The daily gazette., 1880-07-08
TmE GREAT FRAUD.
Hancock and Tilden.
SHOULD CONGRESS OR A UsURPER BE
OBEYED?


SHOULD CONGRESS OR A UsURPER BE
OBEYED?
Gen. VIM. f. Smith confirms the
statement that General Hancock wrote
a letter to General Sherman, in reply
to certain questions, before the Elec-
toral Commission was formed in 1877
that should the Congress of the United
States declare Mr.. Tilden elected and
that gentleman take the oath Of Office,
he would feel bound to obey orders
from Tilden. A New York Tribune
reporter obtained the following inter-
view -
General, the Boston Globe prints q
statement in which you are represent
ed as impugning General Hancock's
loyalty"
''That must bs incorrect. Allow me
to read it," he replied. The slip was
handed to him by the reporter and
carefully examined. 1t was as tol-
lows - '9n
at will be remembered, says Mr..
Atkins Hiram Atkins a delegate to
the Cincinnati Convention from Ver-
mont] that during the controversy it
was claimed by the Republicans that
Senator Ferry, of Michigan, the act
ing Vice President, had right to
count the votes independent Of the di-
rection of the Senate and House that
they should be mere spectators of the
count. On the other h md, the Demo-
Gratis claimed that Congress alone had
the right of counting the votes, and
the Vice President could only open the
| envelopes. 1t was claimed by Repub-
licans that General Grants term of Of
flee did not expire until new Presi-
dent should be inaugurated. While
these questions were pending and prior
to (not after) the establishment of the
Elector Commission, General Hancock
informed General Sherman (not Sheri-
dan) that it was due to him (Sherman)
| to be apprised of what his General
Hancock's position was in the mat er.
He therefore would say that he con-
sidered that Mr.. Tilden had been elect
ed President of the United States, and
Ge neral Grants term of Office expired
at midnight oh the Sd of March that
regardless of,anything Mr.. Ferry might
do, if Congress declared that Mr.. Til
den was elected President, he (Gene-
raj Hancock) believed he had right to
take the oath of Office wherever he
might be and that if Mr.. Tilden did
take the oath of Office, and he should
receive any orders from Mr.. Tilden,
as President of the United States, af-
ter midnight on the Sd of March, he
should obey them. That is the story.
During the process of telegraphic
transmission and composition the
name of Sherman was changed to
Sheridan, and by some means or other
l was made to say that the letter was
written after the decision, instead oi
before the establishment of the Elec-
toral Commission. General Hancock,
like Mr.. Tilden and all patriotic
Americans, acquiesced in the decision
of that tribunal, unconstitutional as ii
undoubtedly was. As to the source
whence obtained the story, it is such
thatno man can help giving itcredence.
l first heard it at dinner which
gave at my house in Montpelier last
April to General William +. Smith
(Old Baldy) and several other gentle
men, and General Smith afterwards
repeated it at Waterbury publicly in
the presence of over sixty of the promi-
uent Democrats in the State"
SIS that correct, General ?' the re-
porter asked when General Smith
handed back the newspaper slip.
eyes, suppose it is correct enough;
but this refers to Mr.. Atkins, not to
me-" .-
"But he says that he got the state
ment from you." r.....,... ...
"Well, l did mention something oi
the sort, believe"
Gas recommendation of General
Hancock P'' .r
sNo, not in that way at all. We
were simply talking among ourselves
about what had happened in the past
about the fraud, and SO on-and
mentioned this as fact in connection
with the fraud. I have nothing fur
ther to say about it."
'sDoes Mr.. Atkins state substantially
what you said ?"
"Oh, yes that is correct"
"From whom do you obtain the in
formation?" H.
"That cannot tell you."
"But you made the statement pub
licly ?" -.
III might have alluded to it publicly
but don't think so. Anyway, ! had
not the slightest idea or wish that il
would be published. made the state
ment, as said, when we were talking
among ourselves"
"Did you state it as fact within
your own knowledge, or as a fact OF
which YOU had been informed :"
81 stated it as fact, as of course II
is. 1t would scarcely do for nae to
state something which was not true
That is all intend to say about it.