The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-25

tions in my 'front.'" The aid, in delivering
this message, added the information, OF which
General Meade was then ignorant, that Gen
eral Hancock was desperately wounded.
General Meade sent back the following reply
"Say to General Hancock that | am sorry
he is wounded, and that | thank him for the
country and for myself for the services he
has rendered to-day" For such services no
thanks and no reward could be ade.
quate. Congress, by joint resolution three
years later, thanked General Hancock for his
/" gallant, meritorious and conspicuous share
in that great and decisive victory but the
country will never forget how much It owed
the salvation Of the union to his services on
that field.
LINCoLN's ASSASSINATION.
While his headquarters were still in the
valley of the Shenandoah, in April, 1865,
the conspirators against the lives Of the pres
ident and his cabinet consummated, in part,
their plot, and President Lincoln was MUIR
dered, Secretary Seward was nearly stabbed
to death, and the country was panic-stricken
by the sudden evidence ola widespread, deep.
laid plot to destoy the entire government by
the abomnated and uncivilized' method of
secret and concerted assassination. The mill
ions who still live to remember that day will
testify that the Northern people were never
so shaken and unnerved, even when con.
fronted with the severest disaster in the field,
as on that dreadful Friday, in April, 1865,
1t seemed to most patriotic people rs though
the sun of liberty had gone into perpetual
eclipse. A feeling of such universal fear and
distrust pervaded the nation, that men looked
in each others faces with the despair which
comes over the soul when nature experiences
some awful cataclysm, and when there is no
longer any hope for mankind. Happily this
feeling was only Temporary, but while IL lasted
il was universal and real. General Hancock
was summoned at once to Washington. The
extent Of the conspiracy soon became known,
and the measures taken by him to con-
front the secret peril were thorough, and
contributed greatly to allay terror. When
Hancock's presence in Washington
was known over the county, as it was soon
announced by telegraph, men said TO each
other, THANK God, Il man is in Wash
ington now who can be trusted in
any EMERGENCY General Hancock
remained in Washington, by order of Presi
dent johnson, during the days Of trial Of the
conspirators, and until after their execution.
Much interest has been exhibited in this part
OF his service, and the prominence of his po-
sition has, in the minds Of some ignorant peo-
pie, made his connection with the execution
Of the prisoners more intimate than is true.
1t must be remembered that he was in COM
mand of u force in and about the capitol, of
about one hundred thousand men, having,
practically, only the secretary of war and the
president as his superiors. With the details
of the guarding and the care of the prisoners
he had nothing whatever TO do. They were
confined in the arsenal and the commander
there was General Hartranft, who took the
position By order of the secretary of war. A
military commission, ordered by the presi-
dent, tried the prisoners, found them guilty,
condemned some of them to death, and the
findings ofthe military court were approved
by the president. 1t was unquestionably to
be lamented that they should have been thus
tried. The conviction of the guilty co9ld in
all probability have been effected by Jury.
But the nation was in bloody struggle for
existence and martial law prevailed, for our
armies were yet in the field. II WAS partcu-
larly to be lamented that one of the con-
demned persons was woman, and the regret
is the deeper when in calmer times, people
who consider the case carefully are con-
WINGED that, so far as the crimes of assassua-
ton was concerned, she was guiltless. The
execution had been ordered for the fourth
day of July.
THE sURATT CASE.
On the 9th Messrs. Aiken and Clampitt,
the counsel of Mrs. Suratt, went before Uni.
ted States Justice Wylie and procured writ
of habess corpus. This was served by the
marshal Of the district on General Hancock
as the military head of the division. AS was
his duty he forwarded it to his superior, the
president of the United States, and
the commander-in-chief. President John.
son at once issued the following proclama-
ton:
EXEcUTIvE OFFICE, July6.
To Major General Hancock, Commander, etc.:
|. Andrew Johnson, President OF the United
States, do hereby declare that the writ OF
hd6edS corpus has been heretofore suspended
n suen cases rs this; and do hereby especi-
ally suspend this writ and direct that YOU
proce al a, i execute the order here Jolore given
you upon the judgment of the military com
nilsson, and you III give this order H. return
20 this writ.
This was endorsed on the writ, and, accom-
panied by United States Attorney General
Speed, General Hancock presented himself
before Justice Wylie and made return to the
writ. The execution took place the following
day. General Hancock saw that the only hope
for Mrs. Surrstt lay in the power of her
daughter to move the Presidents heart, and
he so informed the daughter, and gave her
every facility in his power to gain access to
ha IA uu ba NM ,n4t -,
grad to the looked-for pardon or reprieve
that he placed line of mounted sentinels
from the White House to the place of execu-
ton, that the words of grace, if spoken at the
last minute should go surely and swiftly.
But no such words were spoken, and to the
now almost universal regret Of the people
Mrs. Surratt died.
HIS RESPECT FOR CIVIL LAW.
1t was on the Goth of November, 1867, that
General Hancock was ordered to assume
command of the Fifth Military District
and the Department of the Gulf, with head
quarters at New Orleans. There had been dis
turbances in this department which, doubtless,
exaggerated, had greatly excited the Northern
people, and General Hancock's predecessor
had not hesitated to make the military arm
felt superior to the civil law, and construe the
power given him BY the Act of Reconstruc-
ton as absolute and irresponsible. 1t is safe
to say that almost any civil governor, not to
say military man, finding himselfclothed with
such authority and backed up with ample
forces, would have treated the unreconstructed
and unrepentant rebels with the rigor which
was expected of him by the great msjority of
the Northern people. That such was not the
.,o,,rro &c Gnnnrai uannnnl, /, thn nrn,rnir q.