Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-05-05
HANCOCK-PENNS AND
NORTH CAROLINA.


Some of the Southern papers, the
Virginia press notably, are discussing
the policy of nominating General Han
cock, of Pennsylvania, as the Demo-
cratic candidate for Presidsnt. He
finds many warm admirers and earnest
advocates among them, and 1t would
seem that with nearly all, his nomlna-
ton would be hailed with pleasure
and supported with enthusiasm. Some
think that the country is tired of mill
itary presidents, and demands civil
ian for the Chief Magistracy. And
some others, certainly one very infiu-
entail and considerate journal, object
to him because he was the officer upon
whom devolved the duty, under the
orders of President johnson, to carry
Tito effect the finding of the mill
tary court which sentenced to death
the unfortune Mrs. Surratt.
There may or there may not be any
force in these objections. This is
matter for the calm consideration OF
the delegates assembled in Convention
at st. Louisa question of party pol
icy, which it may be very well to dis
cuss in advance of the meeting
of that body. His friends claim
that General Hancock has shown
the very highest clements OF state
manship, and while in military COM
mand of conquered district pre-
served and observed all the rights
and principles which belong to the cit
liens of this country under the Const1-
tuition and laws of the country made
subject to his control. 1t will be re-
membered that when this distinguished
General was assigned to the fifth milf
tary district in 1867, two years after
the close of the war, Gov. Pease of
Texas, asked of him that he should
supersede, by his own military order,
the great body of the common law
that existed in Texas. and that he
should wipe out with one dash of his
pen the great body of the civil law
which prevailed in Louisiana. His
rerly is yet fresh in the memory of the
American people, and stands out IN
bold relief from the bald usurpa-
pations of power, and the utter and
frequently violent disregard of person
al rights and constitutional privileges
of citizens which characterized the
course of Meade in Georgia. Sickles
and Candy in the CaroIinas, and
Schofeld in Virginia. In answer to
this application General Hancock said:
Solemnly impressed with these
views, the General announces that the
great principles of American liberty
are still the lawful inheritance of this
people. and ever should be. The right
of trial by jury, the hGbeas corpus, the
liberty of the press, the freedom OF
speech, the natural rights of persons,
and the rights of property must be
preserved.
There can be little doubt that man
who gave utterances to such SEMI
ments, and under the circumstances
which surrounded him at the time, can
be safely entrusted with the control Of
the civil authority of the government.
So far as his execution of Mrs. Sur
raft is concerned we can hardly see
how he could be blamed for obeying
an order from the President of the
United States. There could be no ex-
ecution of civil or military law if the
executioner was allowed to controvert
tho o,14bOrItx, cf tho iu1oa
While the late Confederate soldiers
may net all prefer the nomination of
General Hancock as the Democratic
candidate for President, there is no
man in the United States for whom
they would more readily or more
cheerfully vote. This is especially
true of those from North Carolina who
followed the fortunes of Lee in Vir-
ginia. Gen. Hancock won their admira-
ton by his gallantry upon an hundred
battle fields, in which victory and de
feat alike displayed the highest type
of soldier and man; and he has &C.
mented that feeling by his magma
nimity and wisdom and justice since
the surrender Of the Confederate
armies.
It is little remarkable that during
almost the entire war, in every battle
In which the command to which we
were attached was engaged, and this
embraced a large portion of the
troops from North Carolina under
General Lee, we fought Pennsyl-
vanians commanded by General
Hancock, Whether pursuing Federal
troops after the second Manassas, or
pursued by them after Sharpsburg, it
was Hancock and his Pennsylvanians
who confronted us. On the first day
at Gettysburg it was the Pennsylvania
"Bucktails" whom we routed. On the
third day at Gettysburg it was the
Pennsylvania "Bncktails" who drove
us back from those historic heights,
sullcn and broken and bleeding, feel
ing that the very fate of our cause was
at stake. And at Appomattox it was
to soldiers from Pennsylvania to whom
we surrendered, and we were Indebted
to come of their gallant officers. for
acts of kindness then, the remem-
brance of which we shall carry to our
grave.
It is natural therefore that when we
find one of these Pennsylvania soldiers
who stopped fighting when the war
was over, We feel like taking him by
the hand. cit is astonishing how well
like man." says the gallant French
Colonel Damas to Claude Melnotte in
the play, "after I have fought with
him." A similar sentiment, we blieve.
will always prove contecting link
between the Federal and Confederate
soldiers of the late war, and especially
will the kindliest feelings always exist
1ot~ II