New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-07
TIE pR0OF 1G4IYST HINCOCK.

THE PROOF Against HINCOCh.
Thus far General Hancock has kept silence
upon the charge, made upon the authority OF
some of his most prominent supporters,
that he was ready in 1877 to Join
Samuel J. TIlden in organizing o revolution
against the lawfully constituted authorities OF
the United States And since the matter be-
came publicly known and the people fairly began
tounderstand that Major-General of the United
States Army was capable of entering into
such scheme, General Hancock's friends
have kept pretty quiet too. They began to
see that an argument which worked
wonders in caucuses of Northern Bour
bons and unreconstructed rebels might be
very poor one to use with the law-abiding
voters of the country. But now the whole
story is out thanks to the babbling of Yer
mont Democrat by the name of Atkins, and the
foolish frankness of General w. +. Smith, OF
this city. They have laid bare the truth, and
the rage of the Democratic party at this ex-
posure will soon be heard.
The story in brief is this: While the Pres
idential election was still in doubt, and
before the establishment of the Elec-
toral Commission, General Hancock informed
General Sherman that it was due to him
"(Sherman) to be apprised of what his (Gen-
" eral Hancock's) position was in the matter"
The authorized statement then continues;
lie therefore would say that he considered that Mr.
TIden had been elected President OF the United
States. and General Grants term Of Office expired at
midnight the 3D. of March that regardless Of any
thing Mr. Ferry might do, II Congress declared that
Mr. Tden was elected President he General Hancock
belle we'd he had right take the oath Of office wher
ever might be and that II Mr. Tilden did take the
oath Of Office should receive any orders from Mr.
Tden Us President OF the United States after midnight
on the Sd of March. he should obey them
This is Mr.. Atl1ins's statement, which he
says he derived from General Smith. and
General Smith tells TRIBUNE reporter that
it is correct. Again, he says he states 1t
"as fact, as Of course it is" This statement
from two of General HancOck's earnest sup
porteYs at Cincinnati. one of them his intimate
personal friend, leaves nothing TO be desired.
1t shows that General Hancock, in the
first place, took it upon himself to
decide that Mr.. Tilden had been
elected, and, in the second place, to announce
10 his superior officer that. no matter what
might be done by the Yice-President
in counting the votes, and. by IN
ference, no matter what authority, judi
cia! or otherwise, might sustain the
Vice President General Hancock was pre-
pared, if Dir. 1'ilden claimed the Office under
a Congressional declaration, to disregard the
orders of the General of the Army,
and recognize those of so-called
President in Gramercy Park. If
General Hancock is content with
this showing, the Republican party is. 1t is
proudly claimed for him that he is the one
soldier who has. above all others, subOrdi-
mated the military to the civil power. He
seems, from the testimony of his best
friend, to have been ready to out
rage both, and to have been equally cool
in proposing civil war, end in telling his
superior officer that In certain contingencies
bis orders would not be obeyed