New-York tribune., 1880-10-06
GRANT on HdNCOCh.
"HE IS CRAZY TO BE PRESIDENT"


TBE ORDER RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF MANY
LIVES.
The Rev. c. H. Fowler. D. D.. Missionary Sccre-
torv of tbe Methodist Episcopal Church. and for
merly Editor of The Adcocae the chief organ OF that
church. has published IN The Cincinnati Gazette an
important conversation which he had on September
21 with General Grant, at She atter's home IN
Galena. The subject of the conversation was Gem
eral Hancock and his famous Louisiana Order N q.
40 Dr. Fowler's statement is as follows:
Speaking Of Hancock the cX-Prcsidcnt said
"Down to 1861 he seemed like man ambltlous
10 do his duty as an officer; but IN 18Th whel NC
Clellan was nominated. Hancock received one
vote and that greatly excited and changed him.
He was SO delighted that he smiled all over. IL
crazed him. Before that we rot on well; after that
he would hardly speak to me. | was working 10 en-
force the laws OF CONGRESS- and he was working Tor
the Presidency. Perhaps be thought did not praise
him enough; but anyway ne hardly SPOKE 10 Rr,nP me-
dier-General in the Regular Army When was made
General, Stanton told me IT was com
plIment to me. and that ] c0ud name the men
10 fill the vacancies in the Generalshp
and Major. GencralShip caused by my promotion. /
nominated hm for tho vacant MaJOT-Generalshlp In
the Regular Army. He acknowledged It manfullv.
He was "A very far corps commander, but was never
thouGht of for any great place. When the Army of
the Potomac was hunting Tor commander lt TOOK
almost evervbody-even came over into the West
fo' officers but nobody ever even suggested nan
co k for the place. After he received that vote IN
lSji he had the bee IN his bonnet. ana SNAPPED
everything to gam Democratic and Southern favor.
He has watched, ana planned, and waited. TIL at
last he has received the Demo ratio nomination."
General. do You think he IS in sympathy with
the South ~
{" He is crazy to be President. He is ambitions,
vain and weak. They " II easily control him.
do you think, General. that his celebrated
Order No. 40 represents the direction OF his sympI-
thicy W, r;u ;ro Won tho +-ro i,nor his,orv Of
Order No. 40. Congress was striving to prevent
Andrew johnson from undOing the Reconstruction
laws. Whenever Congress passed a law Johnson
bent his energies to defeat IFS enforcement and
would find prctcXts TO dodge round II. Ihen Con
eress would pass another law 70 hedge him up there.
So 1t went on TIL Congress had taken from HIM al
control of the Generals commanding the
seven Districts Of the south, except
the power to remove them and appoint 9th
ers in their places. These commanders could re-
move any civil officer of any grade. Judge or Gov
emor When was made General and they were
determining nv powers and duties, they gave the
General. by accident think, or without seeing all
II involved, coordinate power with these district
commanders, and as was senior 1t gave me au-
thorty. General Sheridan was sent 10 the Depart
ment If LOUISIANA covering Louisiana and IeXas.
He Is very shrewd and very able lie kept his eyes
open, learning rapidly the men who were not worthy
to occupy their places, aud discovering competent
and worthy men 10 put IN their places.
The Legislature of Louisiana passed law
authorizing the issue of S7OOO,OO0 of levec
bonds. Ostensibly for the lcvcc. They conditioned
their sale on their bringing to the State not less
than 50 per cent of their face. The Governor aud
three Commissioners were 10 place the bonds on The
market, but they soon fOunu out that the bonds
would not bring more than 40 per cent. 10 avoid
the law they invented the plan Of borrowing money
and using the bones rs collateral They could bor-
about 81 or 80 cent of the face of the bonds
just at this juuctuTc TO preYeni these men from de-
frmdng the state, General Sheridan took oil the
heads of the Governor and Commissioners so quick
that they did not know what allied them, and
appointed good men IN their places. for
some reason. the removed men were very anxious
to be reappoutcd. They employed Rcverdy j hn-
son and another lawyer 10 work for them, agreeing
In 1 e. 4
is a deal Of money for four men 20 pay for pp
sIonS unless there Is some sDeclal gam IN the ca-e
RevcIdy Johnson came tD me- but was so stupid and
stubborn that could not be Iuduccd to rcappomt
them. lie went 10 Andrew johnson ana made ms
case. and Andrew Johnson sent for me and asked
me to rclnstate those men. | refused to 90 So lie
said: "Remstate them even If 1t is only for one
day. viii promise that they will resign" thought
johnson might not know of the motive why they
were 50 anxious to be reinStated, and thinking |
would do hm great service In keeping
him from a great blHnder, tod
one day. and unfolded their intent. But John
son insisted on their being relnstated. | refused
and excused myself. johnson then Removed
General sherman and appointed General Hancock
He called Hancock TO Washington to instruct him
~ defeating the laws of Congress concerning recon-
stiuction A. soon | learned that Hancock was
III Gown called at his no el instead Of sending for
hIm. ] wanted to see him privately IN his own
room. found him Ia his room, perhaps before he
had MS breakfast. SAID: General, you and are
soIdi,r~-Army officers. We have life positions.
We serve under successive Administration, without
REGARD 10 parry II Is our duty enforce the laws Of
Congress. We are not responsible for the wisdom
90 the laws; Congress bears that rcspous bility.
We simply enforce them He said: Well, /
am opposed TO meger domination! l SAID:
General, it Is not a question Oi Niger dom
inauon. Fonr millions Of eX-siAveS win
out education or property, can hardly
dol1inat 3o,00OOOO # whites with all the cdnca-
tIon and property. IL Is question of doing our
sworn duty lie said: Well, Pm oppoSed To niger
fucnce him was by t e remnant OF authority left in
tft,t l.. .xtt. t.t.s fftsI r4 fl,l |
crdilc party and ihe South lie went South auI
removed the Governor and Commissioners tnat
General Sheridan had appointed. ms antly jclc-
grapAcd him not 90 appoint - office any men who
had been removed, and 20 give me his reasons h.
mail FOR removing the men. He telegraphcd, in
long rcliy, costing the Goycrnm Mt 500, his
reasons. te'eNrIDhed him that the reasons
were not sufficient; to send by mail other
reasons. lie again telegraphcd about the same
points only not quite 50 lOlg, costing only PlJO.
lie telcgraphed that if he could not have freedom
act, his usefulness would be destroyed. ana that
he would have to ask to be relIeye1. telcgraphed
him TO revoke his order. lie asked Johnson TO re-
cvc him, no one else could That is the inner
history ana spirit of his celebrated Order No. 40
This order resulted IN the loss OF many lives |
Know of cases and can give them. His statement
that the civil authorities are supreme Is truth ad
mted by all IN time Of established peace. but can
demonstrate that he did not subject the military
power TO the evil, but that he used his military
power to overthrow the CIVIL"
In speaking of the Chicago Convention. General
Grant said " There are three reasons why would
have accepted the nomination First, account of
the character of the men who urged 1t. | esteem
their respect and confidence more than the nomina-
tion. Second, believe | could have broken up the
solid South. Many lifelong Democrats in the
South had given the strongest assurances of their
cordial support, believing that could deliver them
from the evils OF a Solid South. Third there in an
other partial reason. | believe that | could have
induced, from my knowledge of our cOnsulates, the
enactment Of certain laws touching our commerce
that would have given control of much desirable
conmerce-ior instance, in Mexico-insead of deal
ing with people who use only slave labor, and
ceIve little nothing but sterling in exchange"