The daily gazette., 1880-07-30
Another Hancock Republican.
GEORGE WILKES REVIEWS THE
SITUATION-HIS ANALYSIS OF
GRANTS CHARACTER-HE WILL

dhANI y OnAhACIbR-h6 WILL
VOTE FOR HANCOCK.
Mr.. William M. Hall of Stamford,
Conn.,, has received the following
letter from George Wilkes, dated
Paris, July l8, 1880:
My DEAR HALL: l have been
away for week, and your last letter
has lain unanswered so long that
must jump its current topics to ex-
press my great qualification at the
nomination Of Gen. Hancock.
Garfield pleased me, because his
name rose upon the collapse of a
horrid spectre which had frightened
the country to its very marrow; but
Hancock fills the bill-an honest
honest soldier who knows nothing
but his duty, and will be sure to
leave the people, unhampered by
"politics," to their own free will.
That is the true theory of the Presi-
dental institution.
I have been hankering to vote the
Democratic ticket for over ten years
past, because it is fixed principle
with me that no party whatever is
| fit to WELD the Government, its
army, and its purse consecutiyely for
over ten years; certainly not for
twenty. Parties, like certain dishes,
need to be turned over once in
while to suit the public palate, nay,
the public health, and heaven knows
our gorged and loathing country
needs change at present. But the
management of the Democratic
party has been so incompetent for
the last ten years, so confounded
with cussedncss in its leadership,
that 1 felt forced, in spite of my
principle, to adhere to the more re-
spectacle rogueries of the Puritan
Republicans.
Hancock, however, fills the bill.
He is ''a bold soldier boy" with a
clean name and though since An
drew Jackson the military idea has
not been a Democratic fancy, it is
not for the Republicans to come out
of their hotbed of sabres to reproach
us with it now. They surely cannot
clamor with success about the Mrs.
Surratt performance of Hancock's
bounden duty. That necessary TRACE
DIV has been sufficiently discounted
by applauding stalwarts has always
proved to be one of the most telling
appeals to Republican patriotism
during the last four Presidential
campaigns and am much mistaken
in my estimate of human nature if
the same painful incident, with an
honest but sorrowful soldier as its
central figure, does not again power
l
ton of the American people.
l know Hancock, and like him. He
is man of sound ability, and will wear
well; and though, as you know, never
fancied West Point much, l must bear 1t
this important testimony: Throughout
| the war, on both sides, not one of the
regular brand was known to steal. 1t
was not always so with the amateur ex-
perts of the volunteer service. There
are two illustrative contrasts that now
pass across my mind The first volun-
teer psalm singing speculator, whom l
need not mention; the other, that grand
old Confederate hero, John B, Magruder,
whom recollect as once painted, by a
chance correspondent of the London
Times, riding at the head of his legions
, over the Towering sward of Texas, look
] ing like one Of the paladins of old, and,
as will add, with millions Of money
had he been so mlnded--springing to
his hand from the clover at his horses
hoofs.
well remember how he stayed Nc
Clellan, aud 10000 Of the flower OF our
Northern youth under that leader, for
nearly month at Yorktown, with but
1900 men, leaving behind him IN the
abandoned walls not a wagon, not side
of bacon, nor man.
. Right we'll also do bear in mind,
when he found his retreat discovered
and disputed by those Instructive SOL
dlers. Hooker, Heintzleman and Kear
ney, had stomach to give battle to the
three ON the road at Williamsburg, and
to pass through tolls that environed him
by the fire of his sword with the glory
Of new Moreau. What has Grant done
! that was better than that Indeed, May
. ruder was a grand old soldier, bat he
died without means enough to bury him
"a funeral that became hero who
knew how 10 make war, but did not
know how 10 make money. Now, Grant
was a different kind of a hero-a SOL
| dier, doubtless, but not 30 much Of one
as his blind worshippers would have us
think-a silent, crafty, money-makng
: man, with always an empire to wind
: ward, and keenly comprehending that
) the first step of the founder of dynasty
} is to make himself and family rich aye,
. to the uttermost generation. Our friend
1 Ulysses began his cllTb to power logic
s ally, by taking presents, absorbing
strength in stocks and houses, and every
form of property, and by distributing
fortunes to his relatives, from the Cor
bins to the Dents, his last and most
/ clever coup in that way being the recent
!. side stroke Of two or three millions in
4 California for the family fund, in the
way of marriage through the cockey and
S aspiring young Prince Fred. Indeed
4 from the day of the accession of Ulysse:
to what is practically the throne of the
United States (with its more than rega
patronage), he has never, 80 far as my
|. observation goes, refused rich mani
invitation to dinner nor sat al poo
mans table. If il were my desire tt
b wound him, would refer to sumptuou
l. boards which he has carelessly allowed
himself to patronize that were not en-
. tirely worthy even of his own humble
start in life.
Presently, when he recovers from
the stupefaction of the recent stagger
t. ing blow at Chicago, he will slowl.
70 ,nco;l and stretch out again for pro