Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-09
HANCOCK.S ROLE IN 1877.
Ready to Obey president" Til
denis Orders After March Sd.
The Story Again fold with Cir
cuinsfantial Details Admit
ting NO Doubt OF it's TRUTH
COrrObOratiye Evidence
Found in TIIden'S
OWN ACfS


WAsHINGToN, July ct is fully |
established That Hancock wrote Gen. |
Sherman while the electoral count was |
III progress. that he should, If the |
democrats declared Tilden elected, |
recoguiZe him as president after
March 3 l, even If he were inaugurated
or should tAke the oath OF ofnce ID
New York instead of Washington.
The whole story is thus told by the
of the Boston journal,
" no was present at democratic cou-
ference where Gen. Badly Smith
made known Hancock's position.
The readers Of the journal Will
doubtless remember that a secret con-
ference of leading democrats or YER
mont was held at Waterbury on the
evening of M 'rch 31st, at which Een.
w. F. (BaIdy) Smith was present
The journal correspondent was au-
mitted to the democratic conclaVe only
on a pledge of secrecy as TO the sub
iects under consideration, when IN
junction he has faithfully maintained.
But inasmucn as the chairman of that
meeting, Hiram Atkins, editor or the
Argus and Patriot, and chairman of
the s,ate committee, has seen fit to di
vuIge the most important statement
maize at the time TO the country, the
JOurpaI correspondent feels absOlved
from further secrecy or obligation to
keen silence relative thereto. The
story related by Mr.. Atkins at Cincin-
natl was doubtless made with the view
of gaining the good will and support
of Tilden's followers for Gen. Han
cock, II has been discredited and
doubted by many, but your cor
RESPONDENT can fully corroborate the
truth of the story in every particular,
which be will proceed to do.
The conference referred 10 was held
in one of the upper parlors of Bishops
hotel, in Washington, at about 10
O'Clock on the evening of March 31st.
There present Messrs. Hiram Atkins,
B. 3 Smalley, w. Fl. Fl. Bingham,
Luclus Robinson. a. NJ. D ckey, J
W, McGeluick, NJ. D. Gilman, J. J.
Deavitt, M. S. Bowman, Col Bailey,
Il. H. Scott, L w. Rediugton
and fiftv other representative demo-
Gratis Of Vermont. Your correspond
ent sat at tatle in the center of the
room, aud opposite him sat Gen. w.
F. smith, eX-pOlice commissioner of
New York city. During the evening,
Gen. Smith was called upon TO address
| the meeting, and in his remarks he
said:
"Phere is one thing about Gen. Han
cock that [ want to tell you of, which
will show the character Of the man.
know it to be true, and it is this {:
During the exciting times pending
the election Of president in 1876, aud
about the time OF the decision Of the
electoral commission, Gen. Hancock
who then Commanded he eastern mil.
| itary department OF The United States
wrote letter to Gen. Sherman, ex-
pressing his belief that Samuel J. Til
| den was legally elected president, aud
that as such he was entitled to take
| the oath of Office elsewhere than al
| Washington. Hancock further stated
| that as an officer Of the United State:
army, he should ebay any order be
might receive from President Tildeu
af. er midnight Of March 3rd. And
added Gen. Smith, he was ready tC
answer call for troops to tain
President TIIden should the occasion
! demand a resort to arms"
The explicit statement from Gen
Smith of defamation on the part OF
the present democratic candidate fol
the presidency to assist by force o.
arms in the usurpation Of the presl
dental office by Tllden in 1875, shoulC
such procedure be decided upon, was
heartily applauded by those present
Gen. Smith was in position in 1876
TO know whereof he spoke, and hi
statement stands uDcontradicted.
The editor of the Argus and Patriot
in this weeks issue of his paper, ad
mits the truth of the substance of thi,
remarkable story, but claims it wa
somewhat changed by his interview
The remarks of Gen. Smith made a
that conference as remembered by tn
Journal correspondent agree substan
tally with the story as tod by Mr.
Atkioa to the Cincinnati interviewers
To be sure it is a little damaging L
Gen. HaDcOck's candidacy, but if tn
candidate is condemned out of hi
mouth he can not complain of unfai
treatment should the opposition Civ
the mere facts to the country.
From facts that have been developet
since Hancock's nomination there j
little room to doubt that he was tn,
choice of TiIdeD, and that q good IN
Outstanding has long existed between
the would he cODspiratOr5 of fOu
years ago. Toe failure of the schem
to take fOrcible possession of the pres
idential office Gao be attributed to tn,
lack of nerve and moral courage or
Mr.. Tiiden's part. The office of FEEL
Marshal Watteroon to have 100 0OC
democrats in Washington to see tha
Tilden was peacefully inaugurate(
seems, in the light of Hancock's de
clared purpose, TO have been no mer'
jest The recent conference of Han
cock, and Tiiden, and Watterson is
very suggestive one, and TIlden's dec
laration that Hancock was really hi
choice is not an idle utterance. l. il
an open secret among the Vernon
. delegation, just returned from til,
Cincinnati convention, via New York
that Tilden has contributed ''bar'l'
to the campaign fund in the form of ,
check for 500 900. to the order of Hon
w. II. BArDum, chairman of tn,
democratic national committee
When this story was first printed
by mistake of the types Hancock
letter was said to have been written t.
Gen. Sheridan instead of Sherman
Ga this slight basis Gen. Hancocl
founded denial when approached
yesterday on the subject. and the fac
OF his taking advantage Of this small
cover is not commented on TO his ad
F vantage. Army officers here, sine
the matter has oeed made public, con
firm the statement, aud say Genera
Sherman received such letter as j
now claimed was written by Gen
Hancock. General Sherman himsei
J comes ia for criticism, because, havin,
such remarkable correspondence
from a subordinate, he took no officia
| To KIannn0tz RI ~