New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-31
THE LETTERS or ACCEPTANCE.

General Hancock has written a dignifed
letter of acceptance. 1t Is not particularly
luxuriani in opinions upon the great issues of
the day, and its meagreness III this respect VIII
disappoint many of his own party who looked
for ringing statement OF Democratic
principles But its tone Is courteous
and moderate; it INDUCES in no denun
Citations of the Democratic sort with
respect to the circumstances under which
General Hancock's superior officer, the Presi-
dent Of the United States, reached ms
position. The letter may be dull,
but it is decorous, and that is
something to be grateful for. 1t has one fault
rs a letter accepting a Democratic nomination
for the Presidency. It is not a Democratic
letter. It's platitudes are the patitudes which
Democrats sometimes preach, but which they
never practice These are the doctrines which
Democrats do not believe, though they
often profess them If the letter WAS ad-
dressed to the party which created and
adopted the great War Amendments, which
saved the Union, and which has bullt up the
country into q new and great prosperity, there
would be some fitness in many of It's decara-
tions. But when we reflect that it Is adj
dressed to the party which fought to de-
stroy the Union. which in It's Northern
branches resisted ut every step the progress
of the War Amendments, and which fought
with equal zeal every step OF the Resumption
policy which brought our great prosperity,
the letter becomes mass of incOngruit1es
and absurdities.
No better Illustration of this lack of con-
sisteucy, which is 'Iainy owing to the fact that
the Democratic party has a new set of
opinions on the standard issues every four
wears. can be given than General Hanc0cks
declaration that the principles enuncated by
the Cincinnati Convention are those which he
has "cherished in the past" Pray. has Cen
eral Hancock forgotten his vehement indOrse-
ment Of the platform of the Convention of
1868. when the Democratic party had
lurd assortment OF so-called principles
utterly opposed to many of those formulated
at Cincinnati The Convention of 1865 had
the infamous impudence to demand the taxa
ton OF Government bonds the Convention
of 1850 says nothing on that point.
General Hancock has approved both
platforms - which does he "cherish
The platform of 1868 demanded that GER
tain classes of the bonds should be paid in
greenbacks the platform of 1850 is ST.
lent on this point. Which vie. does
General Hancock "chersh"7 The platform
Of 1868 denounced all tie Reconstruction
acts as "usurpatiOns and uncOnstl-
"tutional, revolutionary and void; it
demanded the immediate restoration of all
the rebels and all the rebel States to their
old places-in word, the subver-
sion of all the results of the war.
The platform of 1880 pretends to accept the
results of the war. Which opinion does Gen
eral Hancock "cherish"f The platform of
1865 demanded tariff for revenue and incl
dental protection under the Internal Rev
enue laws; the platform of 1880 is an absolute
Free Trade platform. Which idea does General
Hancock cherish - The platform of 1868
was greenback platform. That of 1880 is
called hard-money platform. Does
General Hancock still cherish" his
Greenback principles of 1857 Many
other examples might be given. Is 1t not fair
to conclude that neither Democratic letters of
acceptaDce nor Democratic platforms give
any insight into the real purposes of that
paryf
But the greatest incoIgruity of all
appears when General Hancock de-
clares solemnly in favor of a
full vote, free ballot, and fair count"
OF all the stolen platitudes this
seems the most grotesque. There have
not been a full vote, free ballot and
fair count in the Southern States for
years past and General Hancock's cleo
ton would not be possible if, by any
miracle, they should come to pass. He can
only be elected, if at all, because the
Democratic leaders of the South have,
by murders, whippings and intimida-
tons. the records OF which fiji thirteen vol
umes of Congressional reports, prevented a
full vote and free ballot, and because by
shameless frauds they have made the
very idea of fair count in at least six
Southern States mere mOckery. Every in
telhgent citizen knows that fully this
number of States in the South
are fairly Republican, and would give their
electoral votes to General Garfield if the " full
"vote free ballot. and fair count" which
General Hancock talks of could be had.
This is the climax of Democratic inconsis-
tency. II the party should succeed it would
owe it's victory to the cruel, deliberate and per-
sistent violation of the very doctrine which the
party makes tho cornerstone Of its platform,
| and which it's candidate for President SOL
emily rehearses in his letter Of acceptance.
The letter of Mr.. English. accepting