The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-10
General Hancock.

A movement, the object OF when Is 'iis
nomination Of Gen. HANCOCK rs the bcmo
cratic candidate for President IN 1877, sccth'
10 be felt throughout tho country. 81
Louisiana, In Missouri, in Pennsylvania
and elsewhere, he has friends actively en-
gagged in the work Of making inc p"p'o
acquainted with his merits. Our
ton correspondent has caught th' i',.'
and has given the General several very Hal
terins notices. The New YORK word tries
to nut an end to this effort. 1t reminds Gen.
HAScocx,s friends of the fate OF PENDLEToS
in the last Democratic National Conven.
ton, Notwithstanding the immense eXer.
tons that had been made before it assem-
bled to secure public verdict in his favor.
1t also expresses doubt as to the desira
bility OF a military candidate and, whilst
protesting TO be friendly to Gen. HANCOCK,
warns his friends that they may do him
more harm than good by their untimelr
attempt to get him on the inside track.
The World is silent as to one objection to
General HANCOCK, which was spoken OIL
privately by the members OF the ConVen'
ton OF 1868, and which must have It's infiu-
ence against him in the next National Con-
vention. He was member (lhc president,
we 6e!iere,) Of the unlawful military COM
mission which sat in Washington i'll 1850,
and condemned to death SO many persons,
including Mrs. srRRATT. 1t General HAN
COOK is opposed to military law, kukIuX
acts, &C., now, he must have learned good
deal since 1865. And indeed, we should
not think it strange if he were to avow that
misled by the specious arguments OF At
torney General SIZED in 1860, he sat as Il
member OF an unlawful military commits
sion, but that subsequent reelection and IN
vestigation have caused him to repent OF
the act. Certainly if he believes that the
President of the United States can, in u
time of peace, lawfully establish military
courts which may deprive persons not onl!
Of liberty but OF life, he is not tit man fol-
that high Office. 1t is equally certain that he
must have been Of that opinion in 1860,
Or he would have resigned his office rather
than shed blood unlawfuly. The Dem
Ocratic candidate for President ought
to he man who firmly and conscientiousiy
holds that the President cannot conslitu.
1ionally suspend the privilege Of the writ
OF hdbeaS corpus even though a dozen Con
crosses should attempt to clothc him with
the power, that being an act which Con.
greSs cannot delegate to another, but must
do for itself. He should also hold that,
under the Constitution, every person not
In the military service OF the country is
entitled to a trial by jury, and in a civil
court. These opinions could not have been
held by General HANCOCK when he sat upon
the trial of the civilians, men and women,
who were executed in Washington in 1860,
and who would have met with their just
deserts if they had had such trial rs the
Constitution guarantees to every citizen.
All other things being equal, the safest
man for President is the best lawyer--onc
who understands the Constitution Of his
country and the common law Of England
who is familiar with the history of the
efforts Of the people Of that country to
throw safeguards around every person,
AMI capable of judging as 10 when these
safeguards are in danger of being destroyed.
Such men are ALLEN G. THURMAN, of Ohio,
and THOMAS 4. HENDRICKS, Of Indiana.