations OF modest
reserved and brilliant services in the whole army
None of our distinguished officers, not even Gen.
Meade, would have seemed so secure against any
kind of insult. And yet Gen. Hancock has been
insulted: insulted by Il person from whom insult
was least to have been expected, the commander
in-chief of all our armies. some time since, Gen.
Hancock wrote to Lieut.-Gen. sherman. inqulrng
why he was not promoted to the position made
vacant by the death of Gen. Thomas, which belong
ed to him in the order of precedence. His letter
was shown to President Grant, who dictated the
substance of the reply. Shortly afterwards, Gen
Hancock received from the Leutenant-General a
curt answer croucled in the following insulting
terms
| AM REQUESTED By THE PRESIDENT 10 IN
FORM YOU THAT THERE Is NOTHING IN YOUR
Personal RELATIONS TO Gen. GRANT, or IN
YOUR OFFICIAL RELATIONS TO HIS ADMINISIRA-
TION, THAT COULD JUSTIFY YOUR PROMOTION
NOW, OR LEAD YOU TO EXPECT III HEREAFTER.
Even if the President had determined to ignore
the lust claims Of this distinguished officer, why
should he descend to this exhibition of insulting
insolencc. He might have closed the door against
Gen. hancock without slamming it so rudely in his
face. A cold, stiff civty would have been lrrltat,
ing enough without display of Spitetul personal
feeling. or Il gratlitous threat to obstruct Gen.
Hancock's rise in the army so long as PRESIDENT |
Grant remains in power. NO other PRESIDENT than
Grant would have thus gratifed his personal mag-
nitv at the expense of official decorum. Any other
President even if he could have acted on so igno-
BILE motive, would have had the decency to veil
it under the specious forms OF official etiquette An
answer might easily have been made to Gen. Han
cock, which, while eNtingushing his hopes. would
not have stung his pride or wounded his sensbii-
ties But the President could not restrain HIM
self from offering atfront; and the sharp pen of
Gen sherman gave terseness and point to the in
suit SO far as we can recolect tins IS the first
time that Gen. Grant has authorized an expression
in writing of the principles on which he makes his
appointments, and OF the extension OF those prlnci
pies to promotions in the army. He does not re-
gard his power public trust to be administered
for the public advantage but as species OF private
propertv which he uses to reward personal Sery-
ces discharge Obligations of personal gratitude, and
Wreak personal vengeance on those whom he hates
or disikcs. In his bestowa of civil offices he has
VIGOROUSLY acted on this assumption. His most
1.Nt
for those gifts of houses or money which t;tStl-
Gus se-reSpect would have prevented his taking al
all, and which men like Washington, even men
like yAndrew johnson, would have scorned 10 re-
ceive and have felt it degradation to reward by
the prostitution of public trust. Political usage
authorizes the hcsoWal of civil offices AS Il reward
for party services: but Gen. Grant has disregard
ed party claims, and distributed his patronage on
grounds of mere personal tavoritism. Neither par
tisan nor political considerations ought to have any
influence promotions i'll the army. When the
country is engaged i'll war, all party distinctions
should be sunk in a common sentiment of patro-
tism; and as officers of the army are expected to i
fight with equal zeal for any Administration by
which Il war may happen to be declared, it is alb
surd to exact from them any other allegiance than |
an allegiance TO the country. Military merit and
The efficiency of the service should be the sole
ground OF military promotion. But President Grant
refuses to Gen. Hancock the promotion which is |
due TO him, both in the order of precedence and for
distinguished services, because ''therc is nothing
in his personal relations TO Gen. Grant which ell
titles him to the favor or partlaity OF that function
ary He is told that Gen. Grants personal dislike
is fatal bar, and for all future time, TO rec
ignition of his claims The grounds ofifen. Grants
malignant hostility to this brilliant and esteemed
officer are best understood by himself All that the
public know is that Hancock stationed ut st.
Louis ut Il time when he and his family were for
years witnesses Of Grants daily degradation in the
streets of that city: that he wrote noble letter in
defence of civil rights when he was one of the com
manders in the South. under the Reconstruction
acts; and that he one OF the candidates for
President voted for by the Democratic National
Convention. If The President had any magnanimi-
ty, or even a reasonable >c-rcspect, he would not
have let such facts ncite him to injustice and insult
He banshed Gen. Hancock to distant Fort Sully;
due, and repcs his inquiry into the reason by an
inSolcnt personal afrOn.