Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-02
Judge Black on Hancock.

In view of the wide diffusion of the
Republican SANDER that Judge Jere S
Black was the real author of the orders
issued by General Hancock in Louis
lana and his letter to Governor Pease
of Texas, the following from that dis
tinguist1ed Democrat, now visiting in
the Old World, will prove interesting
PARIS, July 49,
SIR-A caole dispatch reached me at Lon
don, whence | answered it more briefly per.
haps 'hln You expected, but thought intelii-
mail. ~
inferred from your interrogatory that some
e"-dlspo sed per =ons had been attributing to
me the authorship of the orders and letters is
sued by General nanc rca while he commanded
III louisiana aad Texas. My denial by tele-
graph was intended to cover the whole
ground. neither wrote those pa pers nor sug-
gested word Of them; had no precDgniti0n
of his views tae subject 10 wnica tTiey re-
ate, ana hoard nothing from him about it
uhtli ne mad taken the public into his conf
with him was then very slight, ana our rela-
tons not at ali intimate. The opinion that
Wouid o!fer or he would require thy aid in pro-
dic!ls si1ch an order his No. ~ is absurd
MS discrimination to stand by the ConstitII-
tion and the laws needed no expression but
what ne could give it better than any man
awe IL was not an argument, not an exposi-
tios OF the law not essay on the rights of
man that was wanted at that critical time
Inc spoken act OF patriot soldier in high
command alone could save civil liberty from
the destruction with which it was threatened
Ihat was what Hancock did, and it was the
tincliest lit thar the great cause ever cot
from any hand except that of Washington.
. nope ray admiration of the order in ques-
tlon and the gratitude have felt to him for
issuing IT can be reasonably accounted for
without surprising that framed or had any
share iii framing it. The belief was general
among the friends of Constitutional lib .rty
ana expressed by many Others as strongly as
By me, that General Hancock had done mlI en-
ana iDlic DrdFBly. to rescue the Nation
save 1t alive first from SeceSsiOlst and aft
erward from the more dangerous ana more
unDEIncipied oiigarchy into whose hands it
tell after the war. AT the date of his service
in Louisiana the beau ideal of .'strong Gov
eminent was il full operation at Washing
ton, conducted by men who claimed to be alb
SOiute masters of the country. State rights
h ahat rs neces iary consequences, individual
constitution, which Should have made us free,
was habitualiy overridden ana insllted. WHAT
those men called the government was not
only w0ndrous strong. but corrupt beyond all
example in modern times. Between its fore.
and its fraud the people were powerless, and
thei' despair was asgI awaited by an ndeiuable |
dfead th.J tue whole army might at any mo- |
ment be used TO sink the Nation into still |
further. degradation, if below that lowest |
depth D lower deep could be reached 1t |
was in these circumstances that Hancock |
ness which treasured the friends of free |
government, and inspired them with new
hopes. All who were near enough to
watch the current of that une Illai contest be-
tween ab-olutiSm and law can remembet how
the eheIiles OF the Constitution were startled
and scared when they found that the most
brilliant General OF the Union had officially
dec:atei himself opposed to their savage pol
icy. they could not go upon him, nor send
upon MIN, nor in manner destroy him, for not |
Only was the law of the land on his side, but
the army was found to be full Of sympathy
with its c,nspicuously gallant and faithful
leader. SO they were fam to content them
selves with harmless SneeTS and petty persecu-
tons But they removed him from the place
where his devotion to the CONSTITUTION was
specially interfering with their schemes to
subrert it. When they made up their minds
TO strange the liberties of State, to dSperse
a legal Legislature by brute force, to inaugtl-
rate TOR Governor a shameless adventurer
known to have been defeated III the polls, or
they We're piunder4d by alien thieves who r
claimed to be their representatives and Off
sess, aoinenody else was employed to do the l
infamous work. Still more carefully did they 6
AVOID his presence when the whole Nation was ;,
70 be swihdied at Presidential election. 1t l
was for such reasons that the heart of the +
country warmed 10 General Hancock as it's
oredeStue1 delycrer
1t mas often happened that the best things of a
he greatest men are attributed to others who | q
ire wholly incapable of them. The opinion
vas irlduStriouSly propagatei and accepted by |
nrewe u i.ir.ss o. vasi.sn 10. te rng
lencc is conclusive which shows that every .
word Of that immortal production came from IL
Washington himself: and Hamilton could not a
AVE written it any more than he could nave ri
made u world Some of Jack sons most char VI
lcteriStic papers, bearing the full impress of
lis own minu, were habitnally credited to per- n
ons of far inferior ability. When it was ~
charged against Jefferson that he wrote >
Iocan'S speech, he solemnly declared that he b
vas unelu1i to 5 ich Il comp position. l am not | q
IIecting. Inodesty when | claim crodence of =
ny present DENIAL for u sim lar reason. L y
could not have written Hancocks No. 40-not Il
'ecans;sI pretend to be dumb or altogether n
lnsi He'd III the of English words, but be- !,
ausc If | hal undertaken to write it the Il
hances are ninety-nne il hundred that my a
would nave marred it's majestic :,
i'm pcity a5lI greatly diminished its power. | II
Wien public man, eSpecialiya military man, | tt
meets II grave respon s!bilty, saying no more a
lOr less than just the thing he ought, but say "
ng nat VITA uncIuivocal clearneSS, you may q
re sure lie is the interpreter OF MS own n
thoughts. At any rate, the attempt is unjust .
y baStarIiizc No. 70 by assigning to it an origin
otaiy different from the true one. II
Why should my opinion be aske ! or voiun- .
eert d Oh q III. raj Hancock civilian? Any i,
'ody else who has watched his life is as good y
Judge as |. ard there are thousands who know | T.
lin inuca better. But since the question Is o
will answer, subject to fair cor +
&c ion. that he has in him the highest aud y
'esr quantities of q republican ruler. think p
lis fidelity to sound principles, coupled with J
vel with the great Presidents of former
ines DO not compare him with Washing,
on, for the gran iour OF that character Is ana
VIII remain forever unapproacnaoie, put 90
ay that Washington, if placed III his sltua-
lis patriotism ha, not the impusive ardor of =
acksons, but his fidelity to the truth, his love Z
f justice and his scorn of wrong are quite as p
He is not Il doctr1naire like n
efferson, for his busy life has left him no
line TO study the abstract philosophy of poll t
les, but his practical good sense knows the h
light intuitiyely and always catches the near
81 way to do il. If he be elected the ability II
# his administration will inspire universal 4
aspect, and his moderation and magnanimity I,
viii cOncate even his enemies. have the ,
ulleSt faith that he will not only keep his
ath 10 res erve, protect and defend the Con-
but will carry out its provisions :
hat the great objects of it's trainers as ex- G
PRESSED in the preamble will be fully accom- C
'lished-"TO form more perfect Union, TO u
establish justice, to insure domestic tranquil
ty, to provide for the common defense. to pro-
note the general welfare and to secure the a
blessings OF liberty to ourselves and our pos .
Gritty }. 5. BLACK.