St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-10-15
Grant on Hancock.

Grant on Hancock.
THE ORIGIN OF ORDER NO. 40 AND HIS
AMBITION TO BE PRESIDENT.
The Cincinnati Gazette publishes the
following interview with Gen. Grant
reported by DR.. c. Fl. Fowler, formerly
editor of the Advocate, who submitted
his notes to Gen. Grant. Speaking of
Gen. Hancock, Gen. Grant said =
"DOwn to 1864 he seemed like man
ambitious to do his duty as an officer !;
but in 1864, when Mcclellan was nomi-
mated, Hancock received one vote, and
that greatly excited and changed him.
He was so delighted that he smiled all
over. 1t crazed him. Before that we
got on well after that he would hardly
speak to me. l was working to enforce
the laws of Congress and he was work
ing for the presidency. Perhaps he
thought did not praise him enough |;
but, anyway, he hardly spoke to me.
1t was on my nomination that he was
made brigadier-general in the regular
army. When | was made general,
Stanton told me it was a compliment
to me and that could name the men
to fill the vacancies in the lieutenant
generalship and major -generalship
caused by my promotion. l nominated
him for the vacant major-generalship
in the regular army. He acknowledged
it manfully. He was very fair corps
commander, but was never thought of
for any great place. When the army
of the Potomac was hunting for COM
raander it took everybody-even came
over into the West for officers, but no.
body even suggested Hancock for the
place. After he received that vote in
1864, he had the bee in his bonnet and
shaped everything to gain the demo-
cratic and southern favor. He has
watched, and planned, and waited, till
at last he has received the democratic
nomination"
General, do you think he is in SYM
pathy with the South 2"
''He is crazy to be president. He is
ambitious, vain, and weak. They will
easily control him.
''Do you think, general, that his Gel
ebrated order No. 40 represents the di-
rection of his sympathies 2"
''Well, will give you the true, inner
history of order No. 40. Congress was
trying to prevent Andrew johnson from
undoing the reconstruction laws. When
ever Congress passed a law, johnson
bent his energies to defeat its enforce
ment and would find pretexts to dodge
round it. Then Congress would pass
another law to hedge him up there. So
it went on till Congress had taken from
him all control of the generals COM
manding the seven districts of the
South, except the power to remove
them and appoint others in their places.
These commanders could remove any
civil officer of any grade, judge or gov
ernor. When | was made general and
they were determining my powers and
duties, they gave the general, by acci-
dent think, or without seeing all st
involved, coordinate power with these
district commanders, and, as was SEN
ior, it gave me authority. Gen. Sheri-
dan was sent to the department of
Louisiana, covering Louisiana and
Texas. He is very shrewd and very
able. He kept his eyes open, learning
rapidly the men who were not worthy
to occupy their places, and discovering
competent and worthy men to put in
their places. The Legislature of Loui-
siana passed law authorizing the issue
Of 100000 of levee bonds, Ostensi-
bly, for the levee. They conditioned
their sale on their bringing to the state
not less than so per cent. of their face.
The governor and three commissioners
were to place the bonds on the market,
but they soon found out that the bonds
would not bring more than 40 per cent.
To avoid the law they invented the
nj nf hOr 4 6o
bonds as collateral. They could bor-
row about 81 or 35 per cent. of the face
of the bonds. Just at this iuncture, to
prevent these men from defrauding the
state, Gen. Sheridan took off the heads
of the governor and commissioners so
quick that they did not know what
allied them, and appointed good men in
their places. For some reason, the re-
moved men were very anxious to be re-
appointed. They employed Reverdy
johnson and another lawyer to work
for them, agreeing to pay them S25, 900
if they were reinstated. This is great
deal of money for four men to pay for
positions, unless there is some special
gain in the case. Reverdy johnson
came to me, but 1 was so stupid and
stubborn that l could not be induced
to re-appOint them. He went to An
drew johnson and made his case, and
Andrew johnson sent for me and asked
me to reinstate those men. l refused
to do so. He said: 'Reinstate them
even if it is only for one day. l will
promise you that they will resign
thought johnson might not know of the
motive why they were so anxious to be
reinstated, and thinking l would do
him great service in keeping him
from great blunder l told him that
one hour would do those men as we'll
as one day, and unfolded their intent,
but johnson insisted on their being re-
instated. 1 refused and excused my
self. johnson then removed Gen. Sher-
idan and appointed Gen. Hancock.
He called Hancock to Washington to
instruct him in defeating the laws of
Congress concerning reconstruction.
AS soon as learned that Hancock
was in town l called at his hotel instead
of sending for him. wanted to see him
privately in his own room. found him
in his room, perhaps before he had his
breakfast. l said: General, you and
are soldiers-army officers. We have
life positions. We serve under success
sive administrations without regard to
party. 1t is our duty to enforce the
laws of Congress. We are not respon-
sible for the wisdom of the laws; Con-
gress bears that responsibility. We
simply enforce them.' He said, well
l am opposed to niger domination
said, General, it is not question o.
nigger domination. Four millions OF
ex-slaves, without education or proper.
ty, can hardly dominate 100000 O.
whites with all the education and pro-
perty. 1t is a question of doing ouI
| sworn dntuI He said tWell I'm ON.