The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-04-19
HANCOCK AND ADAMS.

iuncture of our national affairs. Radi-
calism has precipitated a crisis upon us
as u nation. Contempt OF tho law. cor
ruption in all branches of the public
service aud sectional hate have done
their worst. and the problem remains
for solution whether the republic shall
survive its centennial year.
The Republican party, though stag
gering under the blows recently inilict-
ed upon It. Is still a powerful organiza-
ton, II appeals to the prejudices and
hates of the loyal people North. and to
the ignorance of the negroes South. 1t
controls all the Federal patronage, all
the national banks, and other monopo-
lies. the army and navy. and its frauds
upon the revenue have placed at it's dis
posal nm immense fund for campaign
purposes. It's leaders are bold and un
scrtipulous. and knowing their cxtremi-
ty they will leave nothing undone to
achieve success.
In view of these facts, the Democratic
party must put forward u ticket which
will insure success. II must take no
risk. for the country may not survive
four more years Of Grantism. and ii is u
foregone conclusion that Gen. Grant. II
not the nominee of the Republican par
ty. will dictate who shall be. The DEM
ooratc party has many illustlious
names from which to select. The mil
lions of freemen who arc marshaled
beneath It's banner would hail with en-
th,isiasm the nomination Of rilden, or
Bayard, or Thurman, OF Hendricks, aud
would engage in the fray with perfect
confidence OF success. But there are
two names whose association OH the
ticket would, il is believed by many, in
sure success beyond n peradventnre.
These names are
WINFIELD sCorT HANCOCK AND JOHN QUINCY
ADAMS.
This Is the Centennial year and the
thrilling story Of the struggle Of one
hundred years ago will be told ut every
lireside in the Union. Pre-eminent
among tho rebel patriots of 1776 were
John Hancock and Samuel Adams, and.
by strange coincidence. their names are
associated. invariably, in tho cveuts Of
that period When General Gage, for
his royal master. issued his proclama-
tion ordering tho insurgent Colonsts TO
return to their allegiance TO the Crown,
and Offering amnesty To all who should
do SO. he expressly excepted from the
operation Of this amnesty tho names of
HANCOCK AND ADAMS
When the war came on. the patriotic
merchants Of Boston equipped an artil-
lery command, and armed it with Tour
ield pieces. During tho war two of
| these guns were lost, but the other two.
after active use throughout tho entire
struggle. were brought home in safety,
and they arc to-day preserved rs relics
by the authorities Of the city OF Boston.
| The name inscribed on ono OF these
guns is Hdnccck. and that on the othor,
| 4ddms Hancock. as President Of the
Congress. and Adams ms n leader of the
MI. a t.tfr hnv "a
| Otis aud Warren and John Adams
were instrumental in inauguratinR the
contest which resulted in American
| Independence.
| Throughout the Union the history ol
| this struggle is chronicled but particu
| larly is this true Of New England anC
the great States of the East. and there
| is no doubt that If Hancock aud Adams
be tho nominees of tho st, Louis con
| vention. that they will be greeted IL
| these States by n storm of enthusiastic
welcome. whose course will be ire
sistible. Pennsylvania claims Han
cock and Massachusetts claims Adams
and they would lead tho united column
OF the Eastern and Now England States
in their support. II is fortunate that
/ to this patriotic and sentimental view
can be added that Of the entire fitness
of these gentlemen for tho exalted posi-
tions In connection with which theil
| names arc used
| Gen. Hancock was true and consist.
ent Union man through the war be
tween the States. He was the leader oI
q corps, whose gallantry and endurance
were conspicuous. Ho was several
times severely wounded. Like our owr
Gordon and Harry Hays, and Dar
Adams. he had the faculty Of attracting
| 20 hiu hn uhntu nf th,
enemy When tho war ended. though
remaining in the army. he treasured nc
resentment or bitterness against tn,
South, When an infuriated and fren
zied public opinion Mt the North de
manded the blood of poor Mrs. Surratt
when Holt and Bingham and Stanton
contrived to make her doom certain, and
when even tho iron nerve Of Andrew
Johnson was paralyzed with fear, and
failed to move in her behalf
Hancock dared then to In.
tercedc. He personally asked for
| clemency for her, and on the day when
her innocent blood was shed to crafty
| the Moloch OF sectional hate, Hancock
stationed u line OF couriers from the
| Presidential mansion TO tho scaffold
and with watch in hand counted the
minutes and delayed the execution un.
| til the latest moment in the hope that
tho President would interpose in he1
behalf
In 1867 he came with dictatorial and
despotic powers to command the De-
partment of Louisiana and Texas. II
was at the very height of the saturnalia
of Radical lawlessness. States had been
tramplcd by the Radical majority in
Congress. The President stood at bay,
powerless for good. Thad. Stevens had
boldly asserted that tho Constitution
had no power TO limit the action Of that
majority. The Southern whites were
disfranchised by thousands, and the ne
groes brought in herds to the ballot
box. Military leaders like Sheridan set
aside the DEGREES Of courts, carried elec-
tons by military orders, and the
very gem Of personal rights and civil
liberty seemed dead. In this fearful
moment Hancock asserted tho suprem-
acy of the civil over the military
power, lifted the crushed and PROSTATE
form Of the Constitution from beneath
the feet Of the spoiler, and in words that
breathed and burned, and that will live
till the last syllable of recorded time,
announced that liberty was still the
heritage Of the people.
His proclamations here, his letter to
Governor Pease, of Texas, his recent
written opinion adjourning the Babcock
court of inquiry, all show that his great
mind is deeply imbued with the princi-
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