Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-11
The Sherman-H Hancock Letters.
A CURIOSITY TO SEE ALL OF THEM

e CUhlUSlT4 To SEE ALL OF THEM.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4.
Washington dispatches report that the
curiosity to have the whole of the Sher.
man-Hancock correspondence is rapidly
increasing. 1t is generally agreed that
Gen Hancock's letter cannot be fully un.
derstood until the two which called it
out are before the public, as we'll as some
which followed it. The correspondent of
the Baltimore Sun, Hancock paper, says
that it is the understood that Gen. Han.
cock wrote several others to Gen. Sher.
man after the one now before the public.
The Democratic press of the East, upon
the production of only one of several let
tiers, and without the light which those
which called this one out would give, are
declaring that another Republican charge
against Gen. Hancock has been exploded.
80 general is the statement that it is
proper to recall the fact that the whole
charge against Gen. Hancock came not
only from Democratic sources, but from
his personal friends, and that every point
of these charges thus made were declared
to be accurate by his intimate personal
friend Gen. W. F. ("Baldy') Smith.
THE CHARGES WERE BROUGHT, SOON
AFTER
their publication by Democrats at the
Cincinnati Convention, to the attention of
Gen. Smith in the following printed form:
"During the Electoral controversy Ii
was claimed by the Republicans that Sem
ator Ferry, the acting Vice President, had
the right to count the votes Independent
of the Senate and House. On the other
hand, the Democrats claimed that Con.
gress alone had the right of counting the
vote. While these questions were pend
ing, and prior to the establishment of the
Electoral Commission, Gen. Hancock in
formed Gen. Sherman that it was due 20
him (Snerman) to be appraised of what his
(Gen. Hancock's) position was in the mat
ter. He therefore would say that he con-
sidered that Tilden had been elected
President OF the United States, and that
Grants term of Office expired at midnight
on the Sd OF March. That, regardless Of
anything Ferry might do, if Congress de.
clared
THAT TILDEN WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT,
he (Hancock) believed he had the 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 Tilden as President after
midnight on the Sd of March, he should
obey them" Atkins says Gen. William
+. Smith made this statement at Water
bury, VT, publicly, in the presence of over
sixty of the prominent Democrats irethe
State. When this had been examined by
Gen. Smith he was asked if it was correct,
when the following conversation ensued:
eyes, l suppose 1t is correct enough.
But this refers to Mr.. Atkins, not to me-"
but he says he got the statement from
you"
swell, did mention something of the
sort, believe"
GAS recommendation of Gen. Han
cockp"
"No, 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 A FACT
in connection with the fraud. I have
nothing further to say about it.
Does Mr.. Atkins state substantially
what you said ?'
sob, yes; that is correct"
From whom did you obtain the in
formation?''
"That cannot tell your"
"But you made the statement public
ly."
81 might have alluded to it publicly,
Out uOn't think so. ANY way, had
not the slightest idea or wish that it
should be published. l made the state.
ment, as I said, when We were talking
among ourselves"
Did you state it as fact within your
own knowledge, or as fact of which you
have been Informed ?"
81 STATED TT AS FACT,
as of course it is. 1t would scarcely do
for me to state something that was not
true. That is all intend to say about it,"
This is sufficient proof of two facts:
First, that the Republicans had nothing
to do with starting the story; and second,
that it is very evident that the public is
not yet in possession of the whole of Gen.
Hancock's correspondence on the sub.
ject. The curiosity is also increasing to
ascertain whether there was a general
correspondence among some of the off,
GERS OF higher rank at the early date GOV.
cred by the letters which called out Gen.
Hancock's upon the subject of what the
army would do, or had better do. in the
several contingencies then likely to arise
Puhlic neht Cfatamenf