The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-08-20
Judge Black on Hancock.
THE ATTEMPT TO BAsTARDIzE ORDER NO.
40. AN ELOQUENT TRIBUTE TO
HANCOCK.
PLACE

Judge Blacks Paris Letter to n. Y. World
1t has often happened that the best things
of the greatest men are attributed TO Others
who are wholly incapable of them. The
opinion was industriously propagated and
accepted by a great many that Hamilton
wrote the Farewell Address of Washington,
but the evidence is conclusive which shows
that every word of that immortal production
came from Washington himself and Hamil-
ton Gould not have written it any more than
he could have made world. Some of Jack.
sons most characteristic papers, bearing the
impress of his own mind, were habitually
credited to persons of far inferior ability
When it was charged against Jefferson that
he wrote Logan's speech he solemnly declar-
ed that he was unequal to such compost
ton. am not affecting modesty when l
claim credence of my present denial for a
similar reason. | could not have written
Hancock No. 40--not because | pretend 10
be dumb or rather uhskilled in the uso Of
English words, but because if had under
taken to write it the chances are ninety-nine
in hundred that my augmentation would
have marred its majestic simplicity and
greatly diminished its power. When pub
lie man, especially military man, meets
grave responsibility, saying no more nor less
than just the thing he ought, but saying that
with unequivocal clearness, YOU may be
sure he is the interpreter of his own
thoughts. AT any rate the attempt is unjust
to bastardize No. 40 by assigning it to an
origin totally different from the true one.
Why should my opinion be asked or vol
unteered General Hancock as q civilian?
Any body else who has watched his life is as
good judge as |, and there are thousands
who know him much better But since the
question is propounded will answer, subject
to fair correction, that he has in him the
highest and best qualities of republican
rule. l think his fidelity to sound principles,
coupled with his sound judgment, will enti-
tie him to rank well with the Presidents of
former times. do not compare him with
Washington, for the grandeur of that char
acter is and will remain forever unapproach.
able, but do say that Washington, il placed
in his situation, would acted precisely as he
did. His patriotism has not the impulsive
ardor OF Jackson's; but his fidelity to the
truth, his love of justice and his scorn of
wrong are quite as unmistakable He is not
a doctrinaire like Jefferson, fer his busy life
has left him DO time to study the abstract
philosophy of politics, but his practical
good sense knows the right intuitively and
always catches the nearest way to do it. If
he be elected, the ability.of his administra-
ton will inspire universal respect and his
moderation and magnanimity will conciliate
even his enemies. | have the fullest faith
that he will not only keep his oath to pre-
serve, protect and defend the Constitution,
but will so carry out its provisions that the
great objects Of its trainers as expressed in
the preamble will be fully accomplished:
''To form more perfect Union, TO establish
Justice, to insure domestic tranquility, to
provide for the common defense, to promote |
The general welfare and to secure the bless |
ings of liberty to ourselves and our pos.
lerity."