Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-08-12
hancocks Letter to Sherman--By Senator
BaYard.

The first thing to be noted in this
letter is the quiet and unconscious
force CT character displayed in it.
Letters written with an object are like
all pre-arranged affairs, open to the
suspicion that some things have been
deliberately suppressed and others
made unduly emphatic. This letter
exhibits Hancock. the patriot and
soldier, writing out his unpremedi-
tated views upon a grave political
crisis. He did not originate the cor
respondence as the opening sentences
show. To appreciate it's full mean
ing and force you must have seen and
known as I did, what was then going
on in Washington and at the War
Department. Troops, even then, un-
der Cameron's inspiration and with
President Grants approval, were be-
ing moved towards Washington. The
army had already overthrown the
Louisiana election. Florida and
South Carolina had suffered the same
fate and the work only remained to
be consummated at Washington on a
national scale.
This letter will dispose forever of
the pretense that Gen. Hancock is
merely soldier. 1t shows that he
has distinct ideas concerning public
affairs and gives expression to them.
with simplicity and directness that
makes his rraSnnf ation ac ctropr &c
any that was made on these subjects
before congress or the Electoral Com
mission. Contrast his language con-
cerning the decision of the South
Carolina Supreme Court with Gen.
Grants answer to Senator Randolph,
who cited that decision to him and
was blun,ly told by Grant that he
cared nothing for the decision of that
court. Indeed, Gen. Hancock 5
views antagoliize those of Grant in
every particular. "How can l, a
soldier, best sustain a government of
law" always seemed to be Han
cocks inquiry. elbow can l, SOL
dier. best assert my military power
despite the restraint OF the laws?"
seemed to be the usual thought with
Gen. Grant.
In his letter, Gen. Hancock has
emphasized the true meaning of the
constitution in such a way as to throw
new light on it. He presents the
idea Of the separate deposits Of pow
er in the House of Representatives
and in the Senate in the case of an
inability of the two houses in joint
session to unite IN a declaration that
a majority of the electoral votes had
been cast for a candidate. In that
case the duty of choosing a president
Immediately devolves on the House
of Representatives, while the duty OF
selecting a vice-president devolves on
the Senate.
The golden sentences in the letter
are these: 1.-The army should have
nothing to do with the election or in
auguration of a president "The
people elect the president. ''The
congress declares, in joint session
| who he is ''Our system does moi
provide that one president should ip.
augurate another; there mi ght be
danger in that, and it was studiously
left out of the charter Here is the
key note between Hancock and Grant.
ism. If Grant had held the doctrine
of Hancock's letter there never woult
| have been an Electoral Commissior
or any need for one. 1t was the
threat of Grant that he would inaugu.
rate as president, the candidate who
he decided ought to be inaugurated
and that he would do it by force, i
necessary, which made 1t requisite
that an unusual device should bt
adopted to preserve, at least, the
forms Of law in filling the presidency
and thus prevent a storm in which
our system of government would have
been wrecked.