The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-08-13
A MANLY LETTER.
HancOcIx,s Reverence or civil Law.
FULL TEXT OF HIS LETTER TO SHERMAN II
THE TRYING TIMES FOUR YEARS AGO
CONGRESS THE TRIBUNAI.-FAITH
IN 4 PEACEFUL SOLUTION OF
THE TROUBI4E-THE AR
MY'S Functions

IN \ PEACEFUL SOLUTION OF
THE TROUBLE-THE AR
MY'S FUNCTIONS.
Shortly after the nomination of Gen. Han
cock at Cincinnati, it was charged against
him, says the Philadelphia Times, that dur
ing the electoral crisis of 1s76-7 ne had writ
ten letter to Gen. Sherman in which he had
made known his opinion on the disputed cleo
ton and declared for Mr.. Tilden's claim if
the latter chose to take the oath of Office. 1t
was claimed by the Republican press that
this letter was little short Of revolutionary in
its declarations and that its publication in
full would greatly damage his chances for the
Presidency. Gen. Hancock from the first
said when questioned about the matter that
anything he had ever written to Gen. Sher-
man might be given to the public General
sherman was out West when the story came
out On hearing of it he said that he had no
letter from General Hancock upon which any
such construction as is indicated above could
be placed. Since then, Gen. Sherman having
come within reach the New York World has
finally obtained a copy of the letter from his
files, with the permission of both parties, and
it was printed in that journal and the Times
yesterday, August ISt.
Gen. Hancock being spoken to by a Herald
reporter on Saturday had this to say on the
subject:
Il hardly remembered writing the letter
until ! saw a reference to il i'm some of the
newspapers. When | wrote / had no idea il
would ever be published | was i'm West
ern town on private business, with no secre-
/ taTy or member Of my staff with me. / wrote
it frankly and with no cOnStraint.'
And stick to what You wrote"
Il never wrote anything ! am afraid Of
having known and that / would not stick
to.
lished p"
Il only waited for the consent of General
Sherman, and that having been given there
Is no obstacle against its publication
| The following is the full text of the letter:
CARoSDELET p. o., st. Louis, !
December 2S, 1876.
J My DEAR GENERAL; Your favor of the
4th inst. reached me in New y NOrk on the 5th.
f the day before ! left for the West / intend
/ ed to reply to it before leaving, but cares in
/ cident to my departure interfered. Then
again, since my arrival here ! have been 50
occupied with personal affairs of a business
nature that ! have deferred writing from day
today until this moment and now ! find my
self in debt To You another letter in acknowl-
. cdgement Of your favor of the 18th, received
. a few days since. L have concluded to leave
here on the 29th (tO-moTTOW) 2. NJ, so thu
? 1
inst. 1t has been cold and dreary since my
arrival here. | have worked like Turk
I q suppose that means hard work. in the
country in making fences, cutting down trees,
J repairing buildings etc, etc, and am at least
able to say that 1t. Louis Is the coolest place
in the winter and the hottest place in sum
meT Of any that | have encountered in a tenn
peTate zone. ] have known st. Louis in De
cember to have genial weather throughout
the month; this December has been fTigid
and the river has been frozen more solid than
/ have ever known il.
When ] heard the TumOT that | was order
/ ed to the Pacific coast | thought il probably
true, considering the past discussion on that
. subject The possibilities seemed to me to
point that way. Had il been true, / should,
/ of course, have presented no complaint nor
made resistance of any kind. | would have
gone quickly, If not prepared to 90 promptly.
. l certainly would have been relieved from the
. responsibilities and anXictieS cOnccTningI'reS-
idcntial matters which may fall 10 those near
the throne or in authority within the next
four months, as well a. from incidents or
matters which could not control and the ac-
tiOn concerning which l might not approve.
( / was not exactly prepared to 90 t0 the Pa
4 citiC, however, and | therefore felt relieved
when / received your note informing NE that
there was no truth in the rumors. Then
: did not wish To appear as escaping from re
spOnsihiliticS and possible dangers which
may cluster around military commanders in
the East. especially i'm that critical period fast
+ approaching ''AIl'S well that ends well. -
The whole matter of the Presidency seems
to me TO be simple and TO admit Of peace
full solution. The machinery for such con
tingencV as threatens to present itself has
been all carefully prepared. 1t only requires
fabrication. owing to diSuSe- The army
should have nothing to do with the election
or Inauguration of Presidents. The people
elect the President The Congress declares
i'm joint session who he is We of the army
have only to obey his mandates, and are DrO-
tccted IN 50 DOING 0niV so far as thev are law
tuI. t'sr commissions express that. / like
JEFFERSON = way of Inauguration il suits our
system lie rode alone on horseback 10 the
Capitol Il fear il was the ''Old Capitoll'') ).
t'ad hiS horse to a rail fence, entered and was
duly sworn then rode to the Executive Man
sion and took possession. He inaugurated
himself simply by taking the oath Of office
There Is no other legal Inauguration The
people or politicians may institute parades
in honor uf the event and public officials may
add to the pageant by assembling troops and
banners, but all that only comes properly
after the inaugUration-nOt before. and i,
not of it, Our system does not provide that
one President should inaugIIrate another
There might he danger in that and il was stu
diouSly left ont of the charter.
But,you are placed in am exceptionally i'm
pOTtant position IN connection with coming
events. The Capitol IS in my jurisdiction
also, but / am subordinate and not on the
spot, and if | were so also would he my SUI
perioT in authority, for there is the station o
a rcgularlv-elected Presidents term Of ofiic,
/ expires on the :d of March (of which / have
not the slightest douht) and which the law,
. / bearing on the subject uniformly recognize
and in consideration of the possibility tha
the lawfully-elected President NAV not ap
pear until the 5th of March, a great deal q
responsibility may necessarily fall upon YOU
Nou hold over. You will have power an,
prestige to support You. The Secretary o
, War, too, probably holds over; but if N,
. President appears he may not DE able to eN
( erciSe functions in the name of the President
for his proper acts are those OF known su
perior-a lawful President.
/ You act ON your own responsibility and hl
virtue of a commission only restricted by th
law. The Secretary of War Is the mouth
piece Of d President. Ou are not. II nei
ther candidate has constitutional maiorit'
of the Electoral College, or the Senate an,
House on the occasion Of the count do no
unite i'm declaring some person legally elect
I ed bN the people there i lawful machner-
: already provided To meet that cOntingenc'
and decide the question peacefully. It ha
not been recently used, no occasion present
! ing itself, hut our forefatheTS provided II
D Ii has been exercised and has been recog
I niZed and submitted to as lawful on ever
. hand.
That machinery would probably elect Nj
= Tildcn President and Mr.. Wheeler Vice Pres
I idcnt That would hc right enough, fOT Tn
: law provides that i'm a failure To elect duly h,
/ the people the House shall Immediately eleC
p, the President and the Senate the Vice PTeSi
L dent Some tribunal must decide whethe
2 the people have duly elected President.
p presume. of course. that IL is i'm the Joint al
I frmative action of the Senate and House, q
e WHY are they present tO witness the count
i not to see that it i fair and lust Ii "A fail
e ure 90 agree arises between the two bodie
t. there can he no lawful affirmative decisio
, that the people have elected President, alt