Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-08-14
BUYS AND SELLS EXCHANGE
HANcooK.s LETTER TO SHEER
ON the Electoral trouble Of 1879

EKANCOCEx' LETTER TO SHEH
MAN
ON the Electoral Trouble OF 1875
NEW York, July 31.-This lette
was written in reply to two letter
on the situation received from Gen
Sherman:
CARoNDELET p. o. (St. Louis)
Mo-, December %, 1S76.-My Dea
General. Your favor of the 4th inst
reached me in New York the da,
before / left for the west. IintendeC
to reply to it before leaving, bu
cares incident to departure inter
fered then again, since my arriva
here / have been so occupied will
personal affairs of a business naturt
that / have deferred writing from
day to day until this morning, anC
now I find myself in debt to yol
| in acknowledgment of your favor O
the 18th, received a few days since
have concluded to leave here OF
| the 10Th (to-morrow) p. M, so thai
| may be expected in New York on
the 31st inst. 1t has been cold and
1 Ca J
have worked tlike Turk" Il pre-.
sumo that means hard work. in the
country in making fencing, cutting
down trees, repairing buildings, etc.,
and am at least able to say that st.
Louis is the coldest place in the
winter and it is the hottest in the
summer of any that / have encoun-
tered in the temperate zone. / have
known st. Louis in December to
have genial weather throughout the
month; this December has been
frigid and the river has been frozen
more solid than / have ever known
| it.
When l heard the rumor that
was ordered to the Pacific coast,
thought it probably true, consider
ing the past discussion ON that SUBJ
ject. The possibilities seemed to
point that way. Had it been true,
| should have of course presented no
complaint nor made resistance of
any kind. l would have gone
quickly, if not prepared to go
promptly. I certainly would have
been relieved from responsibilities
and anxieties concerning presiden-
tial matters, which may fall to those
near the throne or in authority with
in the next four months, as well as
from other incidents of matters
which would not control action,
concerning which / might not ap-
prove. / was not exactly prepared
to go to the Pacific, and therefore
felt relieved when / received your
note informing me that there was
no truth in the rumOrs. Then did
not wish to appear to be escaping
from responsibilities and possible
danger which may cluster around
military commanders in the east,
especially in the critical period fast
approaching. "All's well that ends
WE'LL" The whole matter of the
presidency seems to me to be SIM
pie and to admit of a peaceful solu-
ton. The machinery for such a
contingency as threatens to present
itself has been all carefully prepared.
1t only requires fabrication, owing
to disuse. The army should have |
to do with the election or |
of the president. The |
people elect the president; the con- |
gress declares in joint session who /
he is; we of the army have only to |
obey his mandates, and are pro-
tected in so doing only so far as they
may be lawful; our commissions
express that. l like Jefferson's way
of Inauguration. 1t suits our sys-
tenn. He rode alone ON horseback
to the capital fear it was the "old
his horse to fence
rail, entered, and was duly sworn.
Then he rode to the executive man
,iOn and took possession. He in-
himself simply by taking
the oath of office. There is no other
egal Inauguration in our system.
The people, or politicians, may in
,titute parades in honor of the
event, and public officials may add
20 the pageant by assembling troops
and banners, but all that only comes
after the inauguration, not
before, and it is not a part of it.
Our system does not provide that
)ne president should inaugurate an
,ther. There might be danger in
hat, and it was. .studiOusly left out
If the charter. But you are placed
N an exceptionally important posi-
ion in connection with coming
events. The capital is in my juris-
fiction, also, but / am subordi-
lateand not on thespOt and if were
70, you would be my superior in
for there is the station Of
he general-in-chief. On the prinei-
,le that regular elected presidents
erm of office expires with the Sd of
March, of which / have not the
lightest doubt, and what the laws
,earing on the subject uniformly
and in consideration of
he possibility that the lawfully
lected president may not appear ,
lntil the 5th of March, great deal ,
# responsibility may necessarily
all upon you. You hold over you
will have power and prestige to ,
uppOrt you. The secretary of war,
90, probably holds over, but If no Z
appears he may not be !
BILE to exercise functions in the
anne of a president, for his proper ,
cts are those of a known superior, /
lawful president; you act on your :
wn responsibility, and, by virtue ,
f a commission, only restricted by {
he law of the land. The secretary /
f war is the mouth-piece of a presi- t
ent; you are not. \
If neither candidate has cOnsti-
ltiOnal majority of the electoral
Ollege, or the senate and house on ]
ne occasion of the count do unite
4 declaring some person legally
Iected by the people, there is law
II machine already provided to
leet that contingency and decide
le question peacefully. 1t has not =
cen recently used, no occasion pre- :
snting itself, but our fOrefathers !
rovided it. It has been exercised !
nd has been recognized and sub u
lifted to as lawful on every hand. Z !,
hat machinery would probably =
ect Mr.. Tilden president and Mr.. 9
Wheeler vice-president that would = !
e right enough, for the law pro- :
ides that in failure to elect duly Z
Y the people, the house shall imme- ),
lately elect the president and the y
.nate the president. Some z
ibunal must decide whether the :
eople have duly elected president. Z
presume, of course, that 1t is in Y
le Joint affirmative action of the y
mate and house, or why are they y
resent to witness the count If not I
see that it is fair and just? II a ! 1
Lilure to agree arises between the y
Vo bodies, there can be no lawful :
decision that the people 2
ow.o 0lnokol n ,apoofdnxaf oo1 fho ] NJ