Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-08-14

after the war. AT the date of his
service i'll Louisiana the beau ideal or
a ''strong government was III fun
operation at Washington, conducted
by men who claimed to be absolute
masters of the country. State rights,
and, as IA necessary consequence, ln-
dividuai liberty, were violently trOd-
den down, and the constitution which
should have made us free was habit
ual!y over-ridden and insulted. What
those men called "the government
was not only wondr0us strong, but
corrupt beyond all example in mod
ern times. Between its force and it's
fraud the people were powerless, and
their despair was aggravated by All
ind, tiuablc dread that the whole army
might at any moment be used to sink
the nation into still further degrade
ZION, If below that lowest depth
lower deep could be reached. 1t was
in these circumstances that Hancock
spoke out those words OF truth ana
soberness which reassured the friends
of free government and inspired them
with new hopes. All who were, near
enough to watch the current of that
unequal contest between absolutism
and law can remember how the
enemies OF the constitution were
startled and scared when they found
that the most brilliant general Of the
Union had officially declared himself
opposed to their savage policy"
They could not go upon him, nor send
upon him, nor i'll any 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
| cons picuously gallant and faithful
leader. So they were fain to content
themselves with harmless sneers and
petty prosecutions. But they renewed
him from the place where his devo-
| ton to the constitution was specially
| interfering with their schemes to sub.
vert it, When they made up their
minds to strangle the liberty. of
state, to disperse n legal Legislature
10y brute force, to inaugurate for gov
ernor shameless adventnrer, known
to nave been defeated at the polls. Or
10 pin the people down with 6ayOnets
while they were plundered by alien
thieves who claimed to be their rep.
resentatives and officers, somebody
else was employed to do the infamous
work. Still more carefully did they
avui,t his presence when the whole
nation was to be swiudled at a. presi-
dLniial election. 1t was. for such per.
sous that the heart of the country
warmed TO Gen. Hancock as its pre-
destined deliverer. sta jigi ssgss
1t has often happened that the best
things of the greatest men are attri-
butcd to others who are wholly in-
capable OF them. The, opinion was
industriously propagated aud accept-
. ed by great many as true, ,that.Aam-
ilton wrote the farewell address Of
Washington, but the evidence is COLI
elusive which shows sthatevefyiworu
OF that immortal iprodnotionlc came
. from Washington himself; and Ham,
ilton could not have written 1t any
; more than he could have eImade y
woald. Some Of Jackson's most char
acteristic papers, bearing the full i'm
2 press Of his own mind, were habitual-
ly credited TO persons of far. inferior
. ability. When it was charged 'against
: jefferson that he wrote L0gan's
] speech, he so!emnly declared that ne
t was unequal to such composition. l
1 attn not affecting modesty when l
4 claim credeDce OF my present denial
s for a asimilarreassn.s could not have
written Hancock's No. A0-not be-
5 cause pretend to be dumb or alto
! gether unskilled in the use Of English
: words, but because if l had uuder-
Y taken to write it the chances are
/ ninety-nine III hundred that my ar
:. gumentation would have mSrred its
: nsjestic simplicity aud greatly dim
D inished its power. When q, public
a man, especially military man,ineets
D agrave esponsibiiity saying no more
| la, nan CT ha hi,,rr hn nj III
: hut SAYING that with uneq1fvOcal
clearness. you may be sure he is the
I Interpreter of his ewn thoughts. At
i any rate, the attempt, js unjust to
a bastardize No. 40 by assigning to it
e an origin totally different sfrsm the
: true one. t 7sMia l99auca
Il Why should my opinion be asked or
. volunteered on General Hancock AZ a
d civilian? Anybody .elsa iiWho has
I watched his life is as good 9, Judge as
J, /, and there are thousands who know
y him much better. But since the
I question is propounded Ibewill an-
}, swer, subject to fair correction, that
e he has i'll him the highest and best
5 qualities of republican rnler. l
= think his fidelity to sound principles.
S coupled with his sound Judgment,
: will entitle him to rank well with the
! great presidents of former times.
: do not compare him with Washing
: ton, tor the grandeur Of that Scharac-
ter is and will remain forever sunap.
y proachable, but do say that, w ash
Y ington, if placed in his situation
It would have acted precisely d he did.
t His patriotism has not the dimpulsive
3, ardor of Jackson's; but his fidelity t0
I he truth, his love of justice and his
:, scorn Of wrong, are quite asi 'unmis-
II takable. He is not dsctrinaire like
II Jefferson, for his busy life has left
him no time to study thenabstract
s. philosophy of politics, butj1iaI prac-
u tical good seuse knows the Eight in
is tuitively, and always catches the
) nearest way to doit. Ii he bs elected,
n the ability of his administration will
e inspire universal respect, aud his
e moderation and magnanfmity will
e. concillate even his enemies. / have
= the fullest faith that he will not only
keep his oath to preserve, protect
and Gefend the constitution, but will
so carry out its provisions that the
great objects of its fTamers as ex.
pressed in the preamble will be fully
10 accomp!ished-'.To form q more per.
feet Union to establish justice, to in.
sure domestic tranquility, to pro-
vide for the common defense, to pro-
mote the general W alfare aud tosecurt
l. the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and our posterity." j. S. BLACK. :